Li, an old revolutionary, writer and calligrapher, told an anecdote about Chairman Mao's visit to Hubei and tasting salted eggs in the lake in the article "Twenty-three Things of Chairman Mao". Now the excerpt is as follows: "1In the winter of 954, his old man (referring to Chairman Mao) came to listen to our report ... We wanted to make up for the poor hospitality before and set a big table for the old man. He said seriously, "You think the more the better, but it's a waste." . The mountain is not high, and the fairy is named; The water is not deep, and the dragon is the spirit; He doesn't like any delicacies, but he likes to eat salted eggs in sand lakes. "

What's the difference between Hu Sha salted eggs and ordinary salted eggs? It turns out that Husha Lake is located in the swamp area, with criss-crossing gullies, lush aquatic plants and dense shrimps and snails. In the land of sand lake water network, there is also a strange grass that is not found elsewhere-wheat yellow horn grass. This kind of grass has thick stems, wide leaves and thick and sweet seeds. Mature wheat straw horn seeds are the best feed for ducks. When the duck eats it, there is a drop of cinnabar-like oil in the raw egg yolk. Therefore, it has the reputation of "salted eggs in sand lakes and small pearls". Ducks are lucky to grow in such a natural environment. A delicious, yellow and world-famous Hu Sha salted egg was produced here.

The phrase "a little pearl" comes not from the people, but from Gong Yan.

At the end of Qing Dynasty, there was a Li Zhizao in Husha Lake, who was an academician. Because of the lack of life in the Hanlin Academy. When Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing, Cixi fled to the west with her attendants. When she passed imperial academy, she saw the light outside the window. She was very surprised and ordered her attendants to find Li Qizao who was "trapped in Beijing": "Everyone is fleeing, but you are here ...? "As soon as Li Zhizao saw this momentum, he knew that this was the holy face he dreamed of, and he kowtowed," How dare I leave Beijing before Lafayette! " So he fled to Xijing with the officials and minions "escorted" by Cixi. After returning to Beijing, Lafayette reused the loyal Li Yinzao, who made a fortune. In order to please his master, Li brought a basket of salted eggs from his hometown. Cixi ate the egg, picked up the red heart with ivory chopsticks, dipped it in water, and saw the oil flowers rippling, which was beautiful; Then pick the entrance of the red heart, the fragrance is fragrant, and its taste is unforgettable. Cixi repeatedly praised: "Good egg! Good eggs! " It's really a little pearl! "Hu Sha Salted Eggs and Beads" came from this and became famous overseas.

Nine-bead preserved egg

It is said that preserved eggs originated in Tianjin. Word of mouth: About 200 years ago, a son of a wealthy family in a village in Tianjin made a coffin for his mother and put it in an empty house for later use. After a long time, when his mother was still alive, he ordered his family to sprinkle lime and plant ash into the coffin to prevent moisture, and left a big gap on the coffin lid for ventilation. Forget it when it's over. The following year, when her mother died, she moved the coffin to the grave and found more than 100 eggs in plant ash. The dutiful son was so angry that he took it out and dried it. The shell is broken, and the inside becomes a dark brown transparent crystal, which is very chaotic. Someone who dares to taste it is really delicious. The onlookers also felt strange, so they quickly tasted it, and the result was like this. People of insight will follow suit afterwards, putting fresh eggs in lime and plant ash, and so on. As a result, neighbors followed suit and called them "color-changing eggs". For a long time, this primitive technology has been circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and has been repeatedly banned.

After improvement, the technology is becoming more and more perfect. As a brand-new food, color-changing eggs have been pushed to the market by Jiangsu and Zhejiang people who are good at business. So today's "preserved eggs in Songhua" began in Tianjin and became in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

When and by whom were the "color-changing eggs" from Jiangsu and Zhejiang introduced into Mianyang and improved into "preserved eggs" which are well-known at home and abroad? This person is known as the "Liu Pidan" in Jiangcheng Wuhan.

19l0 or so, Liu Qifa, a young boy from Hanyang, is from a poor family and has no livelihood. He went to the "Wan Tai Egg Factory" opened by Zhejiang people who were doing business in Han to find a job and sell a few inferior preserved eggs for a living. Liu is young, studious and calculating. He took advantage of frequent visits to his preserved egg workshop and stole his secret production technology. After several practices, a set of process system has been formed. From then on, the preserved egg making technology in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces was mastered and developed by Hubei people for the first time. Liu Qifa was employed by a wealthy businessman by virtue of his exquisite and unique skills. When the Japanese invaders invaded Wuhan, Liu Qifa lost his job. However, the nickname "Liu preserved egg" is a household name in the same industry in Jiangcheng.

From 65438 to 0944, "Liu Pidan" came to Xiantao Town of Mianyang from time to time. With the support of friends, we set up our own preserved egg workshop, improved and eliminated the backward southern egg production technology, and laid the foundation for Mianyang Songhua preserved eggs. After Liu Ji died, his son Liu Wenshan inherited his father's business, and his technology was further improved, becoming the second generation authority of Mianyang preserved egg making technology. After liberation, Liu Wenshan served as the deputy director of the state-owned Mianyang Food (predecessor of Xiantao Egg Factory) egg factory.

