Su Dongpo, a great writer and great calligrapher of a generation, not only had profound literary attainments, but was also a complete foodie. He once mocked himself by saying, "I laugh at myself all my life because I am busy with my mouth." He also left many chapters about food, the most representative of which is "Old Taoist Fu", and he is simply the spokesperson for foodies.
"Old Taoist Fu"
The cook's Ding drum knife is easy to cook. Water wants to be new and the cauldron wants to be clean; fire wants to be stale and the firewood wants to be tired. Nine steams are violent and the sun is dry, and a hundred boils and boils. Taste one of the claws on the top of the neck and chew the two claws on the front of the frost. Rotten cherry beads are fried with honey, and apricot cheese is steamed with lamb. The clams are half-cooked and contain wine, while the crabs are undercooked and grainy. Build up the beauty of things to support my old gluttons. She is as graceful as Ji Jiang, and her face is like a plum peach. Play the jade harp of the Xiang concubine, and play the Yun Ao of the emperor's son. The calyx green flower of the immortal is destined, and the Yulun robe of ancient music is danced. Lead the Boli from the South China Sea and drink the grapes from Liangzhou. May your husband live a long life and share the rest of his life with you. Waiting for the red tide on the jade cheeks, and the warm and frightening sound on the sandalwood groove. Suddenly the tired beads sing wonderfully, and the lonely weeds draw long strings. Min's hands were tired and he took a rest. He suspected that the kiss was dry and was used as ointment. Pour a vat of snow milk, and arrange hundreds of jade boats. Every eye is wet with autumn water, and every bone is drunk with spring mash. The beauty went away and the clouds dispersed, but Mr. Fang suddenly fled. The pine wind echoes in the crab's eyes, and the snowflakes float on the rabbit's hair. The gentleman stood up with a smile. The sea was vast and the sky was high.
Su Dongpo's official career was not smooth throughout his life. He was either demoted to a certain place or on the road to being demoted, and he was always homeless. But he could always adapt to the situation, and even eat wherever he went. Even Lin Yutang believed that "The most lovely time for Su Dongpo is when he is making a living by his own efforts."
In addition to the long-famous Dongpo Pork , what other popular delicacies did Su Dongpo leave behind?
1. Dongpo Elbow - Meishan, Sichuan
According to legend, Su Dongpo’s wife Wang Fu accidentally neglected to stew elbows at home, and the elbows turned brown and stuck to the pot. She quickly added various ingredients. Add the ingredients and cook them carefully to cover up the burnt taste.
Unexpectedly, the slightly yellow elbow tasted unexpectedly good, and Su Dongpo was immediately delighted.
Su Dongpo not only concocted it repeatedly himself and left records, but also vigorously promoted it to relatives and friends. With its sauce-red color, fatness but not greasiness, and cake but not rottenness, "Dongpo elbow" has been handed down from generation to generation.
2. Dongpo jelly - Fengxiang, Shaanxi
During the Northern Song Dynasty, when Su Dongpo was appointed as a signing judge in Fengxiang Mansion (today’s Fengxiang County, Shaanxi), he spent time in Fengxiang East Lake to escape the summer heat. Have something cool and refreshing to drink.
The special order person grinds the lentils (also called lentils) into powder, boils them into a paste, puts them into a stone vessel, waits for them to cool, then cuts them into strips, and mixes them with salt, vinegar, pepper, etc. It is used as a condiment for cold dressing. It has a refreshing and smooth taste and has the effect of cooling and relieving heat. It has since been spread among the people in Fengxiang.
In memory of him, later generations called it "Dongpo jelly" and it has been passed down to this day.
3. Dongpo Fish - Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Su Dongpo is a person who likes to eat fish very much. According to legend, one time, he asked the chef to make a fish dish to enjoy. When the chef delivered it, it was hot and fragrant, and the fish had knife marks like willows. Dongpo's appetite was greatly increased, and when he was about to lift his chopsticks to taste, he suddenly saw a figure flashing outside the window. It turned out to be his friend Monk Foyin. Dongpo thought to himself: "You are such a monk who is rushing to eat, but I won't let you eat. What should I do?" So he put the plate of fish on the bookshelf.
