"The deliciousness of pot dishes, only tianjin people understand!』 」
As the saying goes, the lower reaches of the Nine Rivers are guarded by Tianjin, and there are three pontoon bridges and two passes. Tianjin's unique geographical location brings together visitors from all over the world, and also brings eight cuisines, which constitutes a unique Jinmen gastronomic ecology. Tianjin people are known as "Wei Zuizi", not only eloquent, but also eat, delicious, not to eat the high and low, as long as the taste is unique, the practice is authentic, it will be highly sought after. If foreign diners only know the eighteenth street twist flowers, ear and eye fried cakes, and dogs do not pay attention to buns, then they are laymen, in fact, there are some more grounded delicacies in Tianjin.
Pancake dumplings
Pancake dumplings are one of the most famous snacks in Tianjin, and both ordinary people and the rich and wealthy cannot resist the charm of a set of pancake dumplings. In particular, the Qing Dynasty widows, warlords, and rich merchants who lived in the concessions of various countries in those years would send servants to buy several sets of pancake dumplings for breakfast every morning.
Zhang Boju, one of the four princes of the Republic of China who studied in Tianjin as a teenager, loved to eat pancake dumplings, and after settling in Beijing, he still remembered pancake dumplings. Zhang Boju wrote in a letter to Yang Shaoji: "When I came to Beijing on annual leave, I hoped to bring useful research on the empty city plan, and I hoped to bring four or five pancake dumplings. ”
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One can glimpse the practice of early pancake dumplings in the article "Gossip in Tianjin" published in the third issue of the Jinjin Monthly in 1942. The author introduces the preparation method of pancake dumplings: "Grinding juice with mung beans, spreading into pancakes, mixed with small shrimp and green onions, frying in a frying pan, wrapped in dumplings, or accompanied by noodle sauce, the taste is extremely luscious." "This should be the most authentic production technique of Tianjin's traditional pancake dumplings." After the 1980s, the chef of pancake dumplings upgraded the production process again according to the needs of diners, and only then did the current pancake dumplings.
For Tianjin people, a set of pancake dumplings has a set of strict procedures from the inside out, and it must be ruled. The pancake crust should be soaked with fragrant mung bean noodles, the selected mung beans are soaked all day long, and the peels floating on the water are fished out with a fence, and then ground into a paste with stone mills. To make the batter, a broth made of beef and lamb bones is boiled. The size of the bun and the grate has a strict size. The dumplings and grates are about a foot long and are made with green onions, sweet noodle sauce, cooked sesame seeds, red curd milk, leek flowers, garlic hot sauce and so on.
To taste authentic pancake dumplings, you must pay attention to two points: First, the sooner the better. From six o'clock to eight o'clock in the morning, it is best, and after nine o'clock, most of them have already closed. Second, look for nearby residential buildings. A tricycle, there is a window on the car, the window is placed in a variety of tools, spices, etc., immediately desirable. Some people rent a storefront at the bottom of the community, in addition to selling pancake dumplings, they are also equipped with wonton, noodle tea, tofu brain and other breakfasts. Pay attention to the accent of the master before buying, as long as the master who speaks authentic Tianjin dialect is stalling pancakes, the taste of that set of pancake dumplings is absolutely authentic.
Pot dish
Pot dishes and pancake dumplings belong to the "close relatives" relationship, because the "pot bar" in pot dishes is also made of mung bean noodles. Tianjin's pot cuisine is called "Gaba cuisine" in colloquial language. Tianjin Pot Ba Cuisine is also rice, also dish, also soup, is a local unique flavor snack.
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The pancake strips of authentic pot dishes are generally stalled with a wood stove, and the pots and pans that are spread out are stored for three days without deterioration and do not change the taste. The pot strips are cut into willow leaves, slightly crisp and biting, and will not be powdered after pouring with marinade, and will not stick to the teeth.
The marinade is not simply star anise water with starch, but with clear oil sautéed fennel, minced green onion, ginger out of the aroma, and then add water, salt, soy sauce, starch made, it looks very smooth and moist. The sesame sauce in the small ingredients is made with sesame sesame oil, and the fried chili peppers are crispy and slightly spicy without burning the mouth.
Pot dishes should be eaten while hot, so there must always be a simmer under the marinade pot. It is usually eaten with fire, dumplings, tea eggs and soy milk. Tianjin people eat a bowl of pot vegetables, and then drink a bowl of soy milk, and then they are satisfied to pedal their bicycles to work, so that they can maintain a happy mood throughout the day.
Yellow soup ramen
In the minds of Tianjin people, ramen is divided into two schools: "clear soup" and "yellow soup". Lanzhou beef noodles are called clear soup pie by Tianjin people, and yellow soup ramen has similarities with Lanzhou beef noodles, but there are subtle differences. According to the eating habits of the locals, Tianjin people choose high-grade beef bones and add spices such as shallots, ginger slices, peppercorns, nutmeg, cumin and other spices to boil the soup. After simmering a pot of broth, add the curry powder, shallot oil and garlic juice. The rich curry aroma is served with a yellow soup, with the noodles and a few slices of beef, and finally garnished with turquoise coriander.
