People sit around and taste the goose. (The pictures in this edition are all taken by Longgang Rong Media reporter Liang Dong)
Lu Ge is a special food that has been circulating in Pinghu Street, Longgang District, Shenzhen for hundreds of years.
"Lu" has many layers of artistic conception in Pinghu Weitou dialect and Cantonese: "Lu" is a frequent rolling, which has a good color head of "transfer"; with the "Lu" sound of "Fulu Shou", "Food Lu" is to have a good job, a good income, and delicious food; an important production process, that is, the ingredients are tumbled back and forth in the pot.
A goose is a goose made by rolling around. In terms of taste, the goose skin of the goose is crisp and smooth, and it is accompanied by a strong sauce and spices, which makes people feel endlessly after eating.
By the stove and in the oil pot, a goose was repeatedly flipped over, gradually "wearing" a golden coat, and the air was filled with a seductive fragrance. At the same time, there is also the sauce in the goose belly, which constantly seeps into the goose meat, from the inside out, accelerating the change of the goose. More than an hour later, the colorful and fragrant goose was served on the table, and the diners could not stop their fingers from moving, and their eyes, mouths, and hearts were occupied by this plate of goose...
A goose with a full range of colors and flavors.
Delicious food is always worth waiting for, and it is worth passing on from generation to generation. In Pinghu Street, Lu Ge is a traditional dish, and it is indispensable on some important days. The reason why people can often taste this delicacy is that in addition to a set of rigorous production processes, there are also generations of words and deeds. This goose also has a taste of nostalgia.
A delicacy has been passed down for hundreds of years
In Xin'an County (now Shenzhen), the goose has been circulating for hundreds of years, and eating the goose during important seasons has become a food custom in the Pinghu area. This specialty has a rich meaning behind it, which means auspicious and delicious cuisine, and is deeply loved by the people of Pinghu.
When it comes to the practice of geese, many people will think of brine goose, roast goose, white cut goose, steamed goose, pickled salted goose and so on. However, there is another special practice in Longgang District of Shenzhen - Lu Ge, of which Pinghu Lu Ge is the most famous.
Cooking the goose.
So, what is "Rook"? In fact, in Pinghu Weitou dialect and Cantonese, "Lu" has a multi-layered artistic conception: "Lu" is a frequent rolling, there is a good color head of "transfer"; with the "Lu" of "Fulu Shou", "Food Lu" is a good job, good income, delicious; an important production process, that is, the ingredients are tumbled back and forth in the pot. "Roose goose" is to roll the goose meat in the pot and stir-fry until the goose meat is cooked and tasted.
As early as the Yuan Dynasty, there was a detailed record of the cooking method of the goose, and the "Complete Collection of Things That Must Be Used at Home" recorded the production method of "roasting goose and duck": "Each wash, refine the sesame oil four or two burns to turn yellow, stop submerging in three pieces of wine and vinegar, put in half a thin material, three stalks of green onion, a spoonful of sauce, and slowly cook it to a degree." "The cantonese cuisine inherits the ancient taste of the Central Plains, which can be seen in the "roast goose" - because the word "熝" is too strange, people write it as "Lu Goose".
Rebuild the ancestral hall to inherit nostalgia.
Pinghu is one of the important parts of Xin'an County, and Lu Ge is one of the important parts of the Xin'an Pot Cuisine Feast. Liao Honglei, honorary president of the Shenzhen Local Culture and Art Research Association and a folklore scholar, said that in the old days, the villagers of Xin'an County (shenzhen's ancient name) were celebrating, marrying, wishing for birthdays, timding, housewarming, gathering gods, and worshipping ancestors in the spring and autumn of the clan. In large pot dishes, it is not uncommon to see goose, boiled shrimp, steamed abalone, braised pork with fresh bamboo shoots, and roasted duck. This kind of potted vegetable feast, small New Year's Festival, a family of more than a dozen people eat a pot dish, more than thousands of people eat hundreds of pots of potted vegetable feast. This folk food custom has been spread in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong area for hundreds of years.