Monk Foyin had actually seen it a long time ago and thought: "No matter how well you hide it, I will ask you to take it out." Dongpo smiled and asked Foyin to sit down and asked: "The great monk is not here. "What's the word "Su" in the monastery?" Foyin replied, "I'm here to ask for a word." "How do you write the word 'Su'?" He was famous, so he pretended to answer seriously: "The top of the word 'Su' is a grass prefix, the bottom left is 'fish', and the right is 'Wo'." Foyin asked again: "Below the grass head is the word 'Wo' on the left and right "Where's the fish?" "Then we still read 'su'." "Then put the fish on the grass?" Su Dongpo said hurriedly: "That's not possible." Foyin laughed and said, "Then take the fish." Come down." Su Dongpo suddenly realized that Foyin kept saying that he wanted to eat his plate of five-leaf fish.
Later, when Foyin heard that Su Dongpo was coming, he steamed a plate of five-leaf fish, thinking that you made fun of me last time, and I will give you a hard time today. So he put the fish in Xinli beside him.
Unexpectedly, Su Dongpo had already seen it, but he just pretended not to know. Said: "I have something to ask you: I want to write a couplet, but after I finished the first couplet, I couldn't think of a good sentence for the second couplet." Foyin asked: "I don't know what the first couplet is?" Su Dongpo replied: "The first couplet is It's 'Spring is always here at Xiangyangmen'. " Foyin didn't know what medicine Su Dongpo was selling in his gourd, so he said almost without thinking: "The second line is 'Everyone who has accumulated good deeds will have more than enough to celebrate.'" After hearing this, Su Dongpo pretended to be amazed and said: "High. Talent, great talent! "Yuan Yi, there are fish (surplus) in your special (celebration)! Come take it out and share it together. Only then did Foyin suddenly realize that he had been "duped" by Su Dongpo. But he also wanted to "tease" Su Dongpo. He saw a steamed fresh fish from the West Lake with five cuts on it. Then he smiled and said: "It's just a five-liquid fish." Foyin smiled and replied: "This 'five-liu fish' is considered to be 'caught' for you. It's better to call it 'Dongpo fish'."
From then on, people called "Wuliu Fish" also "Dongpo Fish", and this famous West Lake dish became more and more famous and has been spread to this day.
4. Dongpo gave back meat - Xuzhou, Jiangsu
According to historical records: During the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo served as the magistrate of Xuzhou. In the eighth month of autumn, the Yellow River burst and did not retreat for more than seventy days. Mr. Su personally led the city's officials and people to fight against the flood, and finally defeated the flood. By mid-October, the water will recede and the situation will be safe. In order to prevent such a dangerous situation from happening again in the future, Dongpo vigorously built the Yellow River embankment the following year. At the same time, a flood control embankment was built from Yunlong Mountain in the south to the northwest to the connection point of the Yellow River embankment. (Today known as Su Di)
Su Dongpo once said in his poem "Reply to Luliang Zhongtuntian": "I didn't realize it when the Yellow River came to the west, but I was surprised that it was rushing clear and muddy. At night, I heard the sound of moaning on the beach, and at dawn "Looking at the snow waves and the floating pengkun." He also said: "The old road is destroyed and devastated, and the hardships will be even greater next year." It truly describes the vivid scene of this flood fight.
After the flood control was successful, in order to thank this "parent official" who lived with the people day and night, through joys and sorrows, the people in the city killed pigs and sheep one after another, carried wine and led sheep, and sent them to Zhizhou with gongs and drums. The Yamen was given to Mr. Dongpo as a token of appreciation.
The "honest" Su Dongpo did not refuse, accepted them all, and personally instructed the chef to cook the pigs and muttons with different knives, cooked them, and gave them back to the people who participated in the flood fight. common people. After eating it, the people all felt that the meat was fat but not greasy, crispy and delicious, and they all praised it. Therefore, later generations called it "Dongpo's gift meat", and it is said to be the predecessor of braised pork.
5. Dongpo Cake - Huangzhou, Hubei
In the second year of Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo was demoted to the deputy envoy of Tuanlian in Huangzhou (now in Hubei Province) and lived in Huangzhou Huanggang Red Cliff Sleeping Fairy Pavilion.