The beef is thin but not scattered, not hard and not chai, salty and moderate, and the noodles are strong and refreshing. It can also be served with exquisite cold dishes such as fried tofu, vegetarian assortment, tiger skin and brine eggs, which is the most heart-warming and stomach-warming ramen.
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In The Recipes of the Tianjin People, the bowl of yellow soup ramen with the old flavor of "butter" is always haunting. Near my house, there is a business of yellow soup ramen that is very hot. It was a makeshift tin pavilion, less than ten square meters, with five or six tables and stools, and the noodle eaters were shoulder to shoulder and back to back. The noodle cook put the noodles in a bowl and set aside, and a guy poured a golden soup, grabbed a few slices of beef, grabbed a small handful of coriander, and brought it to the diners' table. The curry is fragrant, the soup is slick with oil, the beef is strong, and the noodles are smooth. Diners were sweating profusely and groaning. Cheap, filling, flavorful, and tangy, it is the highest evaluation of yellow soup ramen by Tianjin diners.
The representative of Tianjin Huangtang ramen is Meiling Ramen, a thirty-year-old shop that is jokingly called "the Rolls Royce of Tianjin Ramen Industry" by Tianjin people. Meiling ramen is very popular in Tianjin, and it is almost full every day. Many tianjin dolls after the 70s, 80s and 90s grew up eating Meiling ramen, and they have an innate sense of affinity for Meiling ramen. Whether it is going abroad, traveling on business, or studying in other places, I always think about the bowl of yellow soup ramen, as long as I return to Tianjin, I will immediately put down my luggage and eat a bowl of yellow soup ramen that I have in mind.
As a veteran of the yellow soup ramen "iron powder", Tianjin musician Li Liangjie specially created a song for Meiling ramen, singing: "Fold a bowl of snow-white noodles, boil a pot of yellow soup, sprinkle a few pieces of beef with strength, and the taste is delicious and fragrant." Mei Ling Mei Ling I love you, your taste is fascinating, Tianjin people love to eat their own ramen, business is the best praise..." Rather than saying that Tianjin people love yellow soup ramen, it is better to say that yellow soup ramen stimulates the taste buds of Tianjin people, thus activating their creative inspiration.
Fire
Fire is also called burnt cake, a kind of non-filling, divided into three kinds of crisp, sesame seeds, sesame sauce. One type with filling, there are dozens of fillings such as sugar, bean paste, date puree, red fruit, pineapple, beef and so on. Whether it is a fire with or without filling, each one is the same size, layered and full of materials.
Freshly baked hot fire on the lamb soup, noodle tea to eat, shabu lamb as a staple food, grilled when skewered... The fire burned this supporting role, almost replacing the position of the protagonist. The authentic fire is very delicious even if there is no filling, the outer skin is scorched, the inner layer is soft and tender, one bite down, full of crisp and salty aroma, even the fallen slag has to be held in hand, and it is not willing to waste at all.
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In the minds of Tianjin diners, the most authentic thing is the fire of Du Zhiqi's family. Du said that the Qihuo Fire Shop was founded in the Republic of China, with a history of more than 100 years. The origin of Du's signature is related to its founder. Master Du's fire is different from other homes, and local diners are amazed after eating, so the name Du is strange.
Master Du first set up a small stall at the South Gate to sell fire, while doing it and selling it. His homemade fire, steaming, etc., are layered and thin, burnt on the outside and tender on the inside, and contain oil, fragrant, sweet, crispy and crispy. Master Du has a trick to burn the fire, that is, use green onions and fennel to refine the oil first, and then combine the puff pastry. This trick makes the taste of his burning fire particularly pure.
Du said that the Qi family's fire has beef, shredded coconut, five kernels, bean paste, date paste, chocolate, red fruit, sesame seeds, sesame sauce and other more than a dozen fillings, bean paste stuffing is the treasure of their family's town store. Every morning from six o'clock to eight or nine o'clock in the evening, there is always a long queue of diners who buy fires at the entrance of the store.
If you pay a little attention, you will find that there is a photo of Mei Lanfang on the glass of the store. It is said that Mei Lanfang, a master of Peking Opera, often performed in Tianjin and Beijing between the 1930s and 1950s, and he once bought Du Weiqi's fire. After tasting it, he praised it, saying that Du Weiqi's fire-fired oil was not greasy and had a good taste. Mei Lanfang gave the Du family a picture of herself wearing a suit, on which she also wrote a gift.
Du said that because of the admiration of Mei Lanfang, Du said that the fire shop became famous overnight and became a well-known golden signboard in Jinmen. When foreign tourists arrive in Tianjin, if they do not taste a few du weiqi fires, they always feel that they will leave a little regret, after all, this unique and pure taste is difficult to taste elsewhere.