Dong sour fish is a very unique delicacy in Longsheng Autonomous County. The Dong people have a long history of eating acid, and almost all dishes can be prepared with acid, which is also the uniqueness of Dong cuisine. "Dong does not leave the acid" is the folk saying of the Dong nationality, among which the sour fish, sour meat, and sour duck are famous, and are called the "three treasures of the Dong family". Among the "Three Treasures of the Dong Family", the sour fish is the most famous, and the pickled sour fish is delicate, sour and salty. In 2008, the "Three Treasures of the Dong Family" was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Guilin.
On January 5, the reporter walked into Wei Jiqiao's house in Jiangkou Village, Lejiang Town, and saw that the kitchen fire pit was full of bacon and other cured meat, and the aroma was overflowing. "Post-90s" Wei Jiqiao is a native of Jiangkou Village, Dong youth, since he was a child, he likes to surround his elders** how to make "Dong Family Three Treasures", and gradually learned.
In order to let the reporter see the production process of sour fish, Wei Jiqiao took off his coat, changed into a jumpsuit for fishing, and led the reporter to the fish pond next to the village with his wife with a copy net. After a while, Wei Jiqiao fished up two large grass carp weighing about 6 catties from the pond. After returning home, Wei Jiqiao washes the grass carp, neatly removes the internal organs with a knife, and then spreads salt evenly on the fish.
Longsheng Autonomous County of all nationalities is surrounded by thousands of mountains, five water flows, good natural ecology, sweet river water, fresh and tender fish in the river, fresh and crisp and refreshing. Wei Jiqiao's 72-year-old grandmother Tang Yuqiong is a good hand at making sour fish. She told reporters that according to legend, a long time ago, the ancestors of the Dong people returned from fishing, because there was no refrigerator and other modern preservation methods, in order to extend the shelf life of the fish, they found a way to make sour fish, which has been passed down to this day, and has achieved a delicacy on the table of the Dong people.
Every year after the beginning of winter, the weather begins to turn cold, and the fish are not easy to stink, which is a good time to make sour fish. Old man Tang Yuqiong said. After the salted fish has been marinated for three nights, it can be hung on the fire pit to be smoked, and the smoky flavor will make the sour fish taste more unique. After the fish is smoked until it is dry, the high wine is smeared on the fish, the steamed glutinous rice is mixed with chili peppers, stuffed into the belly of the fish, and the fish body is tied up with straw and put into the jar to continue to marinate. However, the practice in some places is different, for example, some do not dry the water and put it directly into the jar to pickle;Some will be made with sticky rice, sweet wine, and chili powderSome people use soybean flour instead of sticky rice, etc., all to increase the flavor of sour fish.
Wei Jiqiao and his wife brought a jar of sour fish that had been marinated for a year. As soon as the lid of the altar was opened, a refreshing sour fragrance wafted out of the altar. The two of them carefully took out a few sour fish from the jar, only to see that the sour fish was tied with stalks, and it was also stained with sticky rice and chili peppers.
Wei Jiqiao said that the sour fish is generally pickled to three months and begins to have a fragrance, at this time the fish needs to be fried to eat, the sour fish that has been marinated for more than six months can be eaten raw, and the sour fish that has been marinated for one to three years has the purest taste. Due to its good sealing and high salt content, sour fish can be preserved for a long time. Whenever distinguished guests come, celebrate the New Year, sing the opera "Yueye", etc., the Dong people will take out the unique taste of sour fish to entertain relatives and friends.
Sour fish can be eaten in a variety of ways, the most common way is to eat it raw, grilled, and fried. Sour fish grilled over charcoal fire has the strongest flavor, and it tastes crispy and soft, tender and delicious, and has an endless aftertaste. Deep-frying only requires a small amount of oil to fry the sour fish until the skin is golden brown and can be served, fragrant but not greasy, and the texture is crispy.
The traditional sour fish delicacy with good color and flavor is not only a delicacy, but also a nostalgia sent by the children of the Dong family, and it is also a kind of national food culture.
* Guilin** (Photo by reporter Li Zhongbo, correspondent Pan Zhixiang, Huang Tongkai).
Produced by Guilin**Shexin**Operation Department.