Original title丨Enamel bowl noodles in Xiangbai Hutong
There is a wise saying in Beijing that the old lady threw the urinal - the smelly porcelain (words) flew everywhere. More than 30 years ago, every household could not live without enamel basins, enamel jars, enamel urinals and other items. Even the spinach and vermicelli meatballs carefully made by the master chef in the kindergarten cafeteria were only served in small enamel bowls with green flowers on a white background. It tastes right when you eat it with a red and green enamel spoon.
In the 2000s, a post-80s generation from Beijing who used to eat from enamel bowls when he was a child went to Chongqing for a walk. He sat on the curb and ate a bowl of noodles, which had just become popular in the local area. He felt that it was quite authentic. , after returning to Beijing, he opened a small restaurant called "Tang Ci" in Xiangyi Hutong, specializing in Chongqing noodles served in enamel bowls.
Enamel bowl with small noodles, it is delicious!
Chongqing noodles, to put it bluntly, is a re-optimized combination of Sichuan Dandan noodles and Suzhou head soup noodles. anti-Japanese war Before, the standard breakfast in Chongqing was rice. This kind of breakfast shop that sells rice is called "Papa Restaurant" in the local area.
Old Chongqing people go to Baba restaurants for breakfast. They usually eat steamed rice with soy milk and fried dough sticks, glutinous rice balls, and few people like to eat noodles. After the Anti-Japanese War, people from the southeastern coast moved to Sichuan along the Yangtze River. Only then did they bring the custom of getting up early to eat noodles to Chongqing and invented Chongqing noodles.
Chongqing Noodles
The standard noodles do not come with toppings and rely entirely on seasonings to enhance the flavor. Spicy oil , soy sauce, chopped green onion, minced mustard and Sichuan peppercorn noodles are put in a bowl and stirred well. Take the boiling pork bone soup and smash it. While it is still hot, add the noodles and green vegetables that are cooked until they are eighty-nine years old. Pour the leaves into the bowl and you'll find it spicy and fragrant, the noodles chewy and the leaves crisp and tender.
I woke up early in the morning, sat on a small bench, guarded the road, and took a bite of noodles. The spicy food from my throat to my stomach made a crack, and the sweat pores all over my body suddenly opened, and I even burped All with fragrance.
On the basis of standard noodles, discerning eaters can also make some additional requests when entering the noodle shop. For example, "heavy spicy" means adding two more spoons of chili pepper; "adding green" means adding a few more green leaves. If you want to eat more solidly, you can shout when you enter a noodle shop: "Two liang of beef noodles, more spicy!" This means to tell the master chef to have a bowl of 2 liang of standard noodles and add a portion of stewed beef as a topping. .
As for the toppings of Chongqing noodles, in theory, as long as you are willing, you can put any toppings in the noodle bowl. Among the various toppings, the classic combination recognized by Chongqing people is based on the standard noodles, two spoons of diced pork mixed sauce - it is mixed sauce, not fried sauce - and a small handful stewed to a pulp. Take the tender peas that melt with the tip of your tongue, in order to use the softness and freshness of the peas to resolve the saltiness and spiciness of the noodles. This optimized combination of high-end noodles is called " pea noodles ".
Nowadays, the Internet celebrity shop in Xiangyi Hutong
Wan Zamian is the signature delicacy of Tang Ci Restaurant. Unfortunately, this noodle shop has been moved from the alley due to renovations in the past two years. Fortunately, a new one is opened at the east entrance of Xiangyi Hutong. I opened a noodle shop and sold pea noodles.
Passing by Beixinqiao , if you see a lot of people lining up in front of the old trust store, you don’t have to ask, they must be eating noodles.
"Bombing Tokyo" version 2.0
Over the past 30 years, Beijing has seen several waves of Sichuan cuisine becoming popular. For example, the boiled meat and boiled fish that were particularly popular in the past few years, the spicy hotpot that was everywhere in the streets in the late 1990s, the pickled fish that was a must-try in restaurants in the early 1990s, and the sauerkraut fish that was so popular in the 1980s squid crispy rice.
Squid Crispy Rice | Source @Porcelain's Bureau
The transportation and storage conditions at that time were not as good as they are now. Fresh squid was easily unavailable in places far away from the sea. All restaurants used to make squid crispy rice was water-cooked squid. Cut the squid into domino pieces, use a horizontal and vertical cutting knife on one side, and cut into squares. When cutting, the squid slices cannot be completely cut through, which especially tests the chef's knife skills.When the cut squid slices are put into the pot and heated, they are rolled up, with the cutter side facing out, and the ribs stand out at that time.