After Mianyang Songhua preserved egg was improved to "Jiuzhu preserved egg", its quality was by going up one flight of stairs. Shelled and preserved eggs, the protein is dark brown or grass blue, crystal clear and transparent, decorated with pine flowers, as beautiful as jade carving. The yolk is tight, and it looks like chrysanthemum buds after being cut, and it looks like sugar wrapped in the heart. Xian Yi has been designated as an export inspection-free food for its mellow texture, long taste and refreshing taste, which has contributed to the four modernizations of the motherland.

Lotus root in Miancheng

Miancheng is rich in lotus roots and is known as the hometown of lotus. When Lu Zishi was an official in Fuzhou (now Miancheng) in the Ming Dynasty, he wrote a poem:

Pingqiao Lake is close to the ancient city, and Honglian is a good mirror.

The pavilions are not stained with mud, and the flowers and lotus streams are clear.

Miancheng Lotus Root is the most famous lotus pond in the east of the city. Because the lotus here is beautiful and smells delicious, "Dongnuma Red Lotus" has become one of the eight beautiful scenery in Miancheng.

Lotus root in Miancheng is fat and delicious, with crisp meat, delicate texture and delicious taste. Raw, sweet and delicious, cold and cooked, fluffy and delicious. Lotus seeds are sweet and refreshing, and have the effects of clearing the heart and strengthening the spleen, invigorating qi and benefiting the middle energizer, so they are called "White Lotus Ginseng". In ancient times, they were always the first-class tribute of the emperor and were regarded as delicacies in banquets.

Legend has it that Li Bai flew from Baidicheng to Jiangling, and after singing the well-known "Xiajiangling", he came to Fuzhou day and night to visit his friend Zhang Wei. Zhang Qian took Li Bai to the pavilion by the pond outside the east gate of the city, and ordered a banquet to entertain Li Bai. During the dinner, Li Bai enjoyed the sky and clouds in the pond, the flowers and trees around him, the pavilions and pavilions, and got drunk. In a trance, he took Xiangyun to Guanghan Palace. With a burst of "poetry fairy arrives!" In the cheers, Chang 'e dragged her skirt and danced her sleeves out of the inner room, followed by a fairy, holding a bowl of lotus seed soup and slowly delivering it to Li Bai. Li Bai suddenly felt a strange smell, even when eating and drinking, it felt sweeter, as cool as water and refreshed.

He couldn't help but bother to shout:

Good lotus seed soup! Good lotus seed soup! I, Li Bai, have never tasted such a fairy product since I called myself a' violet laity'! if ...

Chang 'e saw Li Bai's heart and immediately ordered the fairy to bring a lotus seed to Li Bai. Li Baigang received it and was suddenly pushed down by the fairy's palm. He couldn't help shouting "Oh", and when he woke up, he knew it was a dream of Conan. When you open your eyes, the lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, as bright as clouds and as fragrant as blue. Look at my hand again, there is no trace of lotus seeds! Li Bai was very surprised and told Zhang Wei the scene in his dream. Zhang Wei was also surprised. He explained: "No wonder something flew out of this talented poet's hand, like pearls and emeralds, like a Bai Hong, and fell straight into the pool;" When a foreign body falls, it suddenly shoots thousands of rays ... "

There is no textual research on whether Miancheng lotus root is transformed from Yuegong fairy seeds. But it is a unique skill in the lotus forest, not as good as the common lotus root, but it is indisputable.

As the saying goes, "good dishes should be done well."

Miancheng people's skills in making lotus roots are also excellent. If you are interested in going to Miancheng, the hospitable people of Miancheng will show their characteristics and carefully make all kinds of lotus root and lotus root soup for you. And I will stretch out my finger and show you the way one by one like a few treasures; This is "pearl mussel", that is "phoenix scattered wings", that is "dry layer assorted" and that is "eight-treasure lotus soup" ... craft food with lotus root as the main raw material: lotus root pot, lotus root honey, lotus root cake, lotus root clip, lotus root powder, lotus root round and so on. , there are countless more!

Especially in the autumn of September every year, fresh lotus roots are on the market, and people are scrambling to buy lotus roots in Miancheng to grab new goods-for a time, the basket is full of white silk, yellow tips, spindles and gun barrels.

Miancheng lotus root is famous! Many tourists come to Miancheng for sightseeing. As soon as they arrive in Miancheng, they can't wait to step into the restaurant, order a bowl of lotus root soup and some old pits, then sit down and savor it while sipping. Some people can't help reciting poems.

