The legend of rice flowers in Benzhuang Town, Shiqian County, Tongren, Guizhou: a sweet vein, full of New Year's flavor and reunion.In the vast land of China, every inch of land is pregnant with unique customs and local cuisine. In the eastern part of Guizhou, Benzhuang Town, Shiqian County, Tongren, a small town hidden in the embrace of the Wuling Mountains, on the occasion of the Spring Festival, a traditional delicacy called "rice flower" arrives as scheduled, with its unique production technology, mellow taste and far-reaching cultural implications, blooming a happy and satisfying atmosphere in every family.
Tracing the rice flower tradition of Honjo Town, you can discover its long history. The rice flowers here are not only a taste on the tip of the tongue, but also a carrier of the locals' beautiful vision for the New Year, carrying the farming wisdom and folk culture passed down from generation to generation. At the end of the year and the beginning of the year, the stove of every household will be steaming, and the busy figures of the villagers shuttle through all aspects of preparing rice flowers, and this lively scene has become a beautiful scenery in the town.
The process of making rice is a well-planned art show. First of all, local high-quality glutinous rice is selected, carefully cleaned, and then steamed in a wooden retort with firewood, so that each grain of glutinous rice can fully absorb water and become crystal full. The steamed glutinous rice is pounded into glutinous rice balls while hot, and then kneaded into delicate glutinous rice flour by hand, this step requires uniform strength to ensure that the glutinous rice flour is delicate and not clumpy.
Next comes the crucial part of giving the rice flowers color and flavor. The glutinous rice flour is kneaded into a round cake shape or a specific mold shape, and natural plant dyes such as red lotus are skillfully incorporated to make it appear a festive red or orange color, symbolizing the prosperity and auspiciousness of the new year. These colourful glutinous rice cakes are then lightly fried in piping hot peanut oil, and as the temperature rises, the glutinous rice crackers instantly swell and bloom in the oil pan like flowers, making a crisp and pleasant sound and releasing an enticing aroma.
The fried rice is crispy on the outside, soft and glutinous on the inside, and bright in color. In order to further enhance the taste, some people will also add salted egg yolk and diced pork belly, so that the rice flower not only has the simplicity and sweetness of glutinous rice, but also combines the mellow aroma of egg yolk and the deliciousness of pork. Finally, poured with boiled brown sugar water, a layer of shiny syrup is suddenly hung on the surface of the rice flower, and the sweet taste reaches the hearts of the people.
The town of Honjo is not only a representative of food, but also a bond of emotional exchange. Not only does it appear on the dining table, but it is also given as a precious gift to friends and family, conveying New Year's wishes and hope for reunion. The whole street was filled with the scent of rice flowers, as if the whole town was weaving a story of happiness, celebration and reunion.
Whether it is the elderly or children, they are all immersed in this sweet traditional custom, participating in the production of rice flowers, and feeling the gift from the earth and the inheritance of craftsmanship precipitated by time. For wanderers who work hard outside, the familiar taste is the warmest nostalgia and the most profound memory of their hometown.
The rice flower in Benzhuang Town, Shiqian County, Tongren, Guizhou Province is not only a delicacy, but also a vivid local chronicle, a rich picture of customs, and a hymn to the harmony and happiness of life. It travels through the long river of time and space, continuing the Chinese nation's joy of harvest, yearning for family harmony and love for life. On every festive day, rice, an ancient and vivid food symbol, will bring happiness, beauty, and good wishes for festive reunion to everyone who tastes it.