When it comes to India's "Ah San", everyone will definitely think of their many strange behaviors.
A motorcycle carrying a dozen people on board for a military parade, as well as a series of incomprehensible behaviors such as bathing in the Ganges, everything can be masala, and going to the toilet without paper.
There is another thing that India is very secretive, and that is the "cow dung cake". In addition to this, there are other things that are offensive.
In everyone's opinion, animal manure has always been a "smelly" thing to avoid, but in India, a box of cow dung cake can be sold for hundreds of rupees a box, and the demand exceeds supply.
What exactly is it, and what is the use of such a popular cow dung cake?
The emotional connection of Indians to the "sacred cow".
When it comes to cow dung cakes, it is necessary to talk about the special affection of Indians for the "sacred cow".
In India, cows are worshipped to a level that goes far beyond verbal praise, and they are truly regarded as "sacred" beings!
While strolling through the streets of India, it is common to see herds of cattle walking leisurely, even in the bustling parts of the city.
They do not enjoy supremacy in the minds of Indians because they are not afraid of traffic, but because they enjoy supremacy in the minds of Indians.
In Hinduism, Vishnu's mount is an ox, and Vishnu is the sovereign god of the universe. Therefore, in the eyes of Hindus, the cow is seen as a mysterious creature that connects the human world with the divine realm.
The cow carries a beautiful symbolism in Indian culture, so many Indian families worship a statue of the cow in their homes in the hope that it will bring them good luck and prosperity. In addition, there are other reasons.
Occasionally, people can even be seen dressing cows in ribbons and garlands, treating them like family.
Cattle played an important role as a laborer throughout ancient Indian history, assisting farmers in farming and transporting goods.
In Indian life, cattle are seen as the backbone of rural life, not only providing farmers with food, dairy products and manure as natural fertilizer, but this symbiotic relationship allows cattle to play an integral role in rural communities.
So, don't be surprised when you see cows roaming leisurely through the streets and alleys of India.
They are regarded as precious and sacred, just like pandas in our eyes, and respecting them also means respecting the history, culture, and religious beliefs of India.
Indians worship cows to the point of obsession, they regard all cow-related items as treasures, and some people even drink cow urine because they firmly believe that cow urine has miraculous effects and can ** various diseases.
Among the cow dung-related products, the most well-known is the cow dung cake that sells well in Japan and abroad.
The popular "cow dung cake" is selling well.
In many cultures, people may think that cow dung cakes are inedible or even filthy.
However, in India, this cake-like solid, which is made from a mixture of cow dung and hay, has a special status and use.
Despite its unique smell and the fact that cow dung is the main raw material, this has not stopped it from gaining popularity in India and even becoming a unique cultural phenomenon.
Despite its unique smell and the fact that cow dung is the main raw material, it has not stopped it from becoming a popular and even a unique cultural phenomenon in India.
In India, women are experts at making cow dung cakes, and their skills are skillful and agile, and they skillfully roll clumps of cow dung into a large ball with their bare hands.
This task may seem simple on the surface, but in fact it requires a great deal of skill and experience, as cow dung is wet, sticky and prone to breakage.
They would then gently slap the ball, slowly flattening it until it turned into a perfect cake of cow dung.
Mastering this step requires precise force control, as applying too much pressure can cause the biscuit to break, and applying too lightly to achieve the desired thickness.
Indian farmers will act quickly once they have finished making the dung cakes.
They carefully placed the loaves on the walls of their homes or in the small yard in front of their doors so that they could dry quickly over the next few days.
The production of cow dung cake is extremely sensitive to weather conditions and can only be completely dried in just three days if there is enough sunlight and air drying.
In our opinion, it is unbelievable that a box of cow dung cakes can fetch a few hundred rupees in India.
After exchanging a box of cow dung cakes into ** people's currency, the value is close to 40 yuan, which is unbelievable for everyone.
Its raw materials are just cow dung and hay, which is worthless in the eyes of most people, but it just shows that cow dung cake has great potential and huge profits in the Indian market. After all.
Surprisingly, despite being expensive, cow dung cakes are still in high demand in the Indian market and are often sold out in India.
So what will these cow dung biscuits be used for after they are bought?
The magical power of cow dung cake.
In India, cow dung cake is regarded as a treasure, and although the name contains the word "cake", like the Chinese pearl jade white jade soup, do not be confused by the name.
In this magical land of India, there are countless religions and tastes of the people are very different. However, cow dung cakes are not meant to be eaten!
In Hinduism, this thing has a famous festival called Deepavali. On this day, instead of setting off firecrackers and watching fireworks, Hindus light cow dung cakes!
On Deepavali, devotees set the cow dung cake on fire and put it in a sacrificial container.
Once lit, the cake releases an indescribable scent, yet Indians believe it has soul-purifying properties, perhaps because they believe the smell contains mystical powers.
Every Deepavali, cow dung cake becomes a sought-after commodity, and merchants are desperate to even add some "condiments" such as coloring and other additives to give it a more unique taste.
In addition to performing sacrifices, there is also a custom of Indians to stick cow dung cakes on the walls of their homes, which is very peculiar, but in fact it can help to keep warm!
In the summer, the cow dung cake on the wall absorbs the heat from the outside, reducing the heat in the house.
The arrival of winter can reduce the influx of cold air.
Dried cow dung cake is a fine fuel, and when lit, the fire is very strong, and when used to cook food, the taste is bound to be unusual.
Therefore, there are still many people who deliberately use cow dung cake as fuel when cooking.
The raw material of this cow dung cake is actually the grass eaten by cows, although it seems to be a simple raw material, it is rich in nutrients, including crude protein, crude fat, nitrogen-free extract and crude fiber.
Cow dung hot pot with Chinese characteristics.
When it comes to cow dung, we Chinese will naturally think of the famous "cow dung hot pot" in the south.
In China, deep in the mountains and forests of Guizhou, there is a special hot pot called "cow dung hot pot".
But in reality, the name is not accurate, because the main ingredient used is not real cow dung, but semi-digested forage from the inside of the cow's stomach.
The four stomachs of cattle are well known and they digest their food by chewing it repeatedly. During the digestion process of cattle, the forage is broken down and digested in the stomach, giving off the aroma of the forage itself. This is the secret of "cow dung hot pot".
To make this hot pot, the cows are fed some special herbs beforehand, and when the cows digest the food, they develop a unique aroma. Then, the semi-digested forage is removed from the stomach of the cow, and these are used as the main base for the hot pot.
When making cow dung hot pot, it gives off a faint smell of cow dung, so it is called cow dung hot pot.
When dealing with different cultures, it is certainly important to maintain an inclusive attitude.
Only by truly respecting and embracing cultural differences can we better promote the exchange and integration of different cultures and jointly create a harmonious and beautiful world.