At this time, add some shiitake mushrooms, magnolia slices, and cucumber slices to the pot, then pour a thick spoonful of stock into it, thicken it, add salt, sprinkle with MSG, and put tomato sauce. What comes out at the end is a bowl of sticky, colorful, sour and sweet marinade. Once you get the marinade, you have to fry the crispy rice. The rice crispy rice is deep-fried until browned and crispy, then taken out and served on a plate with the marinade. You have to race against time to eat this dish. Don't let it get cold, otherwise it will be boring.
The waiter brought the crispy rice cakes that had just been taken out of the oil pan to the table. In front of the diners, he picked up the marinade and poured it on. It was a "sting" sound and everyone was shocked. Honestly speaking, the squid crispy dish is just that when it comes to your mouth.
What is really interesting is the excitement of pouring the sauce on the table and making a "sting" sound.
"Pouring sauce" is the soul of squid crispy rice | Source @porcelain's bureau
Whether squid crispy rice is Huaiyang cuisine or Sichuan cuisine is still a confusing matter at the moment.
According to folklore, more than 300 years ago, Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River and strolled to Wuxi . He was hungry. When he saw a small restaurant on the side of the avenue, he wanted to make up for it with a few bites, rest, and then continue. Go further. It happened that the small restaurant was about to close, and the kitchen was clean. Except for a few pieces of glutinous rice, half a plate of fried shrimps, and a bowl of braised shredded chicken, there was nothing else to eat. If it were an ordinary person, the waiter might just say: "Sir, I'm sorry, we are closed. How about you do some exercise and move forward?"
Emperor Qianlong was not an ordinary person. He wore loose clothes and was so charming in his bones. A powerful energy, a particularly strong aura. The man's eyes were poisonous, and he could see that this man was not a mortal, so he did not dare to offend him. I couldn't get it right, so I had an idea and asked the chef to put the rice dumplings into the pan and deep-fry them until they were crispy. Then I used the remaining shrimps and shredded chicken to make a marinade with the stock. . The two things were brought to the table, the marinade was poured into the pot, and there was a "sting" sound. Emperor Qianlong looked happy and ate happily. He crossed his legs, smacked his lips, and asked casually: "What is the name of this dish?" The waiter had another idea and told Qianlong that this dish is called "平地一声雷" ". "A thunderous sound" describes the stinging effect when marinade is poured onto the rice cooker.
As the saying goes, eating chaff when you are hungry is as sweet as honey, but eating honey when you are full is not as sweet as honey. Qianlong was really hungry that day, and everything he ate tasted delicious. He felt that "a thunder on the ground" was the most delicious dish in the world, so he nicknamed it ", the best dish in the world, ". After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, people from the southeast coast moved inward along the Yangtze River and brought this dish to Sichuan. Sichuan chefs modified "Thunder on the Ground" according to local tastes and renamed it "Bombing Tokyo". The squid crispy rice that became popular all over the country in the 1980s was basically version 2.0 of the "bombing of Tokyo".
If you want to eat crispy rice, go to Xiangbaiziwan.
According to the standards of Beijingers, if you want to eat the most authentic squid crispy rice in the 1980s, you have to go to Andingmen.
Why do you say that? Now you and Xiangyi Hutong have finished eating Wanzan noodles, walked west after leaving the restaurant, walked to the west entrance of the alley and looked north. From Jiaodaokou to Andingmen is a bustling and lively commercial street.
40 years ago, Beijing's famous female chef Chang Jing opened a small restaurant called "Kangle Restaurant" on this commercial street, commonly known as "Kangle'er".
Chef Chang is a native of Beijing. She married in Sichuan when she was young and learned authentic southern cuisine. The squid crispy rice she cooks has a very literary name called "Peach Blossom Pan" .
At that time in the 1980s, whoever wanted to go to "Kangleer" to enjoy a meal of the female chef's peach blossom pan, steam pot chicken , and cross the bridge was definitely a special appearance and a special thing.
To use the most popular words at the time, it would be considered a cover. At least I could show off to others for more than half a month.
To this day, if anyone has the opportunity to take a walk around Xiangyi Hutong, the old neighbors who live in the alley can tell you many old stories about Kangle Restaurant.
