Centennial inheritance of Bashu flavor: Exploring the origins of Sichuan snack culture
When it comes to the distribution range of Chinese cuisine, Sichuan is definitely a place that makes people yearn for it. What really supports this gourmet food field is not only the dishes at grand banquets whose reputation has spread all over the world, but also the Sichuan snacks that are scattered in the streets and alleys and penetrated into the daily lives of ordinary people. They are not only something to fill the stomach, but also a way for Bashu culture to be reflected through taste, carrying the character and memory of this region.
If you want to savor the unique charm of Sichuan snacks, you often start with a cold dish that can whet your appetite. Sichuanbei jelly is one of the most representative and classic ones. This traditional and famous snack originated from Nanchong and has a history of more than 90 years. The key point is to select high-quality white peas, grind the peas into pulp by hand, then precipitate, and then extract the powder, so as to produce jelly that is as white as snow, soft and tough in texture. After the jelly is cut into thin strips or rolled into thin slices, it is poured with a red oil sauce carefully prepared with carefully selected chili noodles, Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, and secret soy sauce, and finally sprinkled with a handful of crispy fried peanuts and crispy goose intestines. When you first take your mouth, the smoothness of the jelly and the crispness of the goose intestines are intertwined between your teeth. The five flavors of salty, fresh, spicy, numbing and sour are clearly layered and awaken your taste buds in an instant. This is the ritual feeling of Sichuan people when they start a delicious meal.
After the spicy feeling is over, the sweet and glutinous taste is particularly strong. Lai Tangyuan, which has a history of more than 100 years, is the golden signature of Chengdu sweet snacks. Since Lai Yuanxin started selling it on the streets of Chengdu in 1894, his production skills have become a model over the years. The key lies in the selection. In terms of ingredients and craftsmanship, the best glutinous rice is used for fine grinding, and the fillings are moist and sweet. The cooked glutinous rice balls do not have rotten skin, fillings, or muddy soup. They are soft and glutinous but not sticky to the teeth. The fillings are sweet and oily, flowing slowly. The warm and sweetness is a memory of hometown that countless old Chengdu people cannot let go of.
As sweet and fragrant as it is, the Ye'er cake originates from farmers in western Sichuan. This steamed bun was originally made during the Qingming Festival. After being improved by Xindu Tianzhai Snack Shop, it has become a famous Sichuan snack. When making it, glutinous rice flour is used as the skin to wrap the sweet mochi filling or salty meat filling. Finally, fresh orange leaves are used to wrap it to shape it and steam it over high heat. The color of the steamed leaf cake is light green, and the fragrance of the orange leaves has completely penetrated into the soft and glutinous rice skin. When you take a bite, you can feel the softness of the glutinous rice and the mellow taste of the fillings. The taste is sweet and refreshing, salty and fresh, with a sweet aftertaste. It is full of gifts from nature. The accompanying steamed rice cake is also made from glutinous rice. Its texture is fluffy and soft, and it also has a slightly sweet aroma of wine. It is a very simple snack in my memory.
Among Sichuan snacks, noodles also occupy a unique position. Sweet water noodles are a unique flavor of Chengdu. The noodles are as thick as chopsticks and have a chewy texture. When making, the hand-kneaded dough needs to rest for half an hour, and then It can be pulled into thick strips, and after being cooked and fished out, it must be mixed with cooked oil and left to cool to ensure that the noodles have a smooth texture. The most important seasoning is the spoonful of secret replica sweet red soy sauce, and it is also topped with fragrant chili oil, minced garlic and sesame oil. After eating a bowl of sweet noodles, you can first feel the mellow sweetness of sweet soy sauce when you first eat it. Then, the spiciness of chili peppers and the slightly numbing taste of Sichuan peppercorns will appear layer by layer. The noodles are very chewy and have a unique and overbearing flavor.
And the Yibin burning noodles, which originated from the first city on the Yangtze River, fully demonstrates the dry aroma of Sichuan flavor. This famous dish that has appeared since the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty uses local high-quality water noodles. When cooking the noodles, pay attention to the heat. After taking them out, you have to shake off the water to remove the alkaline smell. Then, according to traditional techniques, Yibin's unique broken rice sprouts, finely ground sesame oil, fried sesame seeds, chopped peanuts and walnuts are added. Finally, more than ten kinds of seasonings such as chili and Sichuan pepper are used to supplement it. The finished noodles are loose, bright red, and full of fragrance. Because they are rich in oil and have no water, it is said that a single noodle can ignite a fire, so they are called "burning noodles". A mouthful of burning noodles and a mouthful of Wuliangye, this is the most authentic way of hospitality in Yibin.
From the visual aspect to the taste aspect, glass siomai presents the exquisite aspects of Sichuan style snacks. This is a traditional and well-known snack. The production technique is extremely exquisite. The dough needs to be repeatedly pressed to form a beautiful skirt similar to a ruffle. The filling is made of lean pork, fat particles and blanched cabbage, and is added with pepper, cooking wine, etc. When mixing and wrapping, lift up the skirt edge and shape it into the shape of a cabbage. The bottom will look plump. During the steaming process, you need to open the steamer and sprinkle water once to ensure that the skin will not dry out. When it comes out of the steamer, the skin is as thin as cicada wings and becomes translucent because it is soaked in oil. You can vaguely see the filling through the skin, so it is called "glass". In the mouth, the skin is thin and the filling is rich. The aroma of meat and vegetables blend together, which is a double enjoyment for taste and vision.
Finally, I have to mention the "couple's lung slices" which are famous throughout the country. In Chengdu in the 1930s, Guo Chaohua and his wife were engaged in the business of making and selling cold beef offal. Because the lung slices they made were exquisite and delicious, with a very unique flavor, they were affectionately nicknamed "husband and wife" by diners. Today, the dish has evolved from just a single beef lung to carefully selected beef, beef heart, tongue, tripe and scalp. Various braised meats are cut into thin slices and poured with a compound sauce made of brine, chili oil, pepper noodles, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, etc. The red oil looks translucent, tastes spicy and fragrant, and has a crisp, tender and refreshing texture. It is not only a dish, but also a true and vivid reflection of the inclusive nature of Chengdu people, who create extraordinary tastes in ordinary life.
Starting from the sour and spicy appetizing sensation brought by a bowl of jelly, and then ending with the sweet and glutinous taste of a cup of glutinous rice balls, every production process of Sichuan snacks and every seasoning method are deeply rooted in this land of abundant products, gathering the wisdom and persistence of generations of craftsmen. They are the Bashu culture walking on the tip of the tongue, and they are the taste of hometown that is unforgettable no matter how far you travel.
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