Luonan cuisine 丨Cangjie twist flower in Shimen

During the Reign of the Yellow Emperor of Xuanyuan, poisonous scorpions ran rampant around the Stone Gate of Luonan, causing widespread harm. About half of those who were stung by poisonous scorpions died. At that time, Cangjie was making characters in Luonan Shimen, and in order to curse the scorpion, on the second day of the second month of the second lunar month, he asked every household to pull the reconciled noodles into long strips, twist them into the shape of a poisonous scorpion tail, fry them and eat them, called "biting the scorpion tail". Later, the poisonous scorpion was eliminated and the toiling masses in the Shimen area were rescued. Over time, this "scorpion tail" evolved into the current twist flower. In commemoration of Cangjie's efforts to save the people, the Shimen people called the twist flowers here "Cangjie twist flowers".

Therefore, the Shimen twist flower is given the meaning of auspiciousness and peace. Every New Year's Festival or red and white celebration, the locals always use twist flowers to entertain guests or as gifts to convey their feelings. The beautiful meaning contained in the Shimen twist flower and the special role of friendship have gradually become an important part of the food culture with a strong Luobei style.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, when Li Zicheng was training troops in Shimen, he tasted the twist flowers in Shimen Market Town and praised it, calling it "fragrant", tendon, crisp and crispy. Later, Li Zicheng claimed that the emperor had established the country, so he gave it as a tribute. The value of the Shimen twist flower that became a tribute soared, and the recipe was passed down orally by the founder, and the secret was not announced. Ordinary people can only taste it occasionally during wedding banquets, visiting relatives and friends, and major festivals. For many years, the stone gate twist flower with a bit of mysterious color has been "hidden in the boudoir". After the reform and opening up, with the increase of foreign tourists, Shimen twist flowers also went to counties, provinces, and Beijing, and their fame became more and more famous.

Author: Lv Sanyun (Director of Shimen Town Cultural Station, Member of the Cultural and Historical Committee of the CPPCC Luonan County)