Pearl meatballs, commonly known as glutinous rice meatballs, are a special food in Jianghan Plain, Hubei Province. Fresh pork is made into meatballs, covered with a layer of white glutinous rice, and steamed in a pot.

The raw materials of pearl balls are pork, eggs, water chestnuts, glutinous rice, minced onion and ginger, salt and so on. This dish pays attention to the original flavor, and there are no heavy seasonings such as soy sauce and pepper in its raw materials.

steamed glutinous rice balls, the glutinous rice grains on the surface are crystal clear, just like pearls. It tastes soft and glutinous, and it has a crispy feeling when chewed carefully, and the taste is amazing. Its pursuit of fresh materials, coupled with the crystal clear appearance, makes pearl balls look like an elegant work of art.

In Jianghan Plain, large and small restaurants usually have pearl balls. However, hardworking and thrifty housewives prefer to do it at home by themselves.

Aunt Wang, I soaked glutinous rice in water early today, and bought fat and thin pork, which was processed with a meat grinder. Beat two eggs, cut the water chestnut into pieces, then knead all these into the meat stuffing and knead them into meatballs. Then, take out the glutinous rice and drain it, roll the meatballs in the glutinous rice, and the glutinous rice wraps the meatballs. Then steam the meatballs wrapped in glutinous rice.

Aunt Wang is making pearl balls for her son. His son is in high school. He gets up early and goes to bed late every day. It is very hard to review his lessons. Recently, he has stayed up too much and ate less. Aunt thought, pearl meatballs are nutritious and delicious, which can supplement her son's body.

If you are not from Hubei, if you have seen pearl meatballs, you will also like the appearance of this dish, and you can't help but want to try them. As long as you have eaten pearl meatballs, you will be full of praise and even want to eat them.

Lao Zhang, a native of Shandong, ate pearl meatballs by chance at a party and liked their taste very much. Later, he often went to Hubei restaurants to eat them. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the local restaurant in Hubei was affected. He didn't eat it for almost a year, so he couldn't help looking for it online and ordering take-away pearl balls.

why do pearl balls come from Jianghan plain?

this is related to the unique geographical environment. Jianghan Plain is a land of plenty of fish and rice since ancient times. People here usually eat fresh meat and fish, and not only produce rice but also glutinous rice. There are rich and fresh ingredients for pearl balls.

Although Jianghan Plain once had the habit of eating pickled fish, it was just the need of storing food in the past. Most of them pursue the freshness and original flavor of materials.

In addition to the right time and place, there is a story about Pearl Maruko's fame.

Chen Youliang is a native of mian yang in Jianghan Plain. In the peasant uprising at the end of Yuan Dynasty, the Red Scarf Army led by Chen Youliang made immortal contributions in the anti-Yuan struggle.

Chen Youliang was born into a fisherman's family in mian yang since childhood. At the beginning of his army, many children from his hometown actively joined the army. On the day of Chen Youliang's swearing-in, his wife, Pan Shi, personally went into the kitchen, carefully selected meat and fish and steamed them into delicious food. One of the dishes was pearl meatballs, which were sent to the military camp to share with the soldiers. All the soldiers felt the virtue of their wives, and they fought bravely in the future battles, went forward bravely and won one victory after another.

Chen Youliang, based in mian yang, once extended its influence to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River ...

Although Chen Youliang failed in the end, the delicious pearl balls that his wife personally cooked and shared with the soldiers were remembered by future generations.

Pearl meatballs are delicious and have beautiful meanings. I hope the family will be round and round, and be lucky.

wujie school