Author | Cao Lei
[Article source: June issue of "Beijing Chronicle"]
At this time, add some shiitake mushrooms, magnolia slices, and cucumber slices to the pot, then pour a thick spoonful of stock into it, thicken it, add salt, sprinkle with MSG, and put tomato sauce. What comes out at the end is a bowl of sticky, colorful, sour and sweet marinade. Once you get the marinade, you have to fry the crispy rice. The rice crispy rice is deep-fried until browned and crispy, then taken out and served on a plate with the marinade. You have to race against time to eat this dish. Don't let it get cold, otherwise it will be boring.
The waiter brought the crispy rice cakes that had just been taken out of the oil pan to the table. In front of the diners, he picked up the marinade and poured it on. It was a "sting" sound and everyone was shocked. Honestly speaking, the squid crispy dish is just that when it comes to your mouth.
What is really interesting is the excitement of pouring the sauce on the table and making a "sting" sound.
"Pouring sauce" is the soul of squid crispy rice | Source @porcelain's bureau
Whether squid crispy rice is Huaiyang cuisine or Sichuan cuisine is still a confusing matter at the moment.
According to folklore, more than 300 years ago, Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River and strolled to Wuxi . He was hungry. When he saw a small restaurant on the side of the avenue, he wanted to make up for it with a few bites, rest, and then continue. Go further. It happened that the small restaurant was about to close, and the kitchen was clean. Except for a few pieces of glutinous rice, half a plate of fried shrimps, and a bowl of braised shredded chicken, there was nothing else to eat. If it were an ordinary person, the waiter might just say: "Sir, I'm sorry, we are closed. How about you do some exercise and move forward?"
Emperor Qianlong was not an ordinary person. He wore loose clothes and was so charming in his bones. A powerful energy, a particularly strong aura. The man's eyes were poisonous, and he could see that this man was not a mortal, so he did not dare to offend him. I couldn't get it right, so I had an idea and asked the chef to put the rice dumplings into the pan and deep-fry them until they were crispy. Then I used the remaining shrimps and shredded chicken to make a marinade with the stock. . The two things were brought to the table, the marinade was poured into the pot, and there was a "sting" sound. Emperor Qianlong looked happy and ate happily. He crossed his legs, smacked his lips, and asked casually: "What is the name of this dish?" The waiter had another idea and told Qianlong that this dish is called "平地一声雷" ". "A thunderous sound" describes the stinging effect when marinade is poured onto the rice cooker.
As the saying goes, eating chaff when you are hungry is as sweet as honey, but eating honey when you are full is not as sweet as honey. Qianlong was really hungry that day, and everything he ate tasted delicious. He felt that "a thunder on the ground" was the most delicious dish in the world, so he nicknamed it ", the best dish in the world, ". After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, people from the southeast coast moved inward along the Yangtze River and brought this dish to Sichuan. Sichuan chefs modified "Thunder on the Ground" according to local tastes and renamed it "Bombing Tokyo". The squid crispy rice that became popular all over the country in the 1980s was basically version 2.0 of the "bombing of Tokyo".
If you want to eat crispy rice, go to Xiangbaiziwan.
According to the standards of Beijingers, if you want to eat the most authentic squid crispy rice in the 1980s, you have to go to Andingmen.
Why do you say that? Now you and Xiangyi Hutong have finished eating Wanzan noodles, walked west after leaving the restaurant, walked to the west entrance of the alley and looked north. From Jiaodaokou to Andingmen is a bustling and lively commercial street.
40 years ago, Beijing's famous female chef Chang Jing opened a small restaurant called "Kangle Restaurant" on this commercial street, commonly known as "Kangle'er".
Chef Chang is a native of Beijing. She married in Sichuan when she was young and learned authentic southern cuisine. The squid crispy rice she cooks has a very literary name called "Peach Blossom Pan" .
At that time in the 1980s, whoever wanted to go to "Kangleer" to enjoy a meal of the female chef's peach blossom pan, steam pot chicken , and cross the bridge was definitely a special appearance and a special thing.
To use the most popular words at the time, it would be considered a cover. At least I could show off to others for more than half a month.
To this day, if anyone has the opportunity to take a walk around Xiangyi Hutong, the old neighbors who live in the alley can tell you many old stories about Kangle Restaurant.
Author | Cao Lei
[Article source: June issue of "Beijing Chronicle"]
