Zheergen is not a snack, but it can be called the best companion of Guizhou cuisine. Counting the numbers, just folding the roots of the ears has brought out so much deliciousness. If I don’t write about it, I feel a little uncomfortable.
Let me tell you an old story first, which shows how much the locals love Zheergen - there is a famous noodle shop on Wenhua Road in Guiyang that has been closed for many years. It used to be open all night. More than ten years ago, in the workplace, I work a long night shift and often go there for late-night snacks at two or three in the morning. A special feature of this shop is that there is always a large pot of folded ear roots ready to eat for free. It is tasty and chewy and is extremely popular. It is said that in the past, it was just a condiment for braised vegetables, and all the Zheer roots in it could be fished out in a short time, so they simply mixed some of it to make it inexhaustible to meet the needs of the people.
Zheergen is usually eaten cold, but it is also one of the indispensable ingredients for Guizhou people when making dipping dishes. Tofu fruit, tofu balls, even potato rakes, boiled vegetables, glutinous rice, grilled steamed buns, fried stinky tofu and so on, all use the root of the fungus to complicate the taste and enrich the bite.
It can be said that if Zheergen plays the leading role, it must be its one-man show; if it does not play the leading role, it will still steal the show.
Everything stems from the unique taste and texture of Zheergen. As far as I know, only three provinces and cities in the north and south of the Yangtze River, Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou, have a special liking for Houttuynia cordata. The difference is that people in Sichuan and Chongqing eat its leaves, while people in Guizhou eat its roots.
It is said that Zheergen has many names, and people in Guizhou today often use this name. But as far as I know, there are also people who write it as "Zi'ergen", "Zergen", "Zergen" or even "Zhubi Gong", and its ancient name may be "誺" (pronounced: jí).
Liushahe, a native of Sichuan, once wrote "An Examination of the Ancient Names of Houttuynia cordata", in which he said: "The root of Houttuynia cordata is also called the root of Houttuynia cordata. It can be inferred that the ancient name of Houttuynia cordata is Houttuynia cordata. The prefix "grass" "Ji" below represents both pronunciation and meaning. "The Book of Songs·Shimai" says: "Zai Ji fights with bows and arrows." Mao Chuan said: "Ji, gather". This grass grows together, so the ancients called it "Ji". It’s so ugly!”
The old man went on to say that there is another name for the root of the root.
Check the "Wild Vegetables Bolu" written by Bao Shan, an Anhui native, and the entry for "Kancao" says: "It is a kind of algae. It grows in the water of Pitang. The stems are like thick lines, three or four feet long. The leaves are similar in shape. The willow leaves are long and narrow, and the root is as thick as a hairpin. The color is slightly salty and the nature is slightly cold. "The book "Rescue Materia Medica" says that "the leaves are shaped like willow leaves and are long and narrow. It is called Liu Ye Jing, and there are those with leaves that look like fluffy leaves. Pick up the stems and leaves, including the young roots, wash and clean them, season with oil and salt, or add a little rice to make porridge.
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