Today is the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, Chongming people have the custom of eating oil stalls on June 6th. There is a record in "Customs of Chongming County in the Kangxi Dynasty": Mix water with dry flour, put it in a wok and spread it into pancakes , put some meat and vegetables in it and roll it up to eat. In this way, Chongming people have been eating oil stalls for more than 300 years.
Nowadays, ready-made flour cakes are sold in the market, but in the past, every household would mix the batter themselves and spread it on the big wok. It can be said that spreading noodle cakes fully demonstrates the labor wisdom of Chongming people. First, add some oil to the wok to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan. In order to distribute the oil more evenly, Chongming people thought of using eggplant leg handles. The cross-section of the eggplant is flat and smooth, which is quick and good for oiling. Scoop a spoonful of the prepared batter, spread it into the wok, use the back of a spatula to scrape it into a round shape, wait a few seconds, then fold it up and place it on the side of the wok, allowing the heat on the side of the wok to fully bake it. While making the dough, there is no delay in making the next one. There is residual heat in the spread noodles, and it is very easy to stick together if they are stacked one after another. So what should I do? Turn the basin upside down and spread out the pancakes one by one on the bottom of the basin. It will cool quickly, not stick together easily, and is easy to pick up. It’s really wonderful!
The dishes in the oil stalls are generally vegetarian. Salted duck eggs, shredded pumpkins, vinegar cucumbers, Fried salted melons with pink skin , greasy tofu, shredded wild rice, etc. are some of the local side dishes that are in season in Chongming. Spread the side dishes long and thin in the dough, roll it up and take a bite. It’s full of flavor and super satisfying! However, there are also things to pay attention to when making roll-wrapped pancakes. Don’t be greedy for wrapping too much vegetables, otherwise the thin pancake won’t be able to cover it and the vegetables will leak out. Then you will have to push the vegetables and dough into your mouth.
The customs of the upper and lower Bisha in Chongming are different. In some areas, it is not eaten on June 6th, but on the 24th night. It also has a nice name, called Juanyinbao. Because the bread is light yellow and white, it looks like silver, which symbolizes the inclusion of copper and silver.
I remember that when we used to eat at the oil stalls on June 6th, we would always move the table to the center of the venue, and the whole family would sit together, enjoying the cool breeze while eating at the oil stalls. How many can you eat at one time?
Source: Shanghai Chongming
