Mizhi millet is a specialty of Mizhi County in the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi. It is golden in color, round in grains, bright in crystal, sticky in texture and fragrant in taste. It can be stored for several years without changing the quality of the rice. When braised into dry rice, it is sweet and soft, and the more you chew it, the more fragrant it becomes, with endless aftertaste. When cooked into porridge, it is sticky and glutinous, refreshing and fragrant. There is a bright layer of rice fat oil on the surface of the rice soup. Mizhi millet is famous throughout the country because of its high quality and is one of the "four famous millets" in my country. The four famous millets are Shandong “Longshan Millet”, Shanxi “Qinzhou Yellow Millet”, Shandong “Jinxiang Jingu Rice”, and Shaanxi “Mizhi Millet”. It was once a tribute handed over to the feudal dynasty.

Mizhi millet is rich in nutrients. According to measurements, the protein content reaches 11.2% to 13.4%, and the fat content is 4.5%, which is 1% to 3% higher than ordinary millet. Containing protein and fat are higher than rice and flour. The eight kinds of amino acids necessary for the human body are rich in content and in coordinated proportions. Such as lysine 0.22% ~ 5.24%, methionine 0.4%, tryptophan 0.25%, leucine 1.87%, threonine, isoleucine and valine, etc. Between 0.42% and 2.88%. The content of vitamins is also relatively rich, and the content of crude fiber is the lowest among several major food crops. It is a good nourishing product for pregnant women, young children and the elderly.

Millet is not as valuable as delicacies, but it ranks first among the five grains. There are many dietary taboos in the world, but millet is the only one that goes well with people. It can satisfy hunger when you are hungry, cure illnesses, warm you up in winter, and relieve heat in summer. Royal meals are provided when entering the palace, and tea and meals are given to prisoners when they are imprisoned. Never feel arrogant because of being high, nor feel inferior because of being small. Millet is full of treasures. The grains of rice nourish people, the millet feeds livestock, and the chaff feeds poultry. The lively scene of "people cheering, horses crowing, and flocks of chickens and ducks" in farmyards in northern Shaanxi is almost created by millet.

Millet is abundant in northern Shaanxi, especially rice fat. The late famous writer Liu Qing wrote the novel "Grain Planting" in Mizhi. When the rice fat and millet are simply washed with cold water, you can see the oil-like juice. After being cooked in a boiling pot, a layer of fat will immediately condense in the bowl. Not to mention opening your mouth to taste it, just the sight of it is enough to make people salivate. Ruler, let your imagination run wild. According to the county annals: "The ground is rich in rice fat water, the fertile soil is suitable for millet, and the rice juice is as smooth as fat, hence the name."

People at that time paid attention to the structure of inclusion. That's bad, and Mizhi people are well aware that millet has irreplaceable benefits. Regardless of the ebb and flow of the tide, they will not be moved by the trend and will eat millet as usual, making the young people strong and the girls graceful. Even for pregnant women who are about to give birth, they don’t want to buy here and there. First, there are so many counterfeit nutritional products on the street that they are hard to guard against. Once they are misused, it will be harmful; second, they are reluctant to give up millet, a natural supplement. As long as you have lentil and rice soup to drink, after one month, the mother will be back to her original state, her youthful charm will not be reduced, and she will have a new bit of charm. When the mother is in need, she boils it into juice, which is rich in fat and thin, neither thin nor thick. It is not milk, but better than milk.

There is a kind of milk food called "糨糨", which no one in Mizhi ever left when they were young. It is made from soaked millet, ground into millet flour, and then boiled into a batter. After a baby eats "糨糨", his appearance will change every day. After half a month, he will show a smiling face. After a hundred days, he will start babbling and learning words, and he will be able to walk as soon as he is one year old. Lucky for you.

The children of Mizhi, who have been nourished by millet since childhood, also have some intelligence: they are proficient in literary works, martial arts practitioners are superb in martial arts, and there are leaders of peasant uprisings in ancient times. As recently as the mid-1940s, for The National Anti-Japanese Movement sent more than 500 students. These people are in a foreign land and cannot help but miss their homeland. The elders in their hometown often use millet as a token of appreciation and send it back to them. The playwright Mr. A Ying said in his examination: "After Li Zicheng ascended the throne in Beijing, when faced with the royal meals, he was still nostalgic for the millet in his hometown."

