If the rough and large plates are the characteristic of Xinjiang cuisine in the diners’ impression, then Shihezi Liangpi is as delicate as Xiaojiabiyu (data photo).
Photo by Shi Yujiang
China News Service, Urumqi, March 2 (Shi Yujiang and Wang Yimeng) "Master, I haven't eaten Shihezi Liangpi yet during this interview. Please go down the road and I'll buy two copies to take with me." A few days ago, in a car that was about to leave Shihezi City In the district’s car, a media colleague shouted to the driver.
In Shihezi City, the Eighth Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (hereinafter referred to as the Corps), when family and friends get together, no matter what "big dishes" are on the table, the "figure" of Liangpi is always indispensable.
Liangpi is a common snack in many places. How can it stand out from the many kinds of Liangpi with different flavors in Xinjiang and become the "standard dish" for tourists on business trips and sightseeing in Shihezi to satisfy their taste buds?
How can a seemingly ordinary bowl of cold noodles allow every citizen holding long chopsticks to find a sense of belonging and taste memory in the familiar taste experience?
Liangpi is a gourmet business card of Shihezi City.
Photo by Shi Yujiang
The origin of Shihezi Liangpi
"My mother often made cold skin for me and my younger siblings. The seasoning was very simple at that time. After the cold skin was steamed and cut into strips, I just added a few drops of sesame oil. It was very delicious. That is my childhood memory." Hanli said about her childhood scenes. , the happiness is beyond words.
Hanli is the third generation inheritor of Shihezi Liangpi making skills, and her making skills were selected as Corps-level "intangible cultural heritage" in 2014.
Hanli is the third generation inheritor of Shihezi Liangpi making skills.
Photo by Wang Yimeng
Hanli’s skill in making cool skin comes from her grandmother.
My grandmother’s family came to Xinjiang from other places in 1958 and settled in Shihezi. She taught Hanli’s mother the skill of making cold skin from Shandong.
Hanli, who grew up eating the Liangpi made by her grandmother and mother, said with a smile that this was her fate with Liangpi.
This craft has also changed Hanli’s life.
In 1988, Hanli and her husband, who had just gotten married, set up a cold skin stall in the Bayi Woolen Mill. Unexpectedly, it became the most popular snack among workers at that time.
Every day when the stall goes out, the cart selling cold skin is always crowded.
Hanli recalled that the factory leader specially recruited her to work in the cafeteria of Bayi Woolen Textile Factory, specializing in making cold noodles for employees, making her a "liangpi girl" familiar to everyone in the factory.
Liangpi shop is a scenery in Shihezi
If the rough and large plates are the characteristic of Xinjiang cuisine in the diners’ impression, then Shihezi Liangpi is as delicate as Xiaojiabiyu.
In the early 1990s, Liangpi shops sprung up in residential areas around Shihezi Bayi Woolen Mill, Bayi Textile Factory, and Bayi Sugar Factory.
Hanli recalled, “There were long tables and benches in one or two rooms. No matter it was windy or rainy, there would always be a crowd of diners.”
Speaking of the secret, Hanli said that making cool skin is not difficult, but the difficulty lies in making a good one.
Photo by Wang Yimeng
In 1997, Hanli and her husband, who had resigned from the factory, opened a Liangpi shop in the factory area, which became famous throughout the winter and summer.
"The price of Liangpi has increased from 0.4 yuan at the beginning to more than 10 yuan now." Han Li lamented that the change in price not only witnessed the development and changes of Shihezi City, but also carried the emotional memory of her fathers building their homes on the deserted beaches.
Nowadays, Shihezi Liangpi has become a favorite local fast food.
Strolling through the streets and alleys of Shihezi City, you will definitely see a Liangpi store within a hundred meters of each other. Although the taste of the Liangpi sold in each store is slightly different, most of them are doing a prosperous business.
Liangpi shops have become a scenery in Shihezi.
“Liangpi that you can drink soup”
Hanli and her husband Bai Qingbao got busy early in the morning making dough and preparing ingredients.
