The number one vegetable in autumn and winter, why does it unite the stomachs of both the north and the south?

Stocking up on radishes means stocking up on the delicacy of winter.

As winter approaches, a mysterious and grand ceremony always quietly begins in the vast northern land. On an open space, on the side of the road, a truck is parked on the side of the road, and the open space within a radius of 50 meters is filled with piles of vegetable lumps. Crowds of people gather here, their expressions excited and pious.

It seems that the battle for winter storage has begun.

The annual winter stockpiling shopping spree has completely raised the boldness and carefulness of northerners to a philosophical level. Stockpiling food has long gone beyond the scope of bravery and is the result of life wisdom and life experience. In the midst of the big moves of buying hundreds of kilograms of food, the ability to judge in a split second and the courage to act are essential qualities.

However, the status of each vegetable is not equal. Pinch the cabbage and smell it. It is OK if it is not hollow and not "burnt" (cabbage will rot from the inside first, which will have a bad smell, called "burnt"). The selection of radishes is much more delicate. The heavier ones are juicy and not hollow, and the skin cannot be damaged. They must be handled with care during transportation, otherwise they will not be able to make it to the New Year.

The treatment when I bring them home is even more different. Cabbages are piled up at the entrance of the alley or under the windowsill, as I please; but radishes have to enjoy the simulated treatment of the original ecology - whether buried in a pit or placed in a bucket, slightly moist soil from nature is indispensable. Cut off the radish leaves, turn the head down, and cover it with soil. It is simply the art of winter storage.

The most original way to store radishes for winter, the ones in cities are all "simplified versions". Image source: Internet

I have to sigh that in China, even common vegetables have their own contempt chain. They are surrounded by mud but have exquisite hearts, and their temperaments can change. They can be noble or common. Obviously, in this battle, radish wins.

The favorite of northerners

The importance of radish to northerners has long risen to the spiritual level . From the art of speaking to the principles of being a human being, radish will tell you everything you need to know.

To remember not to meddle in other people's business, just recite to yourself "It's none of your business". To euphemistically describe that there is no extra space, say "one carrot, one hole"; "different people have different tastes" is basically a polite way of saying "it's none of your business".

Radish is widely distributed in China. Hand-drawn by Joyoung; Graphics by Sun Lu

This cultural status obviously comes from its importance in reality. Stir-fried shredded radish, roasted radish, radish dipped in soybean paste, shredded radish stewed with vermicelli, fried shredded radish meatballs, all come in turns. There seems to be no end to the stories about radish.

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There is meat but no carrot? The meat is not dry!

The celebrity CP of carrot and meat is addictive. Although it is not the center position, without carrot as the "supporting role", can the funny jokes be effective?

Stewing with beef is definitely the destiny of white radish. When heated, the original spicy taste disappears, but the sweetness remains. The radish absorbs the carefully blended soup, and is stained with the meat, and is brown and red, full and lustrous. The texture and taste are extremely wonderful when chewed, and it is really better than meat.

Image source: pixabay

It is also very good when paired with mutton, removing the fishy smell and enhancing the freshness. The warmth and thickness of mutton and the sweetness and freshness of white radish complement each other. You can choose from a variety of Northwest delicacies, such as mutton in a pot, white radish and mutton soup, mutton stewed with white radish, white radish stewed lamb chops, and mutton and radish soup.

It's snowing heavily outside. Invite a few friends, sit around a pot of mutton and carrots and feast on them, slurp some beef from time to time. This is what "life" should be like.

Our white radish is not only good at cooking, but also good at cooking with heart. It is no problem to dice it for stuffing. Whether it is radish beef, radish pork, or radish three fresh dishes with shrimp and fresh clams, the taste of northern people is perfectly captured by this radish.

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Desserts exclusive to the heating zone

After eating the stewed meat, you have to eat some fruit to relieve the greasiness. The fruit is carrots.

Fruit radish is green radish. Both the skin and the flesh are green. It tastes sweet and juicy, and is definitely a fruit.

In this small area of ​​North China, green radish is divided into two schools, the northern and southern schools. The northern school is the Shawo radish from Tianjin, also known as Weiqing radish.

After being sliced ​​into thin slices, it is light and translucent, and has both good looks and good taste. Photo by: Zhu Mengfei

Wang Zengqi, a veteran foodie, once experienced the "listening to 'stuff' and eating radishes" culture in a folk art garden in Tianjin. "On the long table in front of the guests, in addition to teapots, tea bowls, melon seeds and peanuts, there were also several large slices of green radishes." "Eating radishes and drinking hot tea will make doctors crawl all over the streets" is the health guide for Tianjin people.

The southern-style Weixian radish is even more arrogant, with their harsh words like "Yantai apples and Laiyang pears are not as good as Weifang radish skins", which seem to have the momentum to flatten Shandong.

Green radish is very crisp and can be broken or smashed. Image source: Internet

The southern and northern schools are not the same, but each is the childhood memory of the locals. The radishes cut into long strips are placed on the plate, which looks like emerald green, which is happy to look at and crunchy to eat.

