Time passes quietly like fine sand at the fingertips. The passing time has left its mark on everyone. Some are left on the face and heart, and some are left in the memory. For Jining people, the most profound imprint is left on their taste buds. After leaving Jining, what many people miss most is the bowl of jerky rice.

A few decades ago, Jining did not have air conditioning, TV or mobile phones. Every winter, children would invite their friends and run on the wide flat land. "At the end of the sky, in the corner of the earth, only a few close friends are scattered." In the blink of an eye, children become adults, and their childhood playmates also have their own families, and some of them have long lost contact. Only the "dried pork rice" hidden in the deepest part of my memory can provide me with comfort.

Dried pork rice is a delicacy that has been passed down for hundreds of years, and there have been gaps in the process. Fortunately, this delicacy finally appeared on people’s tables again. For Jining people , Dried pork rice is not only a delicacy, but also the source of beautiful memories.

If you want to talk about the history of jerky rice, you have to talk about the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of Liangshan. Of course, the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of Liangshan only exist in "Water Margin". There are also Liangshan in history, but there are not as many people and horses as described in the book. Naturally, there are no so-called one hundred and eight heroes. . But this Dried Pork Rice is said to have a lot to do with the people of Liangshan.

It is said that at the beginning, there were not too many people going to Liangshan, so people in Liangshan did not have to worry about eating. But later, as more and more people went to Liangshan, eating became their problem. A big problem. At first, ordinary cooking utensils were enough when there were only one or twenty people, but later when there were hundreds of people, ordinary cooking utensils could no longer satisfy the people in Liangshan.

The guy who was cooking had no choice. It happened that the guy saw the pickled ham, and he thought about whether he could use this ham to cook. If it was possible, then he could. The food problem in Liangshan has been solved. As a result, this guy made a delicacy-dried pork rice.

During the Song Dynasty, there was no such delicacy as jerky rice, only jerky meat. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was opened, and rice from the south was also transported to the north. Jining people used pottery to make rice with meat, and it tasted surprisingly delicious, so the jerky rice appeared.

This jerky rice is not very delicate, nor is it a delicacy. Shan Jining people love jerky rice more than those so-called delicacies. There is nothing better than sitting together as a family and eating a bowl of hot jerky rice.

Dried pork rice has experienced four important periods.

The first period was the Yuan Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, with the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Jining people made jerky rice. The ingredients of jerky rice in this period were simple and single, with only the main ingredients of pork belly and rice, plus some other seasonings. And this is the original form of jerky rice.

The second period is the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Merchants were not suppressed as severely as in the previous dynasties in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which resulted in a slightly larger number of merchants. Dried pork rice is not too difficult to make, has a delicate taste, and can replenish a lot of energy. After these businessmen saw the advantages of dried pork rice, they began to sell dried pork rice.

At the beginning, the vendors used a pole to carry two baskets, one basket for rice and one basket for meat, and shouted through the streets and alleys. Later, when the business expanded, some traders bought shops and had their own brands, specializing in selling jerky rice. This situation lasted until the 1950s, because the country banned the urban petty bourgeoisie. The jerky rice was discontinued in Jining and then disappeared.

The third period is the 1980s. The country proposed reform and opening up during this period, so some old-fashioned jerky rice and new jerky rice appeared again in Jining. By the end of the 20th century, jerky rice had spread throughout Jining, and some well-made jerky rice had Some of their own font sizes are registered trademarks.

Finally, in modern times, in the 21st century, jerky rice has many side dishes and more condiments. In short, everything is that the jerky rice is developing in a good direction.

Today, the production of jerky rice requires very precision. There should be no impurities in the rice, and there should be no rice of poor quality. The second step is the production of dried pork. Good dried pork has its own secret recipe. Of course, the ratio of spices is the most important. It can’t be more or less. In this way, the dried pork rice can be made in all colors and colors. , it tastes smooth but not greasy, and leaves a fragrant mouthfeel.

Of course, health maintenance is a must, and jerky rice is also very nutritious.

The main ingredients in jerky rice are rice and pork plus some side dishes such as tofu. Rice contains a little protein and moisture. Pork belly is pork belly. The meat of pork belly is made of alternately fat and lean meat, so pork belly can provide a lot of calories and protein, but it also contains fat, and secondly, there are some trace elements.

Although jerky rice is delicious, you still need to eat less. For those who like light food, just eat a moderate amount of jerky rice to avoid taking in too many calories and fat and becoming too fat. It's not good if you're fat.

Any delicacy will undergo years of precipitation. These delicacies go through layers of processing and screening, plus the selection of ingredients, before they can finally be placed on our dining tables.

Meat was also discovered inadvertently during the Song Dynasty. It evolved into jerky rice during the Yuan Dynasty. After rapid development in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was accepted and liked by Jining people.

Today’s jerky rice is not just meat and rice. Some restaurants also add other ingredients specially prepared by themselves, such as tofu, eggs, etc. In addition to the fixed combinations of the restaurant, you can also match other side dishes according to your own taste. Nowadays, jerky rice is becoming more and more diversified and has more and more flavors, so there is no need to worry about the jerky rice being too simple and getting tired of it.

References:

"Jining's Famous Food: Dried Pork Rice"