Now friends from other places know that there is a famous snack in Nanjing - duck blood vermicelli soup, but if you ask me where the duck blood vermicelli soup is the most traditional and authentic, then ask me.
Because in my memory, duck blood vermicelli soup came out probably in the mid-to-late 1990s, and only "duck blood soup" was sold in the 1980s. A few years ago, I found an Anqing wonton shop that was still selling duck blood soup, and in addition to the fact that the amount of duck blood duck intestines was more than in the past, the taste was really the same as in the past.
In the 1980s, at the south of Zhongshan Road and the north exit of Lujia Lane at Xinjiekou, there was a small stall selling only duck blood soup, which I often patronized.
The stall owner was a woman, and later her son also came to the stall to help, and eventually became the main force of the stall. The location of the stalls is good, the north is a small shopping mall, the official name I forgot, everyone calls this shopping mall "handicraft". From the stalls through Zhongshan South Road is Sheepskin Lane, in the era of planned economy, Sheepskin Lane is the only free market in the Xinjiekou area, and the purchase and sale of two booming are extraordinary.
This stall was called "Yi Ji", and later after the business was done, a new store was opened in the Ming Wa Lang not far away, selling large bowls of skin belly noodles, and I did not know whether the store still sold duck blood soup. This is more than twenty years ago.
The ingredients of duck blood soup are very simple, duck blood, duck intestines, lard, salt, monosodium glutamate, squeezed vegetables, garlic leaves, water, just a few things.
There are two pots on the stall, one sitting on a pot of hot water, and the other is a huge pot of boiling water. Duck blood is cut into fingernails to see the size of the square, raised in a hot water pot, the operating table is always discharged with a dozen or twenty blue-rimmed bowls, guests want to eat duck blood soup, the boss put oil and salt squeezed vegetables in the bowl and a large spoon of MSG, sprinkled with garlic or leek crushed, with a colander from the hot water pot to fish some duck blood into the bowl, and then from the boiling water pot scooped boiling water into the bowl, and finally use a small spoon to scoop the chopped duck intestines on the top of the duck blood soup, this bowl of duck blood soup is ready.
In the past, duck blood soup could not be used as a meal in terms of content or form, and generally served as an afternoon snack, just a cushion for the stomach before dinner.
The good business of Yi Ji duck blood soup is due to a small stall selling scallion oil cakes. A bowl of duck blood soup with chili oil and half a pound of scallion oil cake is a cheap and refreshing meal. Since the pursuit is cheap and cheerful, spicy enough to be salty, naturally will not pay attention to the fine taste.
It is still reasonable to lean on the duck blood soup to the feelings, but it is a little unsympathetic to the food.
Where is the duck blood vermicelli soup most traditional and authentic?
For me, who has experienced the two eras of duck blood soup and duck blood vermicelli soup, I still try to describe my experience as carefully as possible, as for what is authentic, let's judge it for ourselves.