In addition to eating it raw , you can also eat it cold . If you like spicy food, you can eat it with the skin .

It can really be eaten as fruit. Photo: Zhu Mengfei

The signature radish in Beijing is the radish with a rough green skin and bright red flesh. It is said that it was once a tribute to the imperial palace.

The appearance is green with a little white, ordinary, even a little rustic, and it can't stand out in a pile of radishes. But after cutting it open, it is quite "gorgeous", and the juicy purple-red seems to break the bleakness of winter.

"Radish - better than pear - if it's too spicy, change it..." is the cry that can be heard in the twelfth lunar month in the old city of Beijing. The phrase "radish is better than pear" evokes people's reverie of the sweet taste of radish.

When the sweet, crisp and spicy juice touches my tongue, my whole body shudders immediately, and I become refreshed in the lazy and warm feeling brought by the heater.

The three main ways to eat Xinlimei are candied, stir-fried, and directly dipped in sauce. A plate of candied shredded radish is like a bright oasis on a table full of delicious dishes in winter.

The radish is beautiful inside, and the human heart is also beautiful.

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When radish becomes refined, other dishes will have nothing to do with it.

Peony bird's nest , made with white radish, is the most famous dish in Luoyang water banquet and is probably the pinnacle of radish's exquisiteness. The chef's knife skills are the key to the gorgeous transformation of radish. The radish is cut into hair-like strands, steamed with mung bean flour and cooled, and the taste is similar to bird's nest.

Watching the chef's knife skills is a kind of aesthetic enjoyment. Image source: Internet

Side dishes such as meat, dried shrimp, sea cucumber, seaweed, mushrooms, ham, etc. are also cut into thin strips like silver needles, added with broth, and then the egg yolk steamed cake is cut into thin slices and arranged into a blooming peony.

According to legend, when Empress Wu Zetian came to Luoyang, she suddenly wanted to eat bird's nest, but couldn't find any. It was winter at the time, and there were many large white radishes in the kitchen. The imperial chef shredded the radishes and mixed them with other precious ingredients to make this dish. After tasting it, the empress was very pleased and named it " Yancai ".

This kind of show-off dish, where vegetarian dishes are made with meat and fake things are used to replace the real thing, is not something that all ingredients can bear. Currently, the only thing that ranks ahead of radish is tofu.

When it comes to eating radishes, southerners never give up.

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Nanjing people's hard-core challenge

The people of Nanjing, the "Duck Capital", are well-known both at home and abroad for their extreme exploration of "ducks", but their enthusiasm for radishes is more like a reserved item for their own enjoyment.

The red skin and white heart of Nanjing's "May Red" are pink and tender. When paired with the "Soul of Nanjing" duck, it becomes a simple dish of radish braised duck soup .

White radish can be sliced, shredded, or cooked in soup. When Nanjing people stir-fry white radish, they always add a spoonful of lard at the end, boil it over high heat, and simmer it for a while. The radish will melt in your mouth.

The "cherry radish" in the north is called "Yanghua radish" in the south, because it is available in the spring when the willow catkins are floating. Mr. Fu Baoshi's daughter Fu Yixuan has lived in Nanjing for a long time and loves it very much: "After washing, remove the stems and leaves, pat it lightly with a knife, and add sweet and sour sauce to eat it cold." This is the favorite cold dish of Nanjing people.

Cherry radish. Image source: Wikipedia

Radish dumplings are also a "memory killer" for Nanjing people. In the streets or busy halls, Nanjing chefs use a cart, a pot, and a spoon to set up a stall to make radish dumplings. Every morning, there will be a long queue.

Grate the white radish into shreds and mix it with batter, then put it into the oil pan. After a while, it becomes a sizzling, golden snack, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When it is just out of the pan, no one can resist taking a bite.

"You Nian Dian" is no longer the main dish for breakfast today, but it can be paired with other snacks: when eating duck blood vermicelli soup, firewood wontons, and pig skin noodles , old Nanjing people often take a "You Nian Dian" to set them up.

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Cantonese people: How can we be missing?

The Guangdong theater of operations fielded radish, beef offal and radish cake .

Walking in the streets and alleys, you may find a beef offal stall at any time and anywhere. Cut up beef tripe, beef heart, beef liver, beef tripe, beef intestines, and beef shanks are boiled until soft, threaded on bamboo sticks, and soaked in brine with licorice, star anise, grass fruit, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom. The rich and fresh aroma wafts out, tempting passers-by within a ten-meter radius.

"What do you want, uncle?"

"One piece of loba and two skewers, cut into pieces."

Those who know the trade will order a piece of white radish. White radish moisturizes and reduces internal heat, has a refreshing taste and is easy to absorb. The longer it is cooked, the richer the taste becomes. By the time it is finished, it has already covered the various beef offal in the pot.

In the minds of Guangdong people, the taste of radish cake is the taste of the New Year and the taste of home. "In the past, every family would make cakes during the Spring Festival, and radish cake is one of them." Slowly grind the rice paste, cut the big white radish just bought from the market, mix it with the dried meat you have dried yourself, add dried shrimps and shredded scallops and steam it.

