In the eighties and nineties, although everyone's income was not high, the price of goods was relatively cheap.
I still remember buying spicy noodles for a dime when I was a kid.
However, with the progress of the times, people's living standards have also improved, and some of the things we used to eat when we were children now turn around and leave as soon as we ask the price.
The gorgeous turn of Wowotou: from subsistence to health
In the past, Wowotou was one of the most common foods eaten by rural people, especially in the era of scarcity, Wowotou almost became the main source of life.
People use coarse grains to process and make wowotou, which not only fills hunger, but also brings some warmth and satisfaction to people.
It can be said that the older generation basically steam their nests.
However, with the progress of society and people's pursuit of healthy eating, the taste of Wowotou has also begun to change.
In the past, Wowotou had the characteristics of being dry and hard to chew, but now it has become sweet and soft because of the addition of white flour, buckwheat noodles, cornmeal, white sugar, butter and other ingredients.
These newly added ingredients not only enhance the taste of Wowotou, but also increase its nutritional value, making it no longer just a thirst-quenching substance, but a healthy delicacy rich in whole grains.
Gradually, people's changes in the Wowotou market also reflect the change in dietary concepts.
In the past, Wowotou was always used as a symbol of the poor, but now it has gradually entered the public table, and people have begun to pay attention to the combination of coarse and fine grains, and pursue health and nutritional balance.
As a traditional coarse grain product, Wowotou has become one of the choices of staple food, which is no longer just to fill the stomach, but also brings delicious taste and enjoyment to people.
In addition to the change in taste, the appearance of Wowotou has also undergone a significant change.
In the past, wowotou was often made of brown rice or cornmeal, so it was darker in color and slightly rougher in appearance.
Unlike in the past, Wowotou is now often added with multigrains rich in fiber and nutrients, giving it a blend of the natural aroma and unique taste of a variety of grains.
The delicate-looking nest head is placed on ornate utensils, which becomes a unique scenery on the dining table.
Dipped in sugar water or bean paste filling, the warm and sweet smell of Wowotou comes to the nostrils, as if evoking people's deep memories of the former Wowotou.
In this way, Wowotou is not only a food that fills the stomach, but also becomes a work of art, attracting the attention of many consumers with its unique image.
And it is this transformation that has brought Wowotou back to life and has a larger market.
It is said that in some restaurants and cafes, Wowotou has become one of the popular afternoon tea snacks, and the full of multigrain Wowotou can not only provide people with enough energy, but also allow them to relax from the intense work.
Accompanied by it, of course, the most eye-catching price, Wowotou is now high in price, and is even jokingly called "Wowotou smells crying" by some people.
The reason for this price increase is mainly due to the complexity of the process of making wowotou and the labor cost of traditional production of wowotou.
Both in terms of taste and appearance, the modern wowotou is very different from the wowotou of the past.
Wowotou has gradually evolved from a symbol of poor families to a representative of healthy food, which is the result of people's pursuit of a healthy life and the change of food quality.
Kakizi
Persimmon cake, with its unique sweetness and intoxicating aroma, is a traditional dish that is loved by people.
In the countryside where persimmon trees are abundant, people used to look forward to the arrival of autumn so that they could enjoy the delicious persimmon cakes.
At that time, colorful persimmon cakes filled the street stalls, and the stall owners carefully transferred the freshly baked persimmon cakes to the signboard with a shovel, exuding an enticing aroma.
In fact, persimmon cakes are not difficult to make, and only some basic cooking skills are required to make them at home, and those who are familiar with fast food or friends who cook often will be able to easily master this skill.
Of course, if you don't want to do it yourself, you can also rest assured that ready-made persimmon cakes are also sold at many stalls in the vegetable market, and the prices are very cheap, so people can easily buy them.
In the past, persimmon cake was a popular delicacy, and during the season when the persimmons were ripe, many families would buy persimmons and then make persimmon cakes with flour and persimmons.
The persimmons used to make persimmon cakes must be fresh and ripe, so that the persimmon cakes will have a unique sweet taste.
Of course, although persimmon cakes are no longer as mass-produced and popular as they used to be, their deliciousness is still cherished by many people.
Especially for some people with nostalgia, eating a bite of persimmon cake is like returning to childhood.
For them, persimmon cake is not only a delicacy, but also a food that warms the heart.
But if you go to the supermarket to buy persimmon cakes now, it is estimated that many people will be frightened by its price.
Even if you go to the Internet to search for persimmon cakes, the price is still high.
I have to say that persimmon cake used to be a must-have food for every family, but now it has become something we can't afford, even if we want to eat it, we can't afford to eat it.
