China News Agency, Chongqing, January 24th, title: Chongqing Hot Pot: The delicacies of mountains and seas can be boiled and the scraps can be scalded
China News Agency reporter Liu Xianglin
As night falls, the streets and alleys of Chongqing are filled with the pleasure of numb and spicy.
The hot pot is gradually boiling, and the tumbling butter bursts out with spicy and delicious fragrance, which is irresistible.
Hot pot is the first choice for Chongqing people to gather. Several people sit around a pot, the belly is firm, the duck intestines are tender and crispy, and the crispy meat is crispy.
"Eating hot pot every day is unbearable (Chongqing dialect, which means unbearable), and it is unbearable not to eat it for a week." Wu Si, a native of Chongqing, commented.
Chen Guohua, president of the Chongqing Hot Pot Association, said that Chongqing hot pot has the origins of the Water School and the Lu School.
It is generally believed that at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Chongqing was an important shipping center on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In order to fill their stomachs, boatmen often set up pots and stoves by the riverside, using cheap animal offal and butter residue discarded by slaughterhouses along both sides of the river, mixed with green onion, ginger and peppercorns. Waiting for the condiments to be boiled in the pot together, this is the prototype of Chongqing hot pot.
The hot pot craftsmen have concluded that the standard of delicious hot pot in Chongqing is "a pile of three waters": sweat on the forehead after eating; heap".
Spicy is not the only label of Chongqing hot pot.
The key to delicious food lies in the complex ratio of spices.
Today, there are more than 30,000 hot pot restaurants in the central urban area of Chongqing. The dishes are similar to those of outsiders, but the locals are divided into "near and distant" because of the subtle differences in the ingredients.
Chongqing red soup hot pot is famous for its complex and mellow flavor, heavy oil and strong fragrance.
First put the butter in a hot pot and boil it to about 170 degrees Celsius, then add watercress, garlic, green onions, ginger, coriander, etc., and fry until fragrant. This is the soul of the traditional hot pot base.
Wang Wenjun, the founder of the National Chinese Cooking Skills Master Studio and a well-known hot pot expert, said that the authentic Chongqing hot pot bases pay attention to spicy, spicy, fresh and fragrant.
The quality of butter, the selection and ratio of raw materials, the duration and temperature of frying, any detail may become a key factor affecting the taste.
Wang Wenjun said that chili enhances the color of butter and eliminates fishy smell, bean paste enhances freshness, garlic enhances fragrance, pepper enhances numbness, and seasonings are blended in hot oil.
Fermented glutinous rice is the secret of many hot pot bottom materials, and yeast injects biological drive into the bottom of the pot.
Stirring at a constant speed, the smoke rises, and the preparation is "inseparable" for two or three hours. After cooling, it is left to ferment for 7 days. After the flavors of various raw materials are fully released and fused, the spicy and delicious fragrance on the dinner table can be achieved.
Dividing hot pot into nine grids is an invention of Chongqing people.
The middle compartment has a large fire, which is to be eaten hot. The four compartments in the southeast, north, and west have a suitable fire temperature, which is not easy to burn, and is suitable for cooking. The four side compartments have the smallest firepower, which is suitable for stewing ingredients.
The order of cooking is also particular. Fresh duck blood and thick dried tofu should be put into the pot before the fire is turned on.
After the bottom material is boiled, the real gourmet will throw a handful of shallots and bean sprouts first, and roll it for dozens of seconds to fully awaken the bottom flavor of the hot pot.
In the four horizontal grids in the southeast, northwest, and other horizontal grids, boil old meat slices and watery pork and other boil-resistant meat dishes. When the middle grid is bubbling, it is the best time to blanch the dishes.
The hot core is not only cooked, but also wrapped in oil to let the dishes absorb the flavor.
Duck intestines are scalded, the hairy belly is scalded, the yellow throat is scalded, and the waist is scalded and discolored. If it is too hot, it will be old, and if it is too little, it will be uncooked.
Chongqing hot pot can not only cook the delicacies of mountains and seas, but also scald the leftovers.
Duck blood and yellow throat, which are considered "chicken ribs" in other cuisines, are the most popular choices for Chongqing hot pot.
And the love for exotic ingredients such as brain flowers and tooth stems distinguishes ordinary diners from gourmets.
Chongqing hot pot is also quietly changing.
The popularization and application of electronic purchasing platform, machine-fried bottom ingredients, disposable pot bottom soup ingredients, improvement of dining environment and seasoning skills, so that the pure taste will not be lost, and a wider audience will be accepted.
According to statistics from the Chongqing Hot Pot Association, at present, many local hot pot companies such as Little Swan, Dezhuang, and Liu Yishou have opened more than 600 stores overseas, distributed in more than 200 cities in more than 20 countries and regions.
In the dark of night, Chongqing began to boil again, and the scenes of chili and pepper "overturning the river and sea" and duck intestines and belly "ups and downs" are still repeated in this city every day regardless of season.
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