Prose: Jingbian mutton in northern Shaanxi, a delicacy you have never tasted
Jingbian mutton in northern Shaanxi is a delicacy you have never tasted before.
I am used to eating local mutton, and I am used to the rotten soup and the fishy taste of mutton, so my taste buds and smell have long accepted and enjoyed this delicacy as a matter of course. I take it for granted that mutton should taste like this no matter where it is, no matter how well it is cooked, it is nothing more than that.
By chance, I tasted Jingbian mutton noodle soup in northern Shaanxi. After eating several bowls in a row and drinking every drop of the soup, I discovered that a humble, seemingly ordinary bowl of mutton noodle soup had completely overturned all my previous perceptions of mutton and overturned the beliefs about mutton stored in my taste buds. All memories.
So mutton can still taste like this? Please forgive me for sitting in a well and looking at the sky.
The hospitable host first brought up two large pots of saozi, one of which contained a lot of chili oil. There are diced potatoes, diced carrots and diced mutton cut into small cubes, and a few slices of coriander are sprinkled on the surface. The soup is not as clear as the delicious water basin mutton soup, but slightly cloudy. However, the flaws are not concealed. The tangy fragrance and green coriander make people's appetites whet their appetites and move their index fingers.
After eating, I realized that the slightly turbid flavor of the sautee was caused by the presence of diced potato in it, and part of the starch in the potato dissolved into the soup. However, that was only figured out after finishing the meal.
The simple and honest owner kept rubbing his hands, looking very unaccustomed to having so many people at home at once. He greeted us at a loss: We have guests here in northern Shaanxi, and we will serve them with steamed noodles. Try it, try it, and make "please" gestures with your hands while talking...< /p>
The unspoken host meant to treat us as distinguished guests and entertain us with the most ceremonious meals. We were all flattered.
The noodles are slightly yellow in color and placed in a basin with warm water. The starch on the surface of the noodles dissolves into the water, thus preventing the noodles from sticking together.
After the owner’s explanation, we learned that the noodles are mixed with flour and buckwheat and pressed out by a machine. No wonder the color is different from what we usually see.
When people in northern Shaanxi eat noodles, they pay special attention to drinking soup. A few mouthfuls of noodles and a bowl of soup will keep you warm even in the cold weather. Of course, this was not told to us by the host, but I realized it myself after eating several bowls.
The saozi soup is moderately seasoned and delicious. Even after we were full, we still refused to put down the bowls and kept drinking the soup. I thought the owner would laugh at us after we left. But I didn't care about it at that time, I just ate the noodles and drank the soup. Everyone else took the time to eat, and no one spoke. In order to break the embarrassment and not be too rude, I finally freed my mouth and praised the host: This mutton sesame soup is so delicious. I have never tasted such delicious food... This sentence caused ** *Ming, everyone just remembered to be polite, but their stomachs didn't agree. Who made the mutton soup so delicious? So everyone just put their mouths on the edge of the bowl, raised their heads to look at me, expressed their agreement, and then continued to eat and drink.
Pick a chopstick head of noodles and pour a few tablespoons of sauteed seeds into the bowl. There is more soup but less noodles, and it looks fragrant. The noodles feel chewy and chewy in your mouth, and have a scent of buckwheat. The potato chunks melted in your mouth, the carrot dices were crispy, and the mutton dices were the most amazing.
The diced mutton is also cut into square pieces. Pick up a piece and put it in your mouth. It feels smooth on the tip of your tongue. When you bite into it, it's soft and chewy, almost like eating beef jerky. The difference is that it has moderate moisture content and doesn't taste as ugly as beef jerky.
After chewing a few mouthfuls, several people traveling with us felt strange in their hearts. They looked at each other with their eyes, as if asking: "Is this mutton? Impossible! How can it be mutton?" What about this? "
There is no doubt that the mutton is genuine, and it is 100% Jingbian mutton.
The color of the diced mutton looks the same as that of ordinary mutton. When you put it in your mouth and chew it, the taste is very different. It reminds people of the smooth color of Jinhua ham. So, I guessed that it was made by cutting the mutton into long strips and drying it. Otherwise it's not that chewy.
After asking around, it really coincides with my inference.
The natural environment in Jingbian is very poor, with barren land, drought and little rain. In addition, there are many mountain plateaus, the loess soil has poor water storage capacity and serious soil erosion, so it is not suitable for large-scale planting of wheat and corn. Only some drought-resistant grains, such as millet and tartary buckwheat, can be grown.
It is difficult for people here to feed their families relying on crop harvests. The so-called backer eats the mountain. The mountains where crops cannot be grown are lush with vegetation and are excellent natural pastures. Therefore, local people adapt to local conditions and raising sheep has become the main source of income for most families.
Coal, natural gas, and oil were only discovered in recent decades, but sheep farming has existed in the area for hundreds of years.
With the development of the times, sheep farmers have become more professional, and the sheep they raise are also high-quality breeds specially bought from Liaoning.
The sheep eat natural, pollution-free grass all day long, from one small valley to another, and so on.
The sheep that are full do not need to feed feed after returning home at night, and only need to drink a small amount of water. Whenever it is cloudy or rainy, we eat stored hay.
The high-quality pasture and constant exercise allow the sheep's body to catalyze a wonderful reaction, and there is not even a trace of mutton's smell.
Some of the people who went with us didn’t like to eat mutton. Seeing our voracious behavior, we couldn’t help but eat it, and we ate several bowls at a time. While eating, I asked: "Why doesn't this mutton have a smell of mutton?
Why does the mutton here have no smell of mutton? Of course there is an answer to this question.
Raised by people in Jingbian There are many sheep, so the locals naturally like to eat mutton. After continuous research and improvement on the cooking method of mutton, a local specialty delicacy - mutton saozi soup noodle is always included in the production process of this special delicacy. The same is true for Jingbian mutton noodle soup.
It is impossible to eat the mutton in a few days, so the smart Jingbian people cut the meat into long strips. Let it undergo a gorgeous transformation outdoors under the catalysis of nature. After ten days and a half, 70% of the moisture in the mutton will be lost, and the oil will also penetrate into the skin of the mutton. The process of air-drying food is similar to some stages in making ham, but the time is much shorter.
When making mutton sausage, cut the mutton, carrots, and potatoes into small pieces, and add the diced mutton to the pot first. Boil, then the diced potatoes, and finally the diced carrots. Just add an appropriate amount of salt before taking it out of the pot. Isn’t that the saying? The same goes for Jingbian’s mutton dumplings. < /p>
The seemingly simple processing technology has allowed the mutton to complete the internal transformation, and it has been exported from northern Shaanxi to the world with its amazing taste.
I have eaten Jingbian mutton in northern Shaanxi once. It was a delicious meal that I will never forget.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures because I was enjoying the meal.
This is the only thing that made me feel deeply guilty during my trip to northern Shaanxi...