The carbon water fragrance on the tip of the tongue - hot rice skin

Hanzhong is located in the southern part of Shaanxi Province, China, with Qinling Mountains to the north and Bashan Mountains to the south. The Han River, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, passes through the area. The unique geographical environment has nurtured abundant resources and also given birth to a distinctive culinary culture. Hanzhong Hot Rice Peel blends the purity of Qinling indica rice with the elegance of Bashan River, thin as a cicada's wing but soft with a hint of hardness. This bowl carries the fragrance of rice that blends North and South cultures, and is the "white moonlight" on the tongue of Hanzhong people.

Hot rice skins require steaming and eating immediately. The shop owner set up a large pot with steaming baskets on top, and placed a layer of steaming cloth on each layer of the basket. The white and crystal clear rice slurry was poured into a clean water bucket. Scoop up an appropriate amount of rice slurry, pour it evenly onto a steaming cloth, quickly put the steamer into the pot, cover the pot, and heat it over high heat until the heat dissipates. Wait a moment, remove the lid of the pot, mix some water along the edge of the pot, lift the steaming cloth, and snap the rice husk button onto the cutting board. The steaming hot rice bran is quickly cut into wide powder like pieces, then gently lifted with a chopstick and placed in a bowl.

The bottom of the bowl is served with various seasonings such as rice vinegar, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, garlic paste, star anise, sesame, etc. The key to the difference between hot rice peel and Liangpi is to add a little hot boiled bone soup or stock soup, which can not only relieve tiredness, but also add warmth; Finally, add a unique and rough large slice of Qin pepper chili. The sourness of rice vinegar, the spiciness of garlic paste, the saltiness of soy sauce, and the spiciness of chili pepper blend together in the broth, creating a rich layering. Paired with seasonal side dishes such as bean sprouts and spinach. Just one glance makes one's mouth water, pick up chopsticks and stir until the rice husk is completely soaked in chili oil and other seasonings.

Red and white complement each other, yellow and green alternate, and strands of fragrance waft out. Picking up a chopstick and putting it into the mouth, the hot rice skin is soft, smooth and tender, refreshing and spicy, with a lingering aftertaste. Good rice skin is as soft as a towel, almost without chewing, it can slide down the throat into the stomach. Because they are all freshly steamed and cut, the rice skins are bright in color, snow-white and soft, mostly in large slices, maximizing the preservation of the original flavor of the rice, and every bite is full of freshness.

Especially the rich aroma of chili. At first, the spiciness is not very strong. As you chew, the spiciness gradually spreads in your mouth, stimulating your taste buds and making you feel "fragrant to the head", but you can't stop it. After eating, there will still be a faint oily glow and chili fragrance on the lips, which is still satisfying.

When it comes to the history of Hanzhong hot rice skins, it is generally believed to date back to the Qin and Han dynasties. According to legend, Liu Bang proclaimed himself king in Hanzhong and ordered Xiao He to build mountains, rivers, and dams, resulting in a bountiful harvest of grain year after year. One day, Liu Bang went on a visit in disguise and entered the home of the people. The hospitable host entertained him with steamed cakes and silk strips. He praised while eating and asked for the name, but the host couldn't say it. Liu Bang laughed heartily at the production method and casually said, "This is steamed cake." Later, people switched to using overlapping bamboo baskets, which can steam several sheets at once, and are large and thin, cut into strips with flexible and continuous tendons, just like leather straps, and named them "Mianpi". The people of Hanzhong refer to all food made from ground flour as "noodle", so even if it is made from rice flour, the locals are accustomed to calling it "hot noodle skin". It is basically a must-have item for local breakfast and is very mainstream and popular in the southern areas of Nanzheng, Chenggu, and Hanzhong in Shaanxi.

The reason why the distinctive Hanzhong hot rice skins are delicious is mainly due to their unique techniques in several aspects. Spicy oil is the most crucial element, and each family has its own way of making it. When making it, outsiders are generally not allowed to visit. Oil chili not only emphasizes the formula, but also the heat and the order of adding various seasonings. Seasoning water is equally important, some are made by boiling dozens of seasoning spices, which is breathtaking. Other starches are also added to the rice slurry to improve its taste; Some also add vegetable juice, mainly to improve the color and nutrition of rice bran. These details together create the unique flavor of a bowl of hot rice bran.

The 'golden partner' of hot rice noodles is vegetable tofu, which is another traditional delicacy in Hanzhong. Vegetable tofu is made by grinding soybeans into a paste, adding vegetables such as celery and spinach, and boiling it. It has a delicate and tender taste. People who are used to eating will find the taste light, with a hint of bean aroma and vegetable fragrance. The hot rice skin has a strong and rich taste, while the vegetable tofu is light and refreshing. When eaten together, the two can neutralize the spicy and greasy taste of the hot rice skin, and enrich the taste hierarchy, making the entire dining experience more comfortable. Many locals in Hanzhong would order a bowl of vegetable tofu, a bite of hot rice husk, and a bite of vegetable tofu when eating hot rice husks, which is incredibly relaxing.

Chinese food culture is profound and extensive, with every meal telling a story, and every bite and taste is always related to emotions. Upon closer reflection, eating Hanzhong hot rice husks can also provide a good experience of the beauty of Han culture's harmony. The combination of softness and softness, softness and hardness, strength and lightness can be well interpreted in a rice noodle shop. Oil splashed chili looks spicy, but it doesn't taste spicy when eaten; The chili flakes hanging on the hot rice skin don't look spicy, but they are really spicy when eaten. But it is precisely this kind of spicy food with Qinba flavor that blends well with the tender and heart wrenching rice and noodles. When you eat it, the spiciness lingers in your heart, and you can truly feel the feeling of hidden needles in your veins.

Bowl after bowl of hot rice skins contain the hot aroma of firewood, rice, oil, and salt, with the unique charm of Qinba mountains and waters, familiar and friendly local customs and sounds, as well as the tireless pursuit of local people for delicious food. That sense of satisfaction is not just a pleasure on the taste buds, but also the warmth and concern in memories.