In the early morning of the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the author bought a bag of white kueh in the supermarket on a whim, wanting to take advantage of the approaching Lunar New Year to stir-fry a few plates to eat.
White kuehI remember when I first joined the work, during the Chinese New Year, young people from other places stayed in Beijing to celebrate the reunion together, in addition to the familiar New Year's dishes, my Fujian chef would prepare fried white kueh.
It's not like an abacus that you have to pinch by yourself, you only need to go to the supermarket to buy a pack and fry it at home, which is extremely convenient. As the name suggests, the color of kueh is beige-white, with long oval flaky strips, which are hard and dry. No matter which brand, the packaging is similar, packed in a transparent plastic bag; The red and white lettering and printing read: "Bai Kueh Dried Rice".
But strange to say, even though the author has often traveled abroad for decades and rarely eats white kueh again, this seemingly unremarkable meal is still clearly imprinted in my mind. What is even more surprising is that after so many years, supermarkets have seen that the packaging has not changed.
White kueh packagingBaikueh is produced in Fujian, China, and is a traditional local snack in Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Ningde, Putian, Jian'ou and other places in Fujian.
Made from high-quality japonica rice, white kueh is still one of the staple foods of the Chinese New Year festival in eastern Fujian, and it is also a traditional local snack. The production process of white cake is complicated, first soak the high-quality white rice, steam it until it is fully cooked, sprinkle a little salt, then put it in a stone mortar and pound it, spray peanut oil into the mortar from time to time, and finally shape it while it is hot. It is so time-consuming and labor-intensive, it is no wonder that it is regarded as a precious food by the older generation of Fujianese, and in the past, it could only be eaten on special festivals. It's a pity that you can't buy fresh white kueh in the north of the country, but dried white kueh can be bought at any time.
White kueh breakfastLike me, many people have long mistaken Bai Kueh as another name for rice cakes, and the reason why I like this dish is because my ancestral home in Jiangnan often misses Shanghai fried rice cakes, and I make fried white cakes during the Chinese New Year.
White kueh is mainly made of japonica rice, while rice cakes are mainly made of glutinous rice, and there is a difference in taste between the two, but whether it is Fujian people's white cake or Shanghainese rice cake, it is one of the traditional staple foods of the Chinese New Year.
Korean Spicy Rice Cake Between these two dishes, I think most people will be more familiar with rice cakes. Despite this, when I mentioned tteokbokki, my peers said they had never eaten it, while younger friends thought it was fried sweet rice cake or Korean spicy tteokbokki. And the older generation also mistakenly took the white cake as a cake.
There are many people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang around me, and Shanghai fried rice cakes are often eaten here, although there are many people from Fujian, and the habit of eating white kueh in the New Year is not prevalent here. On the contrary, Korean dramas are on TV every day**, and Korean restaurants are very common in the capital, so it is no wonder that young people are more familiar with Korean rice cakes.
Shanghai fried rice cakePerhaps because many people are not good at cooking this dish, the boiled white kueh is either hard to swallow or dull and tasteless, and gradually people are alienated from it. White kueh is not as elastic as rice cakes, but as long as it is cooked properly, it can also be comparable to rice cakes.
In my hometown, I am used to cooking vegetarian versions, dried shiitake mushrooms are indispensable, and other ingredients depend on what ingredients are in the refrigerator. Green beans, celery, bell peppers, carrots, bok choy, dried tofu, etc., as a home-cooked dish, three or two ingredients can be used, and more ingredients can be added to upgrade to the deluxe version during the New Year. The white kueh is stir-fried in a hot pan with a faint rice aroma, and some water is added to add a moist and tender texture to the slightly tough white kueh, and it is enjoyed with the ingredients, making it impossible to put down the chopsticks one bite after another. It may seem simple, but the taste is unforgettable.
Stir-fried white kueh with crab To stir-fry a plate of delicious white kueh, in addition to controlling the heat, you must also have enough oil, water and seasoning. The soaking time should not be neglected, and it should be soaked for at least 8 hours before cooking. When the Chinese New Year is busy, it will even soak the white kueh for a few days, as long as the water is changed every day, it will not hurt.
When I was younger, I used to make jokes about soaking white kueh. Once, when the master was not going anywhere during the Chinese New Year, it was past lunchtime, and my colleagues and I, who were hungry, rummaged through the cafeteria and found a large pot of white kueh soaked in water. I fished out a few slices and tasted them, but the kueh slices were soft, so I told my colleague that the kueh was cooked. Although the taste was a little strange, there was no peculiar smell, so I took out a few bowls of portions, one for each person. When the master came back, he found out that the white cake had not been cooked at all.
