If the memory has a taste, it must be the smell of chestnut roast chicken made by the mother.
In autumn, most people in my hometown miss the soft and juicy and salty sweetness of the chestnut roast chicken. Mother said that in the past, when the material was not abundant, chestnuts were not only a hundred ingredients when cooking vegetables, but also directly boiled, and they were also very delicious.
Mother has her own know-how to make chestnut roast chicken, first boiled in cold water, then fried overheated, then simmered and then stewed, the chestnut after the pot is fragrant and sticky, and the translucent crimson color attracts people's taste buds, which is more tempting than chicken nuggets, making people taste endlessly. Over-fried chestnuts are also like preservatives, which can be stored at room temperature for a longer time.
4 years ago, I chose to apply for a military school, left my hometown for 2,000 miles, and went to Chengdu to study, and the difference between the taste of Sichuan and Chongqing compared to the taste of Jiangnan was too big. All the dishes are all labeled with "spicy", vegetarian stir-fried greens must be enlarged to put the peppercorns, the so-called "color and flavor full", all surrendered to "no spicy no joy", let me very unaccustomed.
The stomach has an opinion, and all kinds of discomfort will follow. The feeling of homesickness was captured by my mother from the call, and she specially made chestnut roast chicken and sent it to me quickly.
When the chestnut roast chicken arrived at the barracks, several days had passed, the chicken and chestnut were tightly wrapped and immersed in the soup, and the sweetness of the chestnut and the deliciousness of the chicken were further integrated, and the taste was deeply accumulated in time.
As soon as I opened the bottle cap, the strong smell of fragrant umami in my nose attracted the attention of my comrades in the same class: What is this? I laughed and said nothing, and quickly tightened the bottle cap and locked it into the cabinet. Wait until each time you gather for dinner, dig out a few spoonfuls, and get over the mouth. I know that if I don't cut the door, this hungry "hungry cat" will eat up my chestnut roast chicken in minutes.
"Jade plate delicacies" is not wrong, and my enjoyment of "fine water and long streams" is also correct, but the internal health inspection has caused trouble. In a subsequent housekeeping competition, our class lost touch with the mobile red flag due to the "room odor". Afterwards, my chestnut roast chicken also became the "culprit". So, our whole class solved this delicious pot on the same day.
Time flies, and now I am a platoon leader of the Hefei detachment of the armed police. Once led the team to participate in the military-local joint logistics armed patrol, before going to work, I routinely checked the suitcase, opened the trunk of the car door, a stainless steel dining bucket suddenly appeared in the corner, unscrewed the barrel lid, the familiar salty and fresh fragrance overflowed, it turned out to be the chestnut roast chicken just sent by the mother of Xiao Rong, a new recruit from the same township.
As embarrassed as I was then, the fragrant chestnut roast chicken revealed his little secret. Xiao Rong, who was standing on the sidelines, was a little confused. I know that this jar of chestnut roast chicken condenses the concern of relatives for the warriors, and also pins on the soldiers' attachment to their hometown.
Therefore, instead of criticizing him, I shared my story with everyone about myself and chestnut roast chicken. My sneaky "eating alone" incident caused everyone to laugh. When I saw that the time was ripe, my words turned sharply: "Although the taste of my hometown is the most precious, in the face of patrol duties, all duty regulations and disciplines must be strictly observed." ”
At noon, Xiao Rong brought the chestnut roast chicken to the joint logistics point, and the soldiers and the police tasted the delicious food together.
On that day, the joint logistics point was fragrant, everyone ate vigorously, and Xiao Rong's face was also full of smiles. I know that this pride comes from the taste of my hometown.
Time slipped away in a hurry, but the nostalgia was always wandering on the tip of the tongue. My mother's health is not as good as before, but as long as I return to my hometown, she will always make me a jar of chestnut roast chicken. Watching me shake off my cheeks and eat well, her slightly cloudy eyes were full of smiles.
Whenever I return to the unit with my mother's chestnut roast chicken canned, even if I don't eat it, watching from a distance, it seems to remind me at all times, "Don't be lazy, come on and do a good job, my mother looks at you."
Text: Armed Police Anhui Corps Liu Fuwang
Image: Zhu Li
Producer: Liu Fengqiao, Zhang Hongwei
Executive Producer: Zhang Jinling
Editor-in-chief: Guan Shusheng, Wang Wen
Duty editors: Wang Chao, Wang Yanting
Email: [email protected]