Cherry's Ancient and Modern Praise
CCTV International, May 11, 2004, 16:36
Bai Juyi (772-846), whose courtesy name was Letian and in his later years was known as Xiangshan Jushi. A native of Weinan, Shaanxi today. One of the famous poets in ancient China. During the Zhenyuan period of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, he was promoted to Jinshi and served as a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. Later, he was demoted to Jiangzhou Sima for offending the powerful. Later he served as the governor of Hangzhou. He admired the cherries in Suzhou and Hangzhou very much, so he wrote a poem with seven rhymes: The peaches are most popular in Soochow, and they have a fresh and rich color and a special smell. Qiaqia raised his head with tens of thousands of flowers, and her mother-in-law brushed her face with two or three. Where birds fly stealthily, they carry fire, and when people pick and fight, they trample and break the pearls. It's a pity that the wind and rain will blow, and there will be no tomorrow.
The poem says: Cherries (also known as peaches) are the best fruit produced in Soochow (the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas were called Soochow at that time). They have rich aroma, bright color and good taste. When the fruits are ripe, tens of thousands of fruits are hanging densely on the branches, causing the branches to droop and sway, sweeping the faces of people. Birds fly to eat the bright red fruits like holding red fire. People rush to pick the fruits, and the fruits that fall to the ground are like broken pearls. It's a pity that the good results may be gone after three or two days due to wind and rain. This poem by Bai Juyi describes cherries very vividly, making you seem to see a tree full of fiery red cherries and feel its rich fragrance. As for the profound meaning of poetry, its deep emotions and implications, I won’t go into details here.
People in China have a long history of cultivating and eating cherries. According to legend, starting from the Tang Dynasty, the emperor would distribute cherries to ministers every year and hold a cherry banquet for newly elected Jinshi. Therefore, many poets have always praised cherries and regarded cherries as a very precious fruit. Li Shangyin even said in a poem: "The more fragrant the bird is, the more fragrant the lychee, and the two have the same name, but they are not satisfied." That is to say, cherries and lychees are both famous, but they are not satisfied. Of course, Li Shangyin wrote a poem to use it as a metaphor, not to actually judge the quality of cherries and Li Guo. But cherries are also delicious and beneficial fruits. According to the medical book "Famous Doctors", cherries are sweet in taste and non-toxic, can regulate qi and replenish qi, beautify the mind, stop the leakage of essence and qi, and make people look good. The contemporary "Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicine" also contains: Cherry can clear blood and heat, nourish blood and kidneys, and prevent laryngitis. According to analysis, the nutritional content of cherries is also good. They are also rich in carotene, vitamins C, E, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, etc., so people like to eat cherries.
Cherry can be eaten fresh as a fruit, and can also be used as food and medicine. Using cherries in dishes can be processed into delicious dishes. According to the memory of Gong Deling, who once worked for the Empress Dowager Cixi, one of Cixi's favorite dishes in her later years was "cherry meat", which was Cixi's favorite dish. De Ling said that the method of making cherry meat is to first cut the good pork into small pieces like chess pieces, add condiments, and then mix it with fresh cherries (if fresh ones are not available, candied or processed cherries can also be used, first Soak them in warm water until they are as beautiful and tender as fresh ones), put them together in a white porcelain jar, add water, and simmer slowly over a warm fire. After about 10 hours, the meat will become crispy and the aroma of the cherries will come out, especially It's the soup, it's so beautiful. The author also saw Jin Yong mentioning "cherry ham" in his "Tian Long Ba Bu". Jin Yong did not write down the preparation method, but only said that it is red and fragrant, with a beautiful color and a unique natural fragrance. Cherry meat and cherry ham, I wonder which restaurant today makes these delicacies?
The poem "Cherry" by Yang Wanli, a poet of the Song Dynasty, said: "This fruit is not rare, and its taste is unique and beautiful."
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