Orange Persimmon Interactive reporter Jiang Weijie Shen Peiqi
In the early morning, there is still a hint of coolness in the breeze, but the lamb restaurant in the new town is already steaming. Crispy stewed mutton, accompanied by a glass of fragrant liquor, and a bowl of noodles to the stomach, for many Xinshi people, this is the beginning of the day.
The new town is located in the eastern suburbs of Deqing, at half past four in the morning, drive from Hangzhou Wulin, do not take the highway, pass through Linping District, about an hour to arrive.
At about half past five, we came to this "Li Laoda Mutton Shop" located in the ancient town block of Xinshi. Looking at the electric cars parked at the door, we knew that we had come to the right place! Sure enough, at this point, the store was already full.
The eating habit of "drinking morning wine and eating mutton" in Deqing Town, Zhejiang Province is relatively rare in the whole of Zhejiang. The braised mutton in the new town is made of authentic lake sheep, and there is a local saying that "carrying a lantern to find mutton" in the early morning, because "unveiling the pot mutton" is the most fragrant.
The kitchen is in the innermost part of the store, and a traditional farmhouse firewood stove has two large iron pots, one pot of mutton and one pot of duck goods. Depending on the situation, the lamb is already half a pot less. The mutton is shiny, fat and thin, and the noodles are made to order in the store.
I asked for a standard crispy sheep noodles, 35 yuan. The proprietress looked at us and asked, "Isn't it okay to be thinner?" I nodded busily and asked by the way: "Can you choose whether you are fat or thin, with or without bones?" The proprietress smiled and said, "Yes, they like to bring more bones when they drink, and they taste delicious." ”
With the mutton, there happened to be a table left, and if it wasn't a coincidence, there was really no place.
Soon after we sat down, we realized that these uncles who drank and ate meat early in the morning were very enthusiastic, and you had to go and share a table, no problem at all.
After a few bites of meat, I was already serving a high wine shared by an uncle, with an orange body, and it is said that it was soaked in ginseng, wolfberry and saffron, which is really enjoyable. The uncles also reminded: take a bite of meat and a mouthful of wine, so that you can have a taste.
The mutton has long been stewed in a wood-fired stove, with skin, and a handful of chopped lamb belly, which has no mutton smell and a slightly sweet taste.
Here, morning wine is served with a cup of tea, a glass of wine and a bowl of bone-in lamb or duck. Eat meat, drink wine, drink tea, chat leisurely for an hour, and finally greet the boss for the next handful of noodles, finish eating noodles, wipe your mouth, and this morning wine is over.
The quality of the liquor and tea provided free of charge in the store is ordinary, which obviously cannot satisfy these uncles who have eaten wine for decades, so most of them bring their own liquor and put it in mineral water bottles or beverage bottles.
The uncle next to him said that in the past, the traditional morning wine was mostly rice wine, but now there are more people who drink white wine, and the aunt in the store also said that there will be more people who drink rice wine in winter, but most of them are white wine.
The customers in the shop are basically familiar with each other, and they all build up a drinking friendship day after day.
A big brother surnamed Qian next to him was a little drunk, and said with a smile: We all met through morning wine, and after drinking morning wine, we are friends!
The eldest guest is 89 years old, and the old man is busy drinking wine and eating meat, and the eldest brother next to him tells us: "He comes every day, and he has breakfast for dozens of yuan every day." Good luck, the two daughters are filial, they don't have to worry about eating and drinking, and he will go to the fields to do some work later, grow a lot of vegetables, and loquats, such a big one! As he spoke, he drew with his hand.
As soon as the wine glass in our hands was empty, an uncle beckoned to refill it, and said in his mouth: Look at it, who is delicious.
When you come to Xinshi, you must experience the atmosphere of morning wine, which is cordial, warm and leisurely, and I believe you will definitely experience the unique sense of comfort in Jiangnan here.
Editor in charge: Gu Xiang
Review: Wang Chenyu