After many years, I ate fried white kueh again and felt even more delicious than before. Maybe it's because of the reunion after a long absence, or maybe it's because people reach a certain age and miss the familiar taste of the past more.
Chinese New Year Family BanquetAt present, it has become fashionable to travel abroad during the Spring Festival. In particular, Southeast Asian countries are the first choice for tourists from the north of China in winter. The year before last, it was also this time when the author traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where there are many local Chinese, and it is also a strong New Year's flavor.
In the morning market, there are dried mangoes, coffee beans, silverware, jadeite, soap, cotton and linen fabrics. But if I had to pick something that would have a special meaning to me, it would be an annual calendar with a hand-drawn map of Chiang Mai.
I found this calendar at a well-known Playworks stationery store on Ninman Road, which also sells bags, illustrated posters, postcards, clothes, hats, stationery and other merchandise, most of which are inspired by Thai culture and Chiang Mai attractions. From materials, design to production, 100% Chiang Mai is made locally, and art and emotion coexist, which is really rare.
I was attracted to this calendar because it showed me the cultural scenery of Chiang Mai: camping, campfires, trekking, green hills, waterfalls, temples. Isn't this a call for inner peace? Those who walk freely in this land, whose souls can speak directly to the clouds, are the deepest admiration of those of us who wander the concrete walls.
Chiang Mai, ThailandIf you search for a map of Chiang Mai on the Internet, most of them will only see a square-like map of Chiang Mai with a spider's web around it. But Chiang Mai is so much more than what you see.
Chiang Mai has a total of 24 counties and cities, and in this hand-drawn map calendar, you can see that the northernmost county of Mae Ai (Mae Ai) has towering mountains, which still retain the most primitive and simple cultural ecology; Adjacent to the fountain-like pattern, it is a natural hot spring in Fang County, due to the high temperature of the rock formation, when the groundwater flows through, the hot springs and hot gas bubble up, resulting in the delicious hot spring egg delicacies on the local table.
If you follow the map, you will find a place called Chiang Dao and Mae Rim, which are a paradise for plants and animals, and a pure land for elephant camps. Of course, you can also follow the map to taste plump strawberries in Samoeng district, hike in Mae Chaem district to experience the beautiful scenery of rice terraces, and go bamboo rafting in Mae Wang district. From north to south of Chiang Mai, if you want to play it all over, it is estimated that it will take three, four or five months.
Chiang Mai, ThailandAt the end of last year, I went to Chiang Mai for half a moon again. Even at my speed, I only went to three of them.
I think the meaning of travel is not how many places you go to check in, but that you can jump out of the original trajectory of life, look at the world from the perspective of a pair of third parties, reflect on life, and see yourself.
When I came to Doi Moncham, which is 1,300 meters above sea level, the wild flowers of the mountain told me the endless beauty of life; The broken Buddha statues abandoned at Wat Umong Temple show me the impermanence of moments; Surrounded by deep mountain forests, the village of Mae Kampong allows me to see the movement of light with the shadow of the sampa tree.
Life, moments, light. It's all about time, my dear. The A3-sized calendar, which hangs on the wall, seems to be spread out to me for 365 days in another naked form, and I cross out a number every day that passes. But we seldom think about it: Do these orderly numbers mean anything to me? What is the essence of their existence?
Once you understand the nature of its existence, it changes your relationship with it in the universe. At the very least, it is the greatest wake-up call for me to see the cunning of time, and to move the time of my life day by day in the silent great shift. A visible aging that gently reminds me every day: my dear, you are running out of time.
Chiang Mai early morningMany prognosticators say that 2024 will be a turbulent year. No matter how uneven the days are, I hope that this hand-drawn map calendar can still use the tranquility and tranquility unique to Chiang Mai, so that I can look at anxiety and mediocrity more calmly. The years are long, everything has a period, and the poems are in the distance and in the present.
Wishing you a prosperous and healthy new year!
[Song] Guo Yingxiang "Queqiao Immortal Lichun Chinese New Year's Eve".
The beginning of spring and Chinese New Year's Eve, and for one day, this matter is a new idea.
During the banquet, the three generations were grouped together, and there were all kinds of songs and songs.
One is happy snow, two are old, and the third is a spring banquet.
From teaching a year old everyone adds, but as long as、Next year strong。