China News Agency, Xi'an, May 19th telegram: In the "water basin", there are generations of Qiankun's "soup and meat rotten"
Author Yang Yingqi Zhang Yichen
"A bowl of mutton in a water basin is mixed with the strong aroma of peppercorns and mutton, but the soup is clear and not muddy. Break the cakes into pieces and soak them in the mutton soup. The swollen noodle cakes absorb the soup...Before I came to Shaanxi, I had I never thought I would encounter such delicious food." As a standard Shaanxi son-in-law, facing many special delicacies, Robert, an American boy, has a soft spot for mutton in a basin.
The picture shows mutton and various seasonings taken in Xi'an on May 13.
Photo by Gao Cheng issued by China News Agency
For foreign gourmets, compared with Shaanxi's gourmet business card - mutton steamed buns, although the water basin mutton is slightly "unpopular", its history can be traced back nearly a thousand years.
The Southern Song Dynasty gourmet Lin Hong wrote the "Gourmet Diary" and "Shan Jia Qing Su", which described the technique of cooking mutton soup, "The lamb is made into a loin and placed in a casserole. In addition to green onions and peppers, there is a secret method, which only uses a few real almonds. If you cook it on a live fire, the bones will be rotten." In addition, Guanzhong is located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, and is historically close to the pastoral areas. The names of the historical streets in Xi'an, such as Dongyang Market, Xiyang Market, and Luomashi Market, reflect the cattle at that time. The prosperity of the sheep trading market also provides a "historical opportunity" for the formation and development of water basin mutton.
"A sheep is unloaded and put into the pot, and more than ten kinds of seasonings such as fennel, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, etc. are added in stages. During the process, 'tighten the fire to remove the foam, and slow the fire to release the fragrance', which is quite particular." Dealing with mutton forty For more than a few years, Wang Huibin, the representative inheritor of the Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage project "Chengcheng Water Basin Mutton", has been following traditional cooking techniques, "After a few hours, the mutton is out of the pot, and the chopsticks are separated from the bones, and they are all cut into one-inch square slices. , served with soup."
The picture shows Wang Huibin, the representative inheritor of the Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage project "Chengcheng Water Basin Mutton", cutting mutton on May 13.
Photo by Gao Cheng issued by China News Agency
The meat is rotten and the soup is clear, and the bowl is as big as a basin. Along with the heat and aroma of the mutton in the water basin, there is the enthusiasm and heroism of the Northwest people.
"The sheep and spices produced in Chengcheng are used as raw materials, and the old coarse porcelain bowls produced in the local 'Yaotou Kiln' are used as utensils..." Wang Huibin felt that each bowl of mutton in a water basin concentrated the elements of his hometown. 'It's just the taste of home. Oftentimes, diners who are away from home come to me for remote teaching. After eating this old taste, they seem to be able to get closer to home."
"Soup is the soul of mutton in a water basin. Old diners can tell whether the taste is authentic or not by tasting the clear mutton soup." Wang Huibin said the "mystery" in the "water basin".
"In order to ensure the same taste for each diners, the mutton soup is made from the original boiled meat soup, mutton bone soup and water in proportion."
The picture shows the mutton in the water basin taken in Xi'an on May 13.
Photo by Gao Cheng issued by China News Agency
For a long time, there has been a custom of eating mutton in a water basin in the Weibei area of Shaanxi Province. "Eat a bowl of mutton in a water basin, and the legs will not be soft when you go up the mountain and go down the ditch." According to the local population, the mutton in a water basin is the real "Bao Mo".
In the "Jianghu" of "Water Basin", there are also "factional disputes".
Due to the difference in the ingredients, the mutton in the water basin "produced" in Chengcheng County, Shaanxi Province has a more prominent cumin flavor, while the mutton in the water basin in Pucheng County, Shaanxi uses pepper as the main ingredient, the soup color is darker red, and the taste is slightly numb. Heavy.
Although the two places have their own advantages, the eating methods are generally the same. Diners often serve it with crescent biscuits, or biscuits with meat, or the cakes are soaked in soup.
Many people in Shaanxi start their day with a bowl of mutton in a water basin.
"Whether it's the 'Chengcheng School' or the 'Pucheng School', there is no best, only the most suitable." For Mu Yuelin, a Weinan girl who has lived in Russia for many years, a bowl of homemade mutton in a water basin is enough to comfort her homesickness Feelings.
"Without fresh Chinese prickly ash, fennel and other condiments, the 'water basin' I made is very simple. Although it is not as good as my hometown, it can satisfy my cravings."
In recent years, with the spread of the Internet, delicacies from all over the world have been "out of the circle", and the water basin mutton is not willing to be "slightly safe" on the Chinese food map.
In the TV series "Twelve Hours in Chang'an", the water basin mutton with a high "appearance rate" successfully spoke for himself and caused heated discussions on social platforms.
The picture shows that on May 13, Wang Huibin, the representative inheritor of the Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage project "Chengcheng Water Basin Mutton", sprinkled coriander and garlic sprouts into the water basin mutton.
Photo by Gao Cheng issued by China News Agency
According to Ele.me data, during the broadcast of the TV series, orders for mutton in water basins across the country increased by 11% month-on-month.
Among them, Beijing's water basin mutton takeaway orders grew the fastest month-on-month, reaching 133%.
"In the past, people liked fat and heavy mouths, but now they pay more attention to keeping healthy and light, and the water basin mutton has been continuously improved. Whether it is thick or light, hemp or fragrant, the water basin mutton is not afraid of 'difficult to adjust'." Wang Huibin said that from the beginning, only Four kinds of seasonings are needed, and more than ten kinds of seasonings are used today, and its changes and development can be seen.
"Orchid Spring Hotel, Jinding is cooking sheep." Su Yuhai, cultural consultant of Shaanxi Provincial Culinary and Catering Industry Association, said that the history of multi-ethnic integration has created a unique local food culture in Shaanxi, and the special combination of cake and mutton is also here. Under the deep taste "brand".
"In addition to the meaty and fresh soup, the mutton in the water basin also exudes the taste of Chinese history and culture. For a 'foreigner', it has a strong sense of exoticism." Robert said to his wife with a smile: "It's not as good as today's us. Just go eat a bowl of 'water basin'?" (End)