Near the Spring Festival, Miancheng is the busiest time. The streets and alleys are all from Wuhan, Huangshi, Jingzhou and other places to purchase cars from Miancheng Lotus. Miancheng is full of traffic and mountains. Some simply drove all the way to the edge of Tiantoutang, and even bought all the lotus roots with mud before the lotus farmers washed them clean. There are also some people who come home from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi and other places to visit relatives. After eating enough lotus roots in Miancheng, they will bring some as gifts to relatives and friends when they leave. The whole thing is:

Lotus seeds in Miancheng and lotus roots in Miancheng have to be eaten!

Mao Kou braised chicken

Signs of "Authentic Braised Chicken with Maozui" abound on the streets of Xiantao. Although not all of them are authentic Mao Kou Braised Chicken, it is enough to see the status of Mao Kou Braised Chicken in Xiantao's food culture from the fact that merchants have played this brand one after another.

When it comes to braised chicken in Mao Kou, people will first think of the name of braised Lin Bao. In fact, Lu is not surnamed Lu, but surnamed Liu. Speaking of the origin of the surname "Lu", there is an interesting story.

Liu Baolin is the fourth generation descendant of the Liu family. /kloc-at the age of 0/0, he inherited his father's mantle and started the business of braised chicken. He not only learned the technique of braised chicken, but also inherited his father's straightforward nature. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, a Japanese translator went straight to the Liu family and shouted for some red-cooked chicken. Liu Baolin was unhappy that the dog was fighting for power. He promised to keep half of the ancestral brine and mix the remaining half with some water. Then, he put rice wine in it. He thought, if you want to taste delicious food, I will make salty and sweet food for you. How do you eat? Liu Baolin just wants to do some tricks to amuse the Japanese. He never imagined that the stewed chicken was bright in color and the Japanese were full of praise after tasting it. Even calling it "very good" is a mistake. Since then, Mao Kou braised chicken formula has added new content.

As the saying goes, business is booming all over the world. The braised chicken in Liu Baolin was spread by the Japanese, attracting more diners to taste it early. There is a constantly chauffeured man from afar, known as a gourmet, who visited famous foods all over the country. When he heard the introduction of "Mao Kou Wan Li spicy braised chicken", everyone asked Liu Baolin's residence. He wanted to eat Liu's braised chicken so much that he mistook his name for it. People smiled and led him to the Liu family. Since then, Liu Baolin has also been kindly called Halo Lin Bao. Now many Maozui people only know that there is a descendant of Maozui Braised Chicken, Lu Baolin, but they don't know that he was originally Liu Baolin.

With the passage of time, the reputation of braised chicken in Mao Kou has risen sharply, and franchise stores have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. At this time, Liu Baolin angrily suspended the processing of braised chicken. Because, at that time, there was a cynic who not only did not pay attention to the formula of braised chicken, but also used sick chicken and dead chicken in the selection of materials. He is afraid of ruining the reputation of his ancestors.

The selection of braised chicken in Liu Baolin uses local free-range traditional chicken breeds and must be fed with fresh cocks within two years. Slaughter the same day, pluck the hair immediately, and then marinate.

In the choice of utensils, he has always insisted on casserole simmering. He was advised that aluminum pot could process nearly ten chickens at a time. You only marinated four of this casserole, change the pot! But he never wavered. He said: "The same ingredients and recipes, different utensils, have a poor grasp of the heat, but the taste is quite different."

Liu Baolin has two daughters and four sons. Now, they all specialize in braised chicken in Xiantao. On his deathbed, he told his children that my legacy was the brine from my ancestors. Don't expect it to earn much money, just to support the family. Fame and fortune are like clouds, and money is like dirt. Don't ruin Liu braised chicken's reputation for a few stinking money. After that, he took out the ancestral braised chicken formula from his pillow and handed it to Yao Er trembling.

Now, when you come to Maozui, you will be attracted by the glittering and translucent color, the tangy aroma and the feeling of lying down. You can order two or two white wines and have a nice meal.

Mianyang sanqi

Mianyang people can cook steamed vegetables, so "Mianyang Three Steams" is very famous.

All the guests who have been to Mianyang will be warmly invited by the host to taste the "Mianyang Three Steams". But there are different opinions about which three streams are and their origins.

In fact, almost all dishes can be steamed in cages. The common name of "three steamed" refers to "steamed fish, steamed meat and steamed vegetables". At the same time, from the method of steaming, there are also powder steaming, steaming and steaming.

There is an old legend about the origin of Mianyang Sanxi. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Chen Youliang, the leader of the peasant army, went to Mianyang to solve the shortage of food in the army. He took advantage of Mianyang's many lakes to feed his hunger with fish, shrimp, snails and mussels everywhere. But fish, shrimp, snails and mussels have an unpleasant smell, which is not conducive to eating more. You Liang's wife, Empress Zhang Fengdao, invented the steaming method of mixing rice noodles with fish, shrimp, snails and mussels, which solved the need of military food. Later, this method spread among the people and was carried forward by Mianyang people, forming the "Mianyang three stocks".

In fact, the most distinctive and delicious dish in Mianyang Sanzheng is "Chrysanthemum Steamed Snail". This is the most authentic steamed dish among the three steamed dishes. You have to go to Mianyang to taste it yourself to know how it tastes.