Cantonese-style radish cake. Image source: Wikipedia

The shredded radish is so soft that it has melted into the cake and you can't tell it apart. When you pick it up, you can smell the slight aroma of bacon, and when you bite into it, you can smell the sweet and fresh aroma of radish. This is the gentle taste of the New Year.

In the Lianzhou area in northern Guangdong, white radish is a must-have for hot pot with cured pork knuckles and cured meat. Since Lianzhou cured meat is highly salty, you must choose some ingredients that can absorb oil and salt for a long time, and white radish is just the right choice.

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Quanzhou "Old Style"

Radish rice is an "old-fashioned flavor" in the hearts of Quanzhou people. The local radish is rich in water and tender and smooth when eaten. It is paired with 80% fat and 20% lean pork, mushrooms, oysters, scallops, and dried shrimps. The richness of fat seeps into each grain of rice, and the large pieces of juicy radish are sweet and refreshing.

The blend of meat, vegetables and rice is simple yet rich, just like my mother's taste.

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Jumping into Sichuan’s kimchi jar

In Sichuan, where everything can be "soaked", how can a "little guy" like radish, which has a crisp taste, escape?

There are four large earthen jars in the courtyard of the old house, filled with old salt water that has been soaked for many years. Three jars are for deep-water pickles - pickled ginger, pickled peppers, and pickled garlic. The other jar is for the "diving pickles" that are thrown in the water on the same day and fished out the next day. Radish is an indispensable choice.

In the hot summer, the appetite is weak. When drinking mung bean porridge, pick up a few red radishes that have just ripened and thrown in the porridge the day before, cut them into small pieces, and add a little red oil. The radishes are still crisp, and add sourness and spiciness. They are very appetizing when eaten with porridge.

Sichuan pickles. Image source: Wikipedia

The only thing that can unify the north and the south is pickled radish

Whenever the autumn rains came, my mother would always cook a pot of hot white porridge for me when I got home, and I would drink bowl after bowl of it, accompanied by different pickles.

This is probably the scene in many people's memory. Pickled vegetables, which are good with porridge or rice, are an indispensable part of Chinese people's life.

The history of pickled vegetables in my country is very long. Even the great writer Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty wrote a couplet for pickled vegetables: "In the pottery jar, pickled into emerald green and yellow; in the big mouth, chewed into Gong, Shang, Zheng and Yu", which shows the ancient people's love for pickled vegetables.

Pickles can preserve vegetables, add flavor to food, and have long been popular throughout the country. As a large vegetable, radish is one of the major pickled vegetables. The variety of pickled radishes and pickled radishes in various places, regardless of north or south, is proof that radishes are closely related to the Chinese people.

When the radish grows as thick as your calf and the weather turns dry and cold, it is the season for Chaoshan pickled radish . Cut the radish in half, soak it in brine for a while, bury it in a pit, turn it out the next day to dry it, and put it back in the pit in the evening.

Dried radish. Image source: Wikipedia

Repeat this process for two or three days, then stack the radishes layer by layer in the pit, sprinkle sea salt layer by layer, and compact them with your feet. After ten days, the white and tender radishes will turn into light brown preserved radishes about the thickness of a palm.

Preserved radish can be stored for a long time. The preserved radish that has been stored for twenty or thirty years is shiny black, salty with a hint of sweetness and fragrance. It is the taste of time and hometown.

For Hunanese people, the taste of chili radish cooked by their grandmother may linger in their mind for life. When the radish harvest season comes, every household will hang several rows of radishes on the balcony to dry in the sun.

Chili radish is always served sideways on the dining table of Hunanese people. It can be eaten as a snack, with rice, mixed with noodles, with rice noodles, with porridge, and in stir-fried dishes.

Good chili radish is made from loess radish and pickled with chopped chili peppers made from small red peppers from Hunan. It is crispy and spicy. It is the "Hunan flavor" that Hunanese people who love spicy food can't give up, and it is also a comfort for Hunanese people who are away from home when they miss their hometown.

In North China, there must be five-spice dried radish. The green radish is cut into strips with the skin on, marinated with salt, pepper, five-spice powder, and chili powder, mixed together and ground into powder, then dried in the sun for a day or half a day. The green radish is slightly curled and the edges are yellow. The salty taste is accompanied by the pungent smell of the seasoning. It is delicious with porridge or steamed buns.

Similar pickled vegetables include Zhenjiang's sweet and sour radish heads, Beijing's sweet and spicy dried radish, Anhui's Wuwei orchid radish...

China has a history of planting and eating radishes for thousands of years, and in the process has formed a unique "radish" culture: "hollow radish" refers to a person who is only good in appearance but has no substance; "pulling out a radish brings out mud" refers to nepotism; "radish and cabbage" generally refers to ordinary daily life; we call small children "little radish heads".

Radish is not only an indispensable vegetable in daily life, but has also long been embedded in the blood of Chinese culture as a symbol.

Everyone has their own preferences, but people in both the north and south love radishes.

Planning and production

Source: Authentic Scenery (ID: didaofengwu)

Author: Erbao

Editor: Yang Yaping