Did you know that in Changchun, what you eat is not just food, but something extremely domineering and spiritual that grows from the black soil.
Don't tell me about Michelin. Here in Changchun, Michelin tires are of no use. You have to look at the bubbling sauce bones in the big iron pot. A full pot is brought to you, and the hot steam hits your face. You have to stand aside and just reach out to nibble.
How did the pickled bones break out of the world of Northeastern people?
A place called Wangjijiang Bone Restaurant is located in Laohandian. Its name sounds rustic, but there are so many people queuing at the door that they seem to be sitting through the curbs. The big bone sticks there were stewed so well that it seemed as if they had been deluded. The meat fell off the bones at the slightest touch, but it was not completely soft and rotten, and still had a bit of a stubborn chew. You need to chew it, suck it, and tear it with your hands. The bone marrow can be said to be the seat of the soul. Whether you suck it with a straw, or simply break the table with a bone and take a sip, your mouth will be filled with fragrance, and that kind of satisfaction called "greasy" will fill your mouth.
Guobao Pork, sweet vs sour? We have been arguing for twenty years with no result.
People in Changchun continue to engage in a never-ending war over Guobaorou. The old-school sweet and sour pie is very airy, and the vinegar smell it concocts goes straight to people's heavens and can make people burst into tears, but even so it still has to be said to be "authentic"! The new ketchup pie is like a beautiful little girl. It is bright red in color, sweet in taste and soft in texture. It is the favorite of children. If you ask which one has more advantages or tastes better, don’t ask. Even if you ask, you can only say that the one downstairs is the best. Chunfahe's place has an old-school style and is worth visiting and asking for advice, just like going to the dock to pay a visit.
Yes, let’s talk about the “non-mainstream” snow-coated bean paste.
The number of this thing has become less and less now, and only state-owned hotels or old restaurants that are not very conspicuous in the corner are willing to do it. It takes a lot of effort to make. The egg whites have to be beaten like clouds, wrapped in bean paste balls and fried in oil until they are white and fat, and then sprinkled with a layer of sugar. It was served like a shy fat girl. When you take a bite, the outer skin is as soft as kissing the air, and the bean paste inside is sweet and hot. Chunfahe can do it, but it depends on luck. If it sells out, it will be gone. It is very willful.
Why is the Korean flavor in Changchun so authentic?
Walking along the west side towards Chaoyang Road, you will find a place called Renfeng Pavilion. It was an old-school Korean restaurant. When you step into it, you will see that the waiters are all amani or beautiful young girls who speak Korean. They all have smiles on their faces, which will make you feel as if you have traveled to Yanbian and a place even further away than Yanbian in an instant.
Use freshly pressed buckwheat noodles as the raw material for cold noodles. Soak the noodles in beef soup with ice-floats. Place two slices of beef, half an egg and a pear cube on top. After a night of snoring like a dog-like person in the summer heat, the refreshing sweet and sour taste slides down the esophagus into the stomach and triggers excitement.
At that time, the bibimbap in the stone pot was brought to the plate, and it still made a sizzling sound. You had to poke the soft-boiled eggs while it was hot. When the yellow egg liquid wrapped the rice, squeeze out a large spoonful of Korean spicy sauce, and then stirred with all your strength with a long-handled copper spoon. More than a dozen colors were mixed together, and every grain of rice was stained with sauce color. Then, scoop out a large spoonful and stuff it into your mouth, feeling satisfied instantly.
This rice sausage is made from pig blood and glutinous rice. It looks black and inconspicuous. If you eat it steamed, it will taste soft and glutinous. If you eat it fried, it will have a burnt flavor. Dip it in some coarse salt, and the aroma of simple grains and fats is the taste of Korean people's daily life.
By the way, can you still find those time-honored brands?
It looks similar to Ouyang's Diaolu Cake. The store looks like a home, so you can miss it if you're not paying attention. Walk into the store and order a hanging oven cake. Its outer layer is layered, so crispy that it can fall off. Then there is a bowl of chicken cake, which is so soft and tender that it is just like tofu. Then there is a stinky duck egg that can "stink" twenty meters away with a strong wind... The taste is simply amazing. Unfortunately, I heard that some shops that have been in business for a long time have changed their addresses again and again, and even closed down in the end. There are some unique flavors that really need to be savored and cherished.
In addition, the Hui Baozhen dumplings are one, and the bacon belly is another. They are both based on skills that have been passed down for many generations. "A hundred years are really different, half the history of Changchun." This expression does have a very heavy meaning.
Are internet celebrities the only ones left at Guilin Road Night Market?
Head to Guilin Road at night, it’s full of young people. They were holding large one-meter-long meat skewers in their hands and holding them high for taking pictures. There is a long queue in front of the grilled cold noodles stall. Sausage and eggs are added, thick sweet and sour chili sauce is applied, cut into sections with a spatula, and bamboo skewers are inserted. Even if it is so hot that it sucks, you still have to stuff it into your mouth. There is also roasted solid egg, which has a unique chewy texture due to the alkaline taste, and is paired with dried chili noodles. It is a dark-style delicacy that local children have grown up eating.
But to be honest, Guilin Road today looks more and more like food streets across the country. There are stinky tofu, giant squid, and milk tea shops. As for the stir-fried noodles that truly belong to Changchun, you have to go to those remote corners to find them. It is stir-fried with potato starch to form a large sticky mass. It is topped with sesame sauce and chili oil and eaten with a spoon. It is completely different from Malatang.
What do you take with you when you leave?
It is inevitable that Dingfeng really produces pastries. It is a time-honored brand with a history of more than 100 years. Bringing a box of Saqima or a box of Polygonum flowers back home will make the elderly at home happy. That special crispy texture and rich sweet aroma are clearly the unique taste of Changchun people during the New Year and festivals.
Then there are the treasures from Changbai Mountain, including hazel mushrooms and black fungus. When you get home and stew a chicken, you can recreate the flavor of a Northeastern home. There is also ginseng, which is used to make wine or make soup. This is the most practical gift from this vast black land.
Hey, Yushuqian Liquor, for those who like to drink, you can bring a bottle with you. I heard that the wine has a unique taste like the sea. You can't taste this kind of taste in other places.
I forgot to tell you, there is another place called Donglingnan Street Morning Market
Don’t just focus on the night market. Get up early and set off at six in the morning to go to the morning market on Dongling South Street. This is the place that represents the true meaning of life in Changchun. There are tofu cakes, fried cakes, large fruits and hot soy milk. A rich and diverse scene appeared, with old men and women holding baskets full of dishes, and the voices of price discussions could be heard one after another. Only in such a place can you understand that the daily life of Changchun people is stable and peaceful.
In this case, when going to Changchun, don’t just focus on those internet celebrity stores to check in. First, we went from the lively and crowded Guilin Road, then to the prosperous Hongqi Street, and then went into those inconspicuous and inconspicuous old alleys, looking for a restaurant that has been in business for decades, and chatting with the restaurant owner. You will find that this city, which is a long-established industrial city, is also known as the "Spring City of the North". What is contained and hidden deep in its bones is the tolerance of mutual integration and matching, as well as the straightforward and straightforward character.
Can't finish it, can't finish it at all. The stomach is too small and Changchun is too big.
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