Roasted sweet potatoes
In rural areas, children often gather together to bake sweet potatoes and cooperate with each other, some to find firewood and others to build ovens.
When the flames are soaring, the children stare silently at the fire roasting sweet potatoes.
They sometimes place the sweet potatoes on an iron frame above the flame, so that the skin of the sweet potatoes is stiff and charred, but the inside is sweet and soft.
Children sometimes bury sweet potatoes in plant ash and cover them with firewood, so that the aroma of sweet potatoes will be smoked into the ashes, making the taste more glutinous and sweet.
Even on the rural dinner table, sweet potatoes have an irreplaceable status, and they become part of the hearty farm dishes, such as fried meat with sweet potato leaves, sweet potato porridge, sweet potato soup, etc.
Mothers will cut the sweet potatoes into pieces and add them to the millet porridge to cook them to make the rice more glutinous and add layers to the taste.
The family sits together, enjoys the delicious and simple dining table, talks and laughs, and feels the warmth of home.
However, with the rapid development of urbanization, rural life is also undergoing earth-shaking changes.
Today, roasted sweet potatoes have become a street snack in the city and a symbol of childhood memories.
Sweet potato shops are gradually flooding the shopping streets, and the fried sweet potatoes have become a dessert during people's lunch break, and the full and sweet aroma still makes people feel nostalgic.
Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are also undergoing a change from cheap to luxurious, and most of the roasted sweet potatoes are now being made to the extreme, in which the fusion of various creative and taste levels makes the price of sweet potatoes more and more expensive.
Sweet potato delicacies such as cheese-baked sweet potatoes, shredded sweet potatoes, and creamy sweet potato cakes are expensive and prohibitive.
Even so, many people still have a deep attachment to baked sweet potatoes.
The soft and sweet taste, combined with the taste of charred on the outside and glutinous on the inside, is irresistible.
Presumably, many people can't wait to take a bite and taste the unique flavor of sweet potatoes, but the reality of prices has discouraged many people, and sweet potatoes have gradually left the public table and become a luxury delicacy.
Although it is difficult to taste the simple sweet potatoes when I was a child, the love and desire for baked sweet potatoes will always remain in people's hearts.
No matter how the price changes, sweet potatoes are always a symbol of nostalgia and part of the fond memories of youth.
Even if you can't afford to eat it, you can still smell the aroma of sweet potatoes, which may evoke some unexpected emotions in people.
After all, food and memories have always been so entangled.
Pheasant
Pheasant, once a game that was once ubiquitous in the countryside, has now become a delicacy on people's tables.
Their meat is delicious and nutritious, and they have always been loved by people.
However, with changes in the environment and increased demand for pheasants, this rare game is on the verge of extinction.
When I was a child, the tender and juicy pheasant was a fond memory of rural life.
When I think back to my childhood life in the countryside, there are countless wild meats.
Whether it is perched in the ground or in the mountains, whether it is flying in the sky or cruising in the river, or hidden in the trees or stone crevices, all kinds of game have left too many sweet memories for rural people!
At that time, the pheasant grew completely naturally, with a wide variety of food, and its open air activity made it more muscular and firmer.
Compared with domestic chickens, wild pheasants have a more delicious taste, more chewy, and wild flavor in their boldness.
Whether boiled, braised or stewed, pheasant is the first choice for gourmets.
However, due to environmental pollution and irrational fishing, the number of wild pheasants has decreased dramatically, and its purchase price has also risen.
Nowadays, pheasants in farmhouse restaurants have become very expensive and unaffordable for ordinary people.
However, people are still willing to pay a high price for the temptation of deliciousness, and the unique taste and nutritional value of wild pheasants have even led some people to try to raise their own.
However, because the growth environment of wild pheasants cannot be replicated, it is difficult for home-raised pheasants to achieve the original delicious taste.
In terms of protecting pheasant resources, the prohibition of illegal hunting and trafficking is only a basic and necessary measure.
It should be noted, however, that we protect pheasants in order to maintain ecological balance and diversity, not to ignore the rights of animals for the sake of personal enjoyment.
While we pursue the delicious taste of pheasant, we must also establish a sense of respect and protection for other species, so that the whole ecosystem can function benignly.
We have to wonder why foods that were once commonplace, even tiresome, have become so precious and rare.
Has it been the changing times that have changed our tastes, or have our own perceptions and needs for food changed as we grew up?
In the fast-paced modern life, we pursue fresh, unique, and trendy foods, while those traditional, home-cooked, and seemingly mundane foods are often overlooked.
However, when we look back on the past, the flavors of those memories carry our deep emotions such as childhood, family, and hometown.
These foods are not just a taste experience, but a cultural symbol that connects our past and future.