In Pinghu, the goose is not just a part of the potted vegetables. All along, Pinghu has the custom of lighting lamps, housewarming "into the fire" and "making a birthday" on the birthday, and even needs to set up a feast to set up wine, such as treating newborn babies, "washing the three dynasties" on the third day, doing "glutinous moon" on the fifteenth day, congratulating relatives and daughters, and eating a more hearty wine and dish. On the day of the full moon, if it is a baby boy, it will definitely be a full moon banquet. On these occasions, Pinghu's chefs always make a classic specialty that is mouth-warming - Lu Ge.
The craftsmanship is cumbersome but enduring
In Pinghu, Lu Ge is a big dish that has been passed down for hundreds of years, and family reunions and clan wedding banquets will be placed on a large plate of Lu Ge Ge. However, the production process of the goose is more complicated, the time required is long, and it is extremely challenging to people's patience.
As we all know, geese are herbivores, amphibious, and have less cold and humidity than ducks. Goose meat is not only low fat content, good quality, high content of unsaturated fatty acids, and from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, goose meat tastes sweet and flat, has the effect of tonifying yin and qi, warming the stomach, dispelling rheumatism and anti-aging, so it can be called a nutritional and healthy product, a traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy product, especially suitable for winter supplementation.
Making a most authentic goose is never an easy task. "The first is the choice of geese, if the goose is not selected well, the best seasoning and cooking method are in vain." Liu Renwu, a native of Pinghu, who is more than eighty years old, said that in the past, every household made luke geese, using local self-raised herbivorous geese. Later, with the development of urbanization, there are fewer and fewer people who raise geese, and restaurants will generally choose the goose in Guangzhou Zengcheng, Huizhou Boluo, and even the free goose in Hunan and other places. "The goose is too small, the feathers are not easy to pull; it is too big, and the meat is not delicious." Liu Lao said that there are certain standards for selecting geese, in general, each goose weighs eight or nine pounds, no more than ten pounds as well - the meat is not tender and old, and it is most suitable for cooking.
"Sauces and spices include soy sauce, slices of sugar or honey, garlic, southern milk, pitted dates and dried yellow cauliflower, etc., after the ingredients are adjusted in a certain proportion, then poured into the belly of the goose, sealed with sharp iron skewers, and can be put into the oil pot. In the process of 'Lu', we must master the heat, the fire is too fierce and easy to burn the goose skin, it is not good to look at and not delicious, and the goose should be constantly rolled and fried in the state of medium fire. At this time, the whole goose was fried in the hot oil pan and slowly turned golden brown, which looked very tempting. The aroma of the sauce in the goose belly also seeps into the goose meat. Finally, the goose is put on a pot, packed on a large plate, the bottom of the plate is lined with sweet potatoes, large potatoes, steamed in water, chopped pieces, and then the sauce in the goose belly is taken out, spread on the goose meat, and it can be served. Speaking of the production process of Lu Ge, Liu Renwu is like a number of family treasures, "This practice was told to me by my mother, and I have heard about it since I was a child and will not forget it." The goose skin made in this method is crisp and smooth, with a strong flavor of sauce sauce. Every time you taste it, the rich taste of sauce slowly enters the throat and reaches the stomach with chewing, and the taste buds will be greatly satisfied, and it will arouse childhood memories."
According to Chen Jianping, former deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Party Working Committee of Pinghu Subdistrict, in addition to the above practice, lugean has another method: fry the goose in an oil pot until the skin is golden brown, put the garlic and green onion down and stir-fry, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, add water and simmer for 20 to 40 minutes, and then pick up and cut it and set it on the plate.
Full of taste of family affection and nostalgia
"Grandpa often said that this dish has the most local characteristics and is also one of the representatives of pinghu and even Longgang food culture." With the passage of time, there are fewer people who are proficient in the production process of Lu Ge, but in Liu Aiqiang's eyes, this traditional craft not only has the affection of the two grandchildren, but also links the nostalgia of the villagers, and must not be lost.
