Meicheng Ancient Town, formerly known as Yanzhou House, has a history of nearly 1700 years since it was founded in the fourth year of Huang Wu in the Three Kingdoms (AD 225). Later, with the passage of time, the architectural pattern of the ancient town changed constantly. Because the ancient Yanzhou city wall was built into a semi-plum-blossom-shaped battlements along the river, it is known as "two and a half plum blossoms in the world, one in Beijing, one in Nanjing and one in Yanzhou". Therefore, Guyanzhou is called Meicheng, which is still in use today. Meicheng Ancient Town, with a history of over 1700 years, not only has a profound historical and cultural background, but also has a unique food culture because it is located at the intersection of Fuchun River, Xin 'anjiang River and Lanjiang River, integrating the characteristics of Wuyue culture and Hangzhou emblem.
Every time I go to Hangzhou, the local food is too light and heavy for me. So when I came to Jiande, which belongs to Hangzhou, Zhejiang, I completely subverted my previous views. I didn't expect that being in Jiande would give me another understanding of the taste of Hangzhou. Although Jiande is under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou, the taste here is quite different from that of Hangzhou. It is very similar to Huangshan Mountain, and there will be deviations. Pepper is also moderate, completely in line with my "stomach" in Anhui. Local food features, every dish is very careful, conquered our stomachs from all over the country.
Of course, the food I have tasted in Jiande is not enough for me to say that the food here gives me a sense of identity that I can only live up to. However, when I walked into the ancient street of Meicheng ancient town and tasted a delicious food-Yanzhou corn gluten, I deeply agreed with it. Just as we often travel to a city, we will find some local specialties, even fly restaurants. After all, wine is not afraid of the depth of the alley. However, in the ancient town of Meicheng, the "duplicity" of the food encountered was purely accidental, but it was also an unexpected joy.
Why is Yanzhou corn grits a "duplicity" food? In fact, it is easy to understand, that is, when we first saw it, it was a fried golden snack, with an enlarged version of jiaozi outside, a bulging belly and full of stuffing inside. But I took a bite, and it turned out to be "smelly" inside, but the "smelly" one was quite delicious, like the special dish of Huizhou-smelly mandarin fish. The more you eat, the better it tastes.
The reason why I can eat Yanzhou corn grits is purely accidental. When I was wandering in the ancient street of Meicheng ancient town, I saw an old man frying a delicious food. We are about 50 meters away, and we can smell delicious food. I learned from the master that this is a special food in ancient Yanzhou-corn gizzard, which is called "Lu Bao gizzard" in Meicheng dialect. For Meicheng people, "Lu Baoji" is a nostalgia for their hometown, and it is always indispensable on the dinner table during holidays.
Before tasting, there are still many questions about Yanzhou corn grits. What kind of flour does it choose? What kind of stuffing? The master told us while operating. Yanzhou corn grits are made of fine powder ground from alpine corn. There are two kinds of fillings: stinky tofu and white tofu, and then fried in a high-temperature oil pan until golden brown. Huang Cancan-like appetizers come out.
Since it is said that it is a food that is "inconsistent in appearance", how can it be so appetizing in appearance? In fact, it's all related to its stuffing. Yanzhou corn grits generally have two kinds of fillings. If it is white tofu, take a bite and it is delicious and mellow; But if we switch to stinky tofu, the first bite will be very smelly, similar to the stinky tofu we usually eat, and then we will taste it carefully, but the more we eat, the more fragrant it will be. I asked the chef which stuffing was more sought after by diners. The master smiled and said, "Look at these two fillings, which one is less?"