Every autumn, Datong people began to be in full swing of pickled vegetables "cause", pickled small dishes are not only suitable for storage, but also can enrich the dinner table three meals a day, the most important thing is to adjust everyone's taste. Datong is located in the cold area of the north, the frost-free period is short, in the past the vegetable planting in this area was seasonally restricted, people in order to solve the problem of eating vegetables in the off-season, they will take matters into their own hands to harvest vegetables in the peak season, through simple processing, with small altars or small tanks and other utensils devices, put in a certain amount of salt and other condiments, pickled into a variety of favorite flavor side dishes, both play a storage role, but also adjust the vegetable off-season their own meals, and can meet the needs of dietary nutrition for three meals a day, Moreover, the colorful home pickled side dishes are enough to increase the appetite. These delicious side dishes awaken the taste buds and evoke fond memories of delicious food from childhood.
After peeling and slicing the "pine root" (also known as amaranth blue), the large pickles are added to the tank, and generally no flavor is added to the pickle. This pickle method is dominated by "pine root" (aka amaranth blue), which can also be carrot. When eaten, the women cut the pickled "pine root" into shreds or slices, and then accompanied by cooked sesame oil, peppercorns, chili oil, green onions, monosodium glutamate and other seasonings. The food is fragrant and refreshing, salty and moderate.
Rotten pickles are made of pine root tender skin cut from pickled large pickles, accompanied by cabbage, safflower peppers marinated in an urn, bright colors, convenient to make, sour and delicious, is the "lower riba people" in Datong small dishes.
Cauliflower cut pine root into various shapes with a knife, dried until semi-dry, and then soaked in pepper water for a few days, and then added msg, vinegar, and sugar to taste particularly crisp. (In the past, there was no MSG, but peppercorns and large powder)
After peeling the pine root, the closed door dish takes a hollow in the middle, fills it with peppercorns, large ingredients, cinnamon, etc., puts it in the sun, and when it is released, it seems that the small house has closed the door, so it is called the closed door dish, cut into filaments or slices in winter, soaked with water and soy sauce vinegar, pour some sesame oil, very delicious.
Ginger shredded vegetables cut pine root into thin strips, then cut fresh ginger into thin strips, poured with pepper oil, with a little dried red pepper shreds, mixed with salt and sugar, a little pickled, the taste is very delicious.
Sweet and sour vegetables are made of pine root blocks, foreign land zeros (ground slips), boiled soybeans and almonds (to be cooked to remove bitterness) or peanut kernels in sweet and sour, and then put some soy sauce, monosodium glutamate or pepper powder refined, this small dish is the royal side dish of the year, is the "Yangchun white snow" in the side dish.
Sauerkraut puts the cabbage in warm water, sprinkles it with large salt pieces, and after a few days of covering, makes it fermented and sour, and then cuts into thin wires and mixes it casually, which can also be described as the "poor and lower middle peasants" in Datong small dishes.
Pressed leek eggplant Pressure leek eggplant is also called pressed nine eggplant, because the ninth month of the lunar calendar is the last period when eggplant grows in the field, and the Datong people call these small eggplants "blocking the garden eggplant". If the eggplant is eaten directly into the dish, it will have some bitterness. If the eggplant is slightly cooked to squeeze out the water, add ginger, garlic slices, leek flowers, coriander, salted for a few days and then eaten, it is absolutely delicious.
Folk proverb; "Cauliflower, closed-door vegetables, pressed leek eggplant, water radish, eat fragrant, eat crisp, just order a little wine and not get drunk."
Source: Datong Cultural Tourism