To the north of the pavilion, there is the Anguo Temple. In the temple, there is an elderly monk Shen Liao. He often plays chess and composes poems with Su Dongpo, and the two became close friends. Su Dongpo liked to eat shortbread food, so Shenliao treated him to exquisite thousand-layer shortbread cakes.
As time went by, out of admiration for Su Dongpo, the "thousand-layer pastry cake" he liked to eat was called "Dongpo cake".
6. Dongpo Pork - Huangzhou, Hubei
When Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he wrote a special song "Ode to Pork":
Jing If you don't have enough water to wash the pan, the firewood will not burn up the smoke.
Don’t rush him until he matures. When the fire is sufficient, he will be beautiful.
Huangzhou’s good pork is as cheap as dirt.
The rich refuse to eat, and the poor don't know how to cook.
Get up in the morning and take two bowls, so that your family will be full and don't care.
He said that Huangzhou pork is really good and the price is very low. Rich people don’t want to eat it, and people without money don’t know how to cook it. As for me, I ate two bowls of it when I got up in the morning. Filling and delicious.
The specific method is as follows: clean the pot, put in a little water, light the firewood, and simmer slowly over low heat. Don't rush, don't rush for time, the heat will be enough, and the taste will naturally be delicious.
Su Dongpo later served as the governor of Hangzhou, built Su dikes and promoted water conservancy, and was deeply loved by the people. And this "Dongpo Pork" also became famous in Hangzhou and became a famous local dish.
7. Dongpo Tofu - Huangzhou, Hubei
It is said that when Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, because his salary was not high, he lived a relatively simple life and often cooked and entertained guests. . Unfortunately, the ingredients are limited, so we can only try our best to make the most beautiful taste with the limited ingredients.
By chance, I made a dish using Huangzhou tofu. Everyone praised it after eating it. Later, wherever Su Shi was demoted, this dish spread.
As for Su Dongpo’s dietary preferences, besides pork, he also liked tofu. He also wrote a poem about tofu, "Boiled beans turn into butter and crisp". He used concise language to visualize the making of tofu, and used accurate words to express that tofu "makes milk" and "makes crisp", which is the essence of food.
The method of making Dongpo tofu was recorded in the book "Shan Jia Qing Gong" by Lin Hong, a native of Qiantang in the Southern Song Dynasty. Using Huangzhou tofu as the main ingredient, put the tofu into a paste made of flour, eggs, salt, etc., then put it into a 50% hot oil pan to fry, then remove and drain; put bottom oil in the pan , bamboo shoot slices, shiitake mushrooms and seasonings, finally add the drained tofu, cook until the flavor is absorbed, and serve.
8. Dongpo Soup - Huangzhou, Hubei
Dongpo Soup is also a delicacy invented by Su Dongpo when he was demoted to Huangzhou. It is actually cooked with wild vegetables and rice. of mushy. The method of cooking the rice, bean sprouts, alfalfa, and shepherd's purse is a little more elaborate.
In his later years, Su Dongpo was demoted to Huizhou, Guangdong. When he passed by Shaozhou, Elder Di of Nanyue specially made "Dongpo Soup" to entertain him. He happily wrote the poem "Di Shaozhou Boiled Manjing and Reed Soup" : "I used to be in the field, and there was a rare cook in the cold kitchen. I often used a tripod with folding legs to cook flowers and manjing greens. I lost this taste in middle age, and I imagined it was like a lifetime ago. Who knows that Nanyue Lao is interpreted as Dongpo soup. There are radish roots in it. , It’s still morning and clear. Don’t talk about your noble son, you will be drunk from the canal."
9. Roasted lamb spine - Huizhou, Guangdong
In Huizhou, in view of the banishment of the official. Because of his status, Su Shi could not compete with other officials to buy mutton, so he always asked the butcher to leave some mutton spines. After taking it home, Su Shi cooked the lamb spine thoroughly, poured wine on the bones, added a little salt, and baked them over fire until the bones and meat were slightly charred before eating.
When Su Shi ate the minced meat between the lamb spines and sucked the marrow between the bones, he tasted the taste of seafood, shrimps and crabs. Su Dongpo wrote a letter to his brother, introducing this way of eating, and also made fun of it, saying: "This way of eating is not bad, but the dogs around him are very unhappy."
