Editor's note: As the birthplace of Chinese food culture, Shaanxi cuisine has a long history and is a school of its own. Between stir-frying and stir-frying, before the pots and pans, generations of spoon holders have been ingenious with taste, and in the process of inheritance and development, the "taste" of Shaanxi cuisine has become more and more abundant. The old brand precipitated by the years is a dazzling pearl in Shaanxi cuisine. As an ancient city with a long history and splendid civilization, Xi'an contains many long-established brands. These time-honored brands record the development of the city and are also full of "Xi'an taste" and "Xi'an temperature". In recent years, with the general trend of the integration of culture and tourism, Qujiang New District has innovated and developed ideas, deeply excavated "culture +" and "food +", and made the old brand glow with new vitality. Recently, the International Online Shaanxi Channel visited 5 long-established brands in Xi'an to listen to the "taste stories" between Shaanxi cuisine masters and their specialties.
International Online Shaanxi Report (Feng Yan): A city has the taste of a city, and the most representative of the taste of old Xi'an is the gourd chicken, which can be seen from its jianghu title "Chang'an Shouwei Gourd Chicken". In the heart of Xu Haijun, executive chef of Xi'an Restaurant, gourd chicken has a special status.
Xu Haijun taught the apprentice the gourd chicken making process Courtesy of Xi'an Catering Co., Ltd
Speaking of gourd chicken, we can't help but mention Xi'an Restaurant. Founded in 1929, Xi'an Restaurant is famous for its "Authentic Shaanxi Cuisine" and "Shaanxi Flavor Snack Collection", and has always adhered to the purpose of "Food Collar Sanqin", and has been praised by the industry as "the landmark of Sanqin food culture". As the first batch of intangible cultural heritage protection units in Shaanxi Province and Xi'an City, Xi'an Restaurant not only witnesses the changes of the ancient city over the years, but also carries the memories of many Xi'an people. Xi'an Restaurant has inherited ten traditional dishes, and gourd chicken is one of them, which has been passed down to the world for more than 1,000 years with its golden color, chopsticks touching the bone, and tender skin and tender meat.
After working at Xi'an Restaurant for 29 years, Xu Haijun has produced many signature dishes, but in his opinion, gourd chicken has a special significance. Xu Haijun said: "Gourd chicken seems to be a simple dish, but it is actually very exquisite. From knife change, to soaking, to frying, it takes 48 hours to make the gourd chicken completely. It is not only time-consuming, but also labor-intensive, from the production process, to the oil temperature, heat, and the configuration of the package, each link has strict requirements. Whether it is an old diner or a new diner, the gourd chicken is preferred in the store. I have a lot of affection for this dish, it is not only a simple dish, but also represents the culture of our company, but also represents the feelings of many citizens in Xi'an. ”
Gourd chicken Courtesy of Xi'an Catering Co., Ltd
Therefore, whether it is for himself or for his apprentices, Xu Haijun requires "loving and caring for the gourd chicken". He said: "Every dish has to be done with painstaking effort, especially for gourd chicken. This dish, after a long history, has been passed down to the present day and has poured out the feelings of many people. From the production know-how, to the recipe, the proportions, the master hands-on, words and deeds. Today, I teach new people this way, just to pass on this dish in its original flavor. ”
Following xu Haijun's steps, the gourd chicken traveled all over China and even overseas. Although Xu Haijun will make appropriate adjustments to the dip according to the tastes of young people, or increase the foil to improve the interactivity of the dishes, the taste of gourd chicken will not change. Xu Haijun said: "I often contact my master, he always said: 'Now that our shop is opening more and more, we must pass on our old varieties well.'" The master specifically mentioned the gourd chicken and said that he must let the guests eat the original taste. This is the master's entrustment, but also my wish. ”