Every day at noon, a restaurant located next to Ping'an Avenue on Pinghu Street is in full swing, with everyone ordering food according to their preferences, then hurriedly eating and checking out. Look at the restaurant decorations, and nothing special, and then look at the restaurant menu, which is a few tens of yuan of fast food, which looks ordinary. Liu Aiqiang, the owner of the restaurant, is a person with a story, and her story is closely related to food.
People who know Liu Aiqiang well call her "Fat Auntie", a native of Pinghu, who has been involved in the catering industry for more than 40 years, and the best dish is Lu Ge. Liu Aiqiang said that grandpa is a rural chef, and his favorite place to go is the kitchen, where he spends several hours every day. Although the kitchen is always full of smoke, and the summer is even more hot, Grandpa never complains, and he is dedicated to making every dish, "even the simplest ingredients can make a different taste, and Grandpa is a master at making a goose."
In Liu Aiqiang's memory, Lu Ge goose is not something that can be eaten if you want to eat, and many people can only taste this delicacy on some grand days. There must be a chef at the banquet, and every time at this time, Liu Aiqiang's grandfather has become a very busy person. "He has to do the preliminary side dishes according to the number of people, but also to take charge of the spoon on the spot, and also to do the overall planning of the kitchen, but no matter what, Grandpa will personally make the goose." At that time, I watched from the sidelines, smelled the fragrance, and watched the geese slowly 'wear' golden 'coats', which was very enjoyable. Sometimes, I will taste it, not to mention how happy it is. At first, Liu Aiqiang, out of curiosity, often followed his grandfather between various banquets, and later, Liu Aiqiang became interested in food, and was accustomed to the unique fragrance in the air, preferring to see the smiles on people's faces when the food was served on the table. Therefore, Liu Aiqiang proposed to be a chef and learn to be a goose. "Grandpa was a little surprised at first, saying that being a chef is a tiring job, afraid that I would not be able to eat, but later I saw that I was very insistent, so I agreed."
Grandpa taught Liu Aiqiang all his skills by hand. "How to choose better and fresher dishes is the first lesson of my art, followed by cutting vegetables, side dishes, mixing various spices and sauces, and finally the various techniques of stir-frying. Of all the dishes, Grandpa took the most pains to make the goose, and I learned it for a long time. Grandpa often said that this dish has the most local characteristics and is also one of the representatives of Pinghu and even Longgang food culture. Liu Aiqiang smiled and said that after years of study and accumulation, he finally became a famous chef in the local area like his grandfather. And her best dish is the goose.
In the 1980s, Liu Aiqiang ran a shop in Pinghu, selling both fast food and some snacks. From time to time, the store will welcome some special customers, including guests from Fenggang and Tangxia, although they meet Liu Aiqiang for the first time, they will mention a dish - Lu Ge. Liu Aiqiang has an obsession in his heart, as long as he does a goose, he must do it strictly in accordance with traditional craftsmanship, and he must not be sloppy. Therefore, every time the goose is made, Liu Aiqiang will go to the market to pick the goose, buy various ingredients, and when he returns, he will pluck the goose feathers, drain the water, then smear it with salt, and then fry it repeatedly under the pot...
"Actually, I don't have many secrets about my sauce, what matters is the proportion of the mixture, and the persistence of the use of the finest peanut oil and expensive fenjiu." Liu Aiqiang said that the use of peanut oil, can let the goose in the process of continuous release of unique aroma, repeatedly stimulate people's sense of smell; the use of Fenjiu, one is because it belongs to the fragrance of liquor, known for the entrance of cotton, sweet mouth, after drinking after the aftertaste, long aftertaste and other characteristics, added to the goose, can be a good way to enhance the aroma of meat.
Time has cultivated Liu Aiqiang's reputation, and by the mid-1990s, Liu Aiqiang inherited the mantle of his grandfather and began to receive orders for various wedding banquets everywhere, and her goose was indispensable on the happy dinner table in Pinghu Lake and neighboring areas. In 2000, Liu Aiqiang saw the opportunity and opened a restaurant, so more and more people can taste the special cuisine of Lu Ge.
