Chinanews.com, Urumqi, January 10th, title: Life is like poetry!
Why did Xinjiang gourmet "experts" fall in love with Tang Guozi?
The author Shi Yujiang is gorgeous
During the holidays, steam steamed buns, make Tang Guozi, and cook delicacies; cook Qingtuan, spring rolls, dragon beard cakes and other folk delicacies in seasonal solar terms; grow flowers and grass, and take care of the garden in leisure time; invite friends to cook tea around the stove on weekends , tasting food, talking about life...
The beautiful sense of ritual of life is entrusted with the scenery of the four seasons and the understanding of current life.
Zhou Xiaoyin, a retired worker from the 71st Regiment of the 4th Division of the Xinjiang Corps, turned her life into poetry.
As the traditional Chinese New Year approaches, Zhou Xiaoyin specially made some traditional refreshments.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
56-year-old Zhou Xiaoyin is a well-known local gourmet "expert". Every year, she makes various folk delicacies according to the seasons and solar terms. While cultivating sentiment and enriching life, she also inherits the traditional Chinese food culture.
One of the few Tang fruit making "artists" in Xinjiang
Holding the triangular stick in the right hand, holding the bean paste ball in the left hand, pushing and pressing, a Tang fruit took shape.
"To make a high-value Tang fruit, you need to devote all your attention, the strength of your hands must be accurate, and you must have the ability to finish it in one go." Zhou Xiaoyin said a few days ago.
Tang Guozi, which is stuffed with red bean paste and wrapped with "touhuaci", is a pastry eaten with tea in tea feasts, also known as tea fruit, fruit, etc.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
As the traditional Chinese New Year approached, Zhou Xiaoyin specially made some traditional refreshments - Tang fruit, leaves, flowers, shells... The reporter noticed that these refreshments had different shapes, bright colors, and there was a sweet smell in the air.
Tang Guozi, which is stuffed with red bean paste and wrapped with "touhuaci", is a pastry eaten with tea in tea feasts, also known as tea fruit, fruit, etc.
It is exquisite, small and colorful, and is mostly carved in the shape of flowers and birds.
According to the "History of Chinese Noodles", since the Tang Dynasty when tea drinking became popular all over the country, the custom of drinking tea while eating refreshments (noodles) appeared, which has a history of thousands of years.
Tang Guozi is exquisite, small and colorful, and is mostly carved in the shape of flowers and birds.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
As an ancient delicacy originating from China, Tang Guozi making has been revived in China in recent years.
Zhou Xiaoyin, who is keen on making delicious food, was deeply attracted by the history and culture of Tang Guozi. She taught herself how to make Tang Guozi and became one of the few Tang Guozi production "artists" in Yili, Xinjiang.
Zhou Xiaoyin introduced that this Tang Guozi is made of high-quality white cloud beans soaked for 24 hours, manually peeled and boiled until soft, filtered, fried with a little glutinous rice flour and sugar, and then shaped with a little plant color powder.
Zhou Xiaoyin turned her life into poetry.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
"Inheritance" grandparents got "true inheritance" in middle school
Zhou Xiaoyin was the literary and artistic backbone of the 71st Regiment when she was young.
His love for traditional food stems from the influence of his grandfather and mother since he was a child.
My grandfather used to be the cook in the village, and the neighbors and neighbors would ask him to cook at weddings and funerals.
And the mother learned cooking from her grandfather since she was a child, and became a well-known "handy hand" in the local area when she grew up.
In the 1960s and 1970s when supplies were scarce, Zhou Xiaoyin's mother made various folk "snacks" by hand to satisfy the children's cravings.
Tower style New Year's bun.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
Watching her mother turn ordinary ingredients into beautiful and delicious "snacks", Zhou Xiaoyin was deeply attracted when she was a child, and she became very interested in making food.
When she was in middle school, Zhou Xiaoyin got her mother's "true biography", such as hedgehog buns, jujube buns, flower buns... as long as she practiced it a few times, she would be able to master it;
"I have learned to cook traditional folk food for more than 40 years. After work, I am busy, so I cook food less frequently than when I was a child, but I still make some pastries during the New Year's Eve." Zhou Xiaoyin said that the annual New Year's Eve dinner must not be sloppy, and each dish has a meaning Happiness, family reunion, "Our Chinese traditions cannot be lost."
In 2017, Zhou Xiaoyin became obsessed with Tang Guozi, an intangible cultural heritage. She learned from online videos, consulted experts who know pasta, and incorporated her own creativity into it.
Colorful dumplings.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
Over time, Zhou Xiaoyin developed a pair of dexterous hands and became one of the few "artists" in the production of Nianmo, Huamo and Tangguo in Yili area.
In recent years, the news of her making traditional folk delicacies has been pushed by local new media, which has aroused heated comments from netizens.
"I saw Xiaoyin's Tang Guozi made in WeChat Moments, it's really exquisite!" said Yang Pingying, a resident of Kekdala, who had seen this kind of pastry before, but didn't know what it was called.
"The tang fruit she makes tastes so good that people can't bear to eat it. Her yard is like a 'family park', full of flowers and plants, accompanied by fish and birds." Friends Li Peili said that Zhou Xiaoyin's dedication to traditional food and life The love is admirable.
Desire to become a non-heritage inheritor
After Zhou Xiaoyin retired, she had more time for herself.
Since 2019, she has focused on traditional food production.
After Zhou Xiaoyin retired, she focused on making traditional food.
Photo by Zhou Xiaoyin
"Every year I make zodiac buns according to the year. The year before last I steamed cow buns, last year I steamed tiger buns, and during the Winter Olympics I also made glutinous rice balls version of Bingdundun, and this year I will steam rabbit buns during the Spring Festival," Zhou Xiaoyin introduced. , Nianmo is most famous in Huozhou, Shanxi, and Huamo is mainly in Shaanxi.
In recent years, the Xinjiang Corps has conducted a comprehensive survey, collation, filing and declaration of the types, quantities and distribution of intangible cultural heritage resources in the region.
The investigation found that the intangible cultural heritage clues of the Xinjiang Corps involve folk art, traditional skills, red culture, etc., mainly focusing on traditional handicrafts such as paper-cutting and embroidery, and there are still few food items.
"I will continue to improve the production skills of Tang Guozi. If possible, I hope to become an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage." Zhou Xiaoyin said that Tang Guozi is a masterpiece of Tang culture and art, which needs to be passed on and carried forward by our generation.
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