Later. This sheep spine gradually became famous and had a domineering name, "Sheep Scorpion". People like to use it to make hot pot soup, which is delicious, easy to absorb, and has the effects of nourishing yin and kidney, nourishing the skin and strengthening yang.
10. Grilled Oysters - Danzhou, Hainan
Two years after Su Dongpo stayed in Huizhou, he was demoted to the more remote Danzhou in Hainan by an imperial edict. Su Dongpo, who is already in his 60s, explained his funeral affairs to his relatives and friends one by one, as if he had said goodbye forever.
At that time, some villagers gave Su Dongpo some oysters, and he suddenly had an idea: "boil the oyster meat and pulp with water and wine" "or take the largest oyster meat, Grill it and chew it casually after it is cooked."
Dongpo said beautifully: "It is so delicious that it has never been eaten before." ("Eating Oysters")
He once said. He wrote to his son:
Dongpo was in Hainan and enjoyed eating oysters. Yishu Shudang (Su Shudang, Dongpo’s third son) said: If I don’t let the scholar-officials of China and Korea know about it, I’m afraid they will fight for it. Migrate south to share this flavor.
Son, daddy is secretly telling you that there is a very delicious delicacy in Hainan. You should come and try it when you have time. Don’t let the ministers of the DPRK know, otherwise they may There is a rush to come to this place.
11. Dongpo Jade Grit Soup - Danzhou, Hainan
After Su Shi was demoted to Danzhou, Hainan, his life was very difficult. There was a shortage of rice at that time, so Su Dongpo often had to eat yams (yams) to satisfy his hunger. The third son, Su Guo, thought of a way to crush the sweet potatoes and make soup for his father.
Su Dongpo ate so deliciously that he composed an impromptu poem to praise it:
The aroma is like ambergris but still white, and the taste is like milk and is clearer.
Don’t compare the golden turtle from the South China Sea to the jade grit soup from Dongpo.
Dongpo Jade Grit Soup has been passed down in this way.
12. Longjing Shrimp - Hangzhou
This one is not directly named after "Dongpo xx". But according to legend:
"Su Dongpo found a unique way to use Longjing tea, another famous specialty of Hangzhou, as an ingredient to make fresh and delicious Longjing shrimps";
Hangzhou chefs were inspired by Su Dongpo's poem " Inspired by "Looking to the South of the Yangtze River" "Let's try new tea with new fire, and take advantage of the youth with poetry", it is cooked with Mingqian Longjing new tea and fresh river shrimps that are "green in color, fragrant, sweet in taste and beautiful in shape".
Anyway, it is inextricably linked to Dongpo Gong.
Do you think that’s all? Just look at the dozens of delicacies named after Dongpo to know how much Su Dongpo loved to eat, such as "Dongpo Fried Peony", "Dongpo Crispy", "Dongpo Tea"...
Dongpo Fried Peony
Dongpo Crispy
In addition, Su Dongpo wrote too much about food, such as "Huizhou Unique", "Cai Geng Ode", " "First Arrival in Huangzhou"...
Eating three hundred lychees a day, I have been a Lingnan native for a long time. ——Lychee
The jade color becomes uniform when rubbed with slender hands, and the tender yellow color becomes deep when fried in green oil. ——Cake
The Yangtze River surrounds Guo to know the beauty of fish, and the mountains with good bamboos feel the fragrance of bamboo shoots. ——Bamboo shoots
Even the poem "Three or two peach blossoms outside the bamboo are a prophet of the warmth of the spring river. The ground is covered with wilting wormwood and the reed buds are short, it is the time when the pufferfish is about to come." is now being ridiculed by everyone, Perhaps in the eyes of foodie Su Dongpo, what he wants to express is: Spring is so beautiful! The ducks in the river can be eaten, the bamboo shoots can be eaten, and the pufferfish can be eaten...
Su Dongpo simply practiced "what is the highest state of foodie". From this point of view, a foodie who cannot write poetry is not a good traveler. Without some cultural accomplishment, you can’t be a good foodie. No more talking, I'm going to recite poems...