In the eyes of many Pinghu people, Lu Ge is not only a delicacy, but also a witness to history. Located in Dawei Ancient Village, Pinghu Community, Pinghu Subdistrict, the village was established in the middle and early Ming Dynasty, and has been more than 600 years. In the ancient village, the most magnificent building is the Liu Ancestral Hall. With the development and growth of the Liu family, the descendants of the Liu family have established a number of villages in Pinghu, and there are 3 Liu ancestral halls at the same time. After enduring the baptism of time and wind and rain, the three ancestral halls fell into disrepair, and the Pinghu Liu clan decided to raise funds to rebuild the ancestral hall and merge the three Liu clan ancestral halls into one. In 2004, the rebuilt Liu Clan Ancestral Hall was completed, and a grand celebration was held simultaneously, and 300 tables were set up in front of the ancestral hall, at that time, Liu Aiqiang was one of the chefs, and the specialty dish in charge was Lu Ge.
On that day, everyone was full of joy, sitting around together, eating goose, enjoying the taste of reunion, and feeling the strong nostalgia.
Nostalgic stories
I love the unique delicacy that belongs to the homeland
From Western to Chinese food, from steak to lu geese, Liu Weilin, the president of the Sino-Dutch Friendship Association, is experiencing a change in eating habits, but in his eyes, this change is worth it, because behind it is the long-awaited taste of the homeland.
Liu Rupei is Liu Weilin's father, a native of Pinghu Community in Pinghu Street, with a hard-working spirit and shrewd business acumen, running transportation, doing trade, and saving a sum of money to buy land and buy a house. Later, Liu Rupei went to Hong Kong to engage in the catering industry. Liu Weilin was born in Hong Kong in 1951, "at that time, it was still mainly Chinese food, after all, Hong Kong's eating habits have a lot in common with the mainland." In 1963, Liu Weilin followed his father to the United Kingdom, stayed for a few years, then moved his family to Belgium, and finally settled in the Netherlands, where he studied, did business, opened up a number of hotels and restaurants, and engaged in international trade.
Living abroad for a long time, his father often told Liu Weilin the story of his hometown Pinghu, and he would also choose to go into the kitchen and fry several hometown dishes to satisfy his taste buds while relieving his homesickness. "My father said that one of the dishes he missed the most was Lu Ge, which is a big dish that will only be served during the New Year's Festival, with many production processes and a long time, but the taste is very unique, and people will never forget it after eating." Under the influence of his father, Liu Weilin came up with the idea of returning to Pinghu to find his roots. In 1990, Liu Weilin got his wish - in addition to finding the property left by his father, he also took the time to taste several Pinghu specialties, but due to the tight time, he could not eat the goose, and then hurried back to the Netherlands.
In recent years, Liu Weilin has more and more opportunities to return to Pinghu, and every time he comes back, he will look for Pinghu cuisine everywhere. Slowly, he became familiar with several local elderly people in Pinghu, and the old people took him to taste a lot of local delicacies, and lu geese were naturally among them. "Pick up a piece and put it in your mouth, the special soy sauce and the aroma of goose meat fill the mouth, the goose skin is smooth but not greasy, the goose meat is solid and not old, and the taste is endless." Liu Weilin described the first time he ate the most authentic goose in his hometown. Since then, Liu Weilin can no longer resist the rook goose, although he has not yet mastered the production skills of the rook goose, he has learned a lot of local dishes, and the kitchen at home has become the best choice for him to taste the homeland.
"Food is a kind of nostalgia. Although we are overseas, our roots are in our homeland, so I am glad that I can return to my homeland to taste food and relieve my homesickness. In addition to food, Liu Weilin, who is concerned about his hometown, also served as the editor-in-chief of the family tree, using this way to pin his family and country feelings.
Shen Rong, special correspondent of Longgang Rong Media
Editor: Zhang Meizhu