What is that subtext that remains in memory about hometown?
Text | Emma
The most impressive thing about returning home in the New Year is to visit relatives and friends, climb the Wolf Mountain, and take a small road. Following the memories of childhood, the changes in my hometown are really not small.
My hometown is in Nantong, in fact, it is only two hours away from Shanghai, but nowadays, one is called home, and the other is called hometown. After watching the movie "My Hometown and Me" last year, I often asked myself, what is the subtext that remains in my memory about my hometown?
Is it the scenery you saw when you were a child, or the taste of food that still stays on the tip of your tongue in your hometown?
There is a specialty in my hometown - Xiting shortbread, which is rumored to have existed in the Qing Guangxu years, and the origin is Xiting Town, Tongzhou City, Nantong. Refined white flour, cotton sugar, white oil, peeled white sesame seeds as the main raw materials, through a variety of processes.
When I was a kid, it was my favorite breakfast, and I had to collect all the colors. Although the taste of each color of shortbread is actually the same. I also like to give my classmates the shortbread I collected as a treasure. Classmates asked what is this? I said my treasure for breakfast and tasted it.
Later, my mother asked me if I wanted to eat shortbread? I smiled and didn't answer.
Because, I understand that shortbread is a memory that remains in my childhood. Just like the impression that Grandma loves to cook black vegetable vermicelli for the New Year, placed in front of us like a cornucopia. Many years later, after I started my own family, the black vegetable fans of the New Year have been replaced, but I will still introduce my children to the memories of our time on the tip of the tongue.
Nantong is located in the Yangtze River Delta region, there are very superior natural conditions, river fresh, river fresh is the biggest feature, subordinate Rudong County, as well as "the national seafood town" reputation. Friends come to Nantong to play, usually taste the puffer fish, the taste is extremely delicious. In addition, there are anchovies and knifefish.
Nantong's 130,000 hectares of tidal flats are rich in hundreds of species of shallow water shellfish, especially clams, accounting for one-third of China's exports. In ancient times, the Nantong Clam was once listed as a tribute to the imperial court, and the Qianlong Emperor also wrote down several big characters for the Clam" as "the freshest in the world".
Every Nantong person has a deep love for clams, and in Nantong, clams are usually used for stir-frying, simmering soup, and teppanyaki clams. Childhood memories often include clams mixed with eggs, and the silky texture of eggs is very beautiful with the umami taste of Wen clams:
The clam is not only a delicacy, but also medicinal. It has the effect of clearing heat and dissolving phlegm.
In addition to seafood, there is also a dish that can also be described as a delicacy: stir-fried garlic with cifu. At a family dinner a few years ago, I suddenly found this treasure. Cigu, also known as "Cigu", tastes bitter and has a sweet taste, its nutritional value is higher, contains a variety of vitamins and proteins, has good medicinal value, and has a certain effect on cough and asthma.
It is better to add some bacon slices to the garlic stir-fried, and the slices are stir-fried with the bacon, absorbing enough garlic and meat aroma, the lighter the bitterness, the stronger the sweetness.
After enjoying the food, I continue to make up some menus and recipes that I have forgotten. However, one person's hard thinking is really not as good as brainstorming together with the big guys.
Don't know what stories you and your hometown cuisine have to tell, welcome to leave a message to share!
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