People from other places call it porridge, and people in Mizhi call it "rice soup." , this is the most common way to eat millet. It is simple to cook, convenient to boil and wash, and is suitable for all ages all year round. It can be used as food when you are hungry and can quench your thirst when you are thirsty. It is the way to cook at home, and it is also the way to entertain guests. At that time, a group of "decentralized cadres" came to Mizhi. They were not accustomed to eating and living. Based on their own inherent concept of thickness, they regarded millet as coarse grains. They did not serve bowls and drew conclusions first. There was no rice or flour produced in the area. When his ideals were thwarted and there was no delicious food to eat, he became mentally and physically exhausted. Seeing that they were in low spirits and unable to get enough water and rice, the farmers were worried that they would cause trouble. Not only did they come to deliver rice and soup to their homes, but they had to persuade them for a long time.

This advice almost changed their fate. At first they just tasted it reluctantly, but later the food became more and more delicious and there was no need to give it away. Sometimes the self-study would come to their door and ask for "rice soup" to drink.

Dry rice is another way to eat millet, especially suitable for men who work in the mountains. After one bowl, you won't be hungry all day long, and you won't feel tired at all after a busy day. Farm women taught the "decentralized cadres" how to steam rice, and helped them steam buns, fry rice cakes, roll rice tea, and scoop rice until they became proficient. As for the brewed rice wine and steamed rice huang'er, either the ingredients are exquisite or the preparation is exquisite. Knowing that they are not home at all times, you usually invite them to your own home to take care of them. These "decentralized cadres" never leave Xiaomi for a day. After a few years, not only do they show no signs of aging, but their faces are as old as grease. When the family came to visit, they could hardly believe it. Surprised, I inquired privately and found out that it was all the fault of Xiaomi. Instead of going back to the city, he settled down there and started having children. Nowadays, there are many foreigners from all walks of life in Mizhi. Most of them are "decentralized cadres" who were in love with Xiaomi and refused to leave. As time goes by, they have become authentic Mizhi people. They were raised by millet, influenced by simple folk customs, brought with them the essence of foreign culture, and created achievements together with the indigenous people, adding a new aura to the historical and cultural landscape of Mizhi.

Counting from the "carbonized rice grains" unearthed at Mattuping in Guoxingzhuang, north of the city, millet cultivation in rice paste has a history of at least four to five thousand years. Farmers are based on millet, cultivating and improving it for generations. According to a survey in the early 1980s, there were more than 80 varieties of millet grown in the county. The water and soil in Dongxiang are suitable, and the hoeing work in the Western District is meticulous. No matter how complicated the varieties are, there are always two categories: soft and hard. There are hard methods and hard methods, and there are soft benefits. Hard rice is suitable for "making rice soup", "steaming dry rice", and "making rice". The grains are not as big as rice, sweet and fragrant, and can withstand satiety. Soft rice is usually used for "fried cakes", "steamed jujube cakes", "Zongzi" and "stewed rice" are soft and delicious.

People in Yangxian County claim that black rice is a tribute in ancient times. Nowadays, black rice wine is popular in the world, and the advertisements are very popular. Legend has it that rice, fat and millet were also used in the Song and Jin dynasties, and have not been publicized since ancient times, leaving the sacred relics missing. Whether this legend is reliable or not is not recorded in history and is not worth mentioning. But in 1947, Mao Zedong led the "Asia Department" to Yangjiagou in the south of the city. He stayed there for four months. He wrote many famous articles and held many important meetings. He "attacked local tyrants and divided their fields" and "led The people have fallen out." The people of Mizhi were grateful to him and sent him load after load of millet. Mao Zedong was both moved and inspired, and issued a mobilization order for "millet plus rifle". The people's army was deeply inspired and became even more powerful. In the end, it actually drove away the "aircraft and artillery".

In the 1980s, the Shaanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences established the "Loess Plateau Comprehensive Management Research Institute" in Mizhi, bringing together many agricultural experts and scholars to scientifically regulate rivers and mountains and actively promote the world's advanced agricultural technologies. Not only has millet not been eliminated, but it has been baptized by science and combined with local soil to cultivate newer varieties, adding glory to rice fat and millet. Inspire the people of Mizhi to create a better future with modern taste.