The autumn wind and rain wiped the asphalt road outside the window as moist as obsidian, and the chill of this autumn was stronger than in previous years. I tightened my coat, not knowing if the autumn breeze in my hometown would be gentler. I have been in this city for five years, and the longer I leave my hometown, the more I miss the taste of my hometown.
I was born in a small, remote township in Zitong County, Sichuan Province. Although the town is not rich, the people who live there are very happy. Because there are lush zi forests all year round, meandering tongshui, long-standing Wenchang faith and optimistic and simple hometown people. Admittedly, there are also the three gems of Zi Tong that I have in mind – slices of flour, shortbread and bowls.
A must-have snack - Zi Tong slice powder
Use sweet and sweet well water and green vegetable juice to mix the high-quality mung bean powder into a thin pulp, scoop it into a flat-bottomed square metal pot and swing it flat, put it into the boiling water pot and swing it several times, until the powder condenses into a film, lift the pan, put in clean water to cool, then get up, lay flat on the table, and cut it into a long strip about one inch wide with a knife. Peeled off one by one, each piece as emerald crystal clear and verdant. Add a little salt, garlic paste, peppercorn noodles, red oil peppers, and finally a few green onions. hey! Let's get started! The hemp of peppercorns, the spiciness of chili peppers, the punching of garlic paste, this moment is reconciled in the mouth, repeatedly stimulating the taste buds, making people immediately tongue-in-cheek, appetite open, coupled with the Q bomb of the slice powder itself is cool - boss, and then bowl of rice - this is the most authentic feedback from diners.
A must-have snack – Zi Tong shortbread
As a national geographical indication product of China, Zitong shortbread has a long history, and it is said that when Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun lived in Zitong, they often accompanied shortbread with wine and chanted poems, so there is a verse of "Jin zhuan fine wine fragrant shortbread, like playing the piano drunk Wenjun". When Emperor Xuanzong of Tang entered Shu, he passed through Zitong Shangtingpu, and local officials paid tribute with shortbread, and Emperor Xuanzong tasted it and praised it, and then went to the imperial court, so the shortbread gradually became known in Chang'an, and it was sometimes talked about, and called it a tribute cake. Its shape is like a full moon, the color is light yellow, the luster is bright, the crisp texture is uniform and clear, fragrant and crispy, the entrance slag, the aftertaste is light and elegant.
The feast is a must - Zi Tong inlaid bowl
Love is the characteristic of our nation that goes deep into the marrow, whether it is a wedding or funeral, or a full moon birthday, it is always indispensable to prepare a feast to invite a group of relatives and friends to drink and rejoice. In our Zi Tong, an indispensable dish at a feast is the bowl.
The bowl was first served as a royal meal at the court, and during the reign of Emperor Ming, Qiu Luan, the governor of the governor camp, moved his family to Zitong after losing power, and brought the preparation method of this dish back to his hometown. As a court dish, it is definitely a big dish that can't be hard any harder, not only rich in ingredients, but also cumbersome in the production process. The whole production process can be simply summarized as "four steaming, three drying and one pouring", first of all, the pork lean meat is chopped and stuffed with eggs, tofu, water starch and evenly, stirred to the top, put into a mold and basketed for 90 minutes, the meat filling is steamed and set, then taken out to cool, the beaten raw egg yolk is evenly spread on the surface of the meat filling, and then steamed for 15 minutes after taking out to cool. Then spread the beaten egg whites evenly on the surface, steam for another 15 minutes, remove and cool and cut into about 3-5mm slices. Then fill the sea bowl with crispy meat, meatballs, pork belly, pork heart, pork tongue, pig intestine, bean flour, tofu, fungus, yellow flowers, bean skin, seasonal vegetables and other bedding, and put the cut meat slices neatly on top of the bedding to make the cover. Once all this is done, it will be basketed and steamed for 20 minutes. Before you finish, you have to pour a spoonful of fine broth before serving!
Because of its shape like a treasure cover, the shape is beautiful, and the upper seat is placed in the center of the table, and the town is square, so the inlaid bowl is also called the middle bowl. As the palm plate master (the person in charge of the kitchen at the rural feast) shouted: "The middle bowl is coming, pay attention to the oil rubbing clothes ~" The hot bowl has not yet been served, and the rich aroma has slipped straight into the nasal cavity, making people not stop eating fingers. When it is placed on the table, I can only see that the broth is clear and not turbid, and the flesh color of the cover surface is white and yellow, and the layers are clear. Chopsticks a clip, flexible and not scattered, eat tight elastic teeth, the bowl bottom of the rich and diverse pads are also rake sticky and refreshing, the teeth are not good for the elderly are also very friendly, is a young and old salty, delicious taste, very nutritious value of the dish.
Woohoo! Leisurely zi forest, gentle water, the taste of hometown, inexplicable homesickness!