Speaking of the secret, Hanli said that making cool skin is not difficult, but the difficulty lies in making a good one.
“How to make cold skin smooth and chewy, every step must be taken care of.”
"The craftsmanship of spreading the dough, the control of the heat, the ratio of the sauce, and the choice of peppers are all very important." Hanli said that when steaming the cold dough, the dough should be scooped out quickly once the dough wrinkles, so that the fire can quickly remove the dough.
The formula is particular, and Hanli uses more than 20 kinds of seasonings to make the marinade.
"The fiery red chili noodles are mixed with different ingredients and then poured with hot oil." Hanli said that the red and translucent chili oil is the "magic weapon" for the cool skin to bring out the flavor.
"Pour different flavors of soup on top, and finally pour a spoonful of spicy oil, so that each cold skin is moistened and flavored by the juice." Hanli said that Shihezi Liangpi has a major feature that distinguishes it from other cold skins. ——"Liangpi that you can drink soup".
Hanli talks about the whole process of "unique craftsmanship" without reservation: using local winter wheat flour, kneading, washing, settling, filtering, fermenting, steaming, blanching and other processes, "these are delicate tasks."
Then add red oil chili, pepper powder, sesame powder, crushed peanuts, spice brine, garlic juice, ginger juice, salt water, balsamic vinegar, etc., and finally add coriander and cucumber shreds.
The formula is particular, and Hanli uses more than 20 kinds of seasonings to make the marinade.
Photo by Wang Yimeng
Hanli said that the cold skin she makes can be used as a snack, as a staple food, or as a dish, and can be hot or cold, regardless of the season.
Shihezi Liangpi is the taste memory of this city
When you visit Shihezi for the first time, if you ask the locals to recommend delicious food, they will definitely ask: Have you eaten Liangpi?
After decades of accumulation, foreign tourists will come here to taste Shihezi Liangpi.
Shihezi’s “Liangpi Street” is a gathering place for foodies.
Liangpi shops such as Bamao Liangpi, Baijia Liangpi, and Yueyue Liangpi are gathered here. Each Liangpi shop has its own style and taste. This is not only the taste of Liangpi, but also the taste memory of the city of Shihezi.
After decades of accumulation, foreign tourists will come here to taste Shihezi Liangpi.
Photo by Wang Yimeng
Here, you will witness the whole process from brushing oil, spreading batter, steaming and cutting cold skin to pouring soup and seasoning.
The fluttering knife skills, dripping seasonings, the texture of every cold skin, every piece of green vegetables, and every drop of sauce are a display of the art of living. The sourness of the balsamic vinegar, the rich aroma of sesame and peanuts, the chewy texture of the dough, Its taste is refreshing and not greasy.
After a bowl of it, you will feel hearty and refreshing. This is the taste of Shihezi Liangpi.
Barbecued meat mixed with cold skin is a common sight in Shihezi.
After years of development, the locals have studied the way to eat Liangpi to the extreme, developing a variety of soups with strange flavors, specialties, classics... etc.
"Make it go further"
Han Li, 63, said that making cold noodles is something she has been doing for 30 to 40 years without stopping. “I have been a worker and have been laid off, but how to make cold noodles well and make them delicious is what I want to do most.” one thing."
Hanli said that the popularity of Shihezi Liangpi is due to its taste and quality that have remained unchanged.
Photo by Wang Yimeng
Over the past 30 years, Hanli’s Liangpi Shop has become well-known in Shihezi City.
“Shihezi Liangpi is very popular, I think it’s because of the taste and quality that have remained unchanged.”
Xiaocheng (pseudonym) is the child of Hanli's apprentice. He is in his third year of college. Whenever he returns to his hometown, he will go to her place to eat cold noodles. He also plans to use this skill as a direction for starting a business in the future.
Today, Xiao Cheng has learned how to prepare cold noodles, and Han Li hopes to pass on the skill.
"What I have in my hand is not just a bowl of cold noodles, but also the emotional memories of generations. What I have to do is to teach more people, let it go further, and don't forget the way it came." (End)