Chinese cuisine has a long history and a long history. When it comes to eating, there is no country in the world that can match ours. In the vast land of China, each region has its own unique cuisine and food culture. This year, I came to Ningxia twice, from north to south, I basically traveled the whole of Ningxia, and also tasted the special cuisines of various places, so I sorted out a few Ningxia specialties in my mind. This first dish is baked potatoes, which may be found out of the ordinary by many people, but in many parts of Ningxia in the last century, many places were drought-stricken, and crops could not survive, except for potatoes. Many people survive by eating potatoes and are called "life-saving eggs".
Ningxia, located in the northwest inland of China, borders Shaanxi, Gansu and Inner Mongolia, with a total area of 66,400 square kilometers. The terrain is mainly divided into three major blocks: the southern plateau mountainous area, the central arid region and the northern Yellow River irrigation area. The terrain is high in the south and low in the north, and it has a temperate continental arid climate. The special regional environment and ethnic minority customs have created a unique food culture in Ningxia. Ningxia people love to drink some tea before eating, and this eight treasure tea is the biggest feature here. Babao tea is sweet and delicious, has a unique taste, and has the effect of health care. (Photographed in August 2019 in Ningxia.) )
Ningxia cuisine is the most attractive to me is the hand-grabbed lamb, There are many places where sheep are produced in China, and the lamb in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and other places is very good, but I personally feel that Ningxia's unique beach sheep make me like it more. The meat is red and white, fat and thin, smooth and tender, delicious, the most important point is that it has no smell, and the taste of the lamb itself is cooked in water, and the pleasant feeling of eating is indescribable.
In Ningxia, not only is the beach lamb delicious, but this haggis is also a major specialty. Made with sheep's head, sheep's hooves, sheep hearts, sheep liver, lamb belly, sheep lung, sheep intestines, sheep blood and other mixed braised haggis, the rich flavor pervades the streets and alleys of Ningxia, always tempting your taste buds, is a must-try food in Ningxia.
This dish is also related to lamb, many people like Ningxia stir-fried lamb, but I prefer steamed lamb, without too many seasonings, more able to eat the umami taste of the lamb itself. Using lamb within three months as raw materials, using winter melon as the base to absorb excess oil, the steamed lamb is tender and delicious, which is definitely the best food.
Braised Yellow River carp, which is found in many provinces along the Yellow River, is a traditional dish. The most famous one in Ningxia is the Qingtongxia Yellow River carp, which is plump, flat and long and fat, with a small head and short tail, an enlarged abdomen, and a high and wide back ridge. Braised Yellow River carp is bright in color, tender in meat, less thorny and more nutritious.
Liangpi is one of the more common delicacies in northwest China, but the variety of liangpi in Ningxia is relatively richer. The taste of ningxia's cool skin is generally spicy, slightly sour, soft and sticky. However, different ingredients will be added in different regions, including the cold skin with lamb liver and the cold skin mixed with sesame sauce, so you can taste all kinds of flavors.
This dish is estimated that many people have not seen it, it is called swallow noodle kneading, is a famous folk snack in Ningxia, the earliest popular in the Guyuan area. The use of swallow noodles is also called cherries noodles, pressed into thin strips, and then steamed with high heat, mixed with leeks and other ingredients when eating, oil splashed peppers, garlic paste, soft tendons, rich nutrition, unique flavor, known as "a treasure in the northwest".
There are many kinds of Ningxia oil aroma, including salty oil aroma, sweet oil aroma, hot noodle oil fragrance and so on. Flour, salt and vegetable oil are used as the main raw materials for making oil aroma, and the ingredients can be added with eggs, honey, brown sugar, meat filling, etc. Oil incense is an important food for ethnic minorities in Ningxia, and there is a custom of eating oil incense every important festival. In the way of eating, there is also a special approach, you can only bite with your mouth, you can't break into pieces to eat.
It is said that the best food comes from the folk, and in many areas of Ningxia, the feast of folk weddings is also particularly exquisite. Generally, there are "five Luo Four Seas", "Nine Kui Thirteen Flowers", "Fifteen Moon Round" and so on. "Wuluo Four Seas" refers to five kinds of stir-fried vegetables and four kinds of soups on the table; "Nine Kui Thirteen Flowers" and "Fifteen Moon Rounds" refer to nine bowls, thirteen bowls and fifteen bowls of dishes respectively. The picture shows the "Nine Kui", which are three rows horizontally and vertically, which are used to entertain the most distinguished guests.
If you want to talk about the cuisine of Ningxia, there are many more, especially in terms of noodles, which are varied and eaten in different ways. Maybe everyone's taste and opinion of food is different, everyone has their own ningxia specialties in their hearts, welcome to talk about your views. About the author: Cold and cruel leaf (photographer, traveler, self-media person).