(This article was written on 2009-09-26?)?
Recently, a friend from out of town sent a basket of fresh Qingshui hairy crabs. Gu Pingzi cooked it himself, using light soy sauce, Mix balsamic vinegar, sesame oil and finely chopped ginger to prepare the dipping sauce. Serve with Shaoxing rice wine to enjoy a delicious meal with your family.
In addition to tasting the delicious food, we also collected historical data and learned that Tuohu Qingshui hairy crabs from Wuhe County, Bengbu City, Anhui Province are very popular among people because of their large size, tender meat, and yellow color. As the saying goes: "When the autumnal equinox rings, crabs' legs are itchy", "Reed flowers are white and crab roe is fat".
It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang had a special liking for Tuohu crabs. In April of the second year of Hongwu (the doubt here, it should be August is reasonable), Zhu Yuanzhang returned to Fengyang to worship his ancestors, and took three generals, Guo Zixing, Guo Ying and Fei Ju, to Tuo Lake to taste crabs.
After eating, he repeatedly praised: "It is really the most delicious food in the world!" There is still a pavilion where Zhu Yuanzhang tasted crabs.
In my free time today, I have collected many anecdotes and anecdotes between scholars and crabs, and I have summarized some of them for the benefit of my friends. ?
Since ancient times, crab feasts have mostly been held by literati. Tasting crabs is not just about eating crab meat to satisfy gluttons, but is integrated with elegant activities such as drinking, appreciating chrysanthemums, and reciting poems. Romance in the golden autumn season.
If a large bowl of wine and meat is a symbol of the magnanimity of a warrior, then holding wine with a pincer should be a patent of the literati. With a pincer in hand, the breeze blows and the autumn water lasts.
Bi Maoshi, a native of Jin Dynasty, said: "Holding a crab claw in one hand and a wine glass in the other, swimming in the wine pool is enough for a lifetime." Not everyone can understand the artistic conception of "dispersion that flattens the boat".
Crab is a delicacy in the world. Su Shi once said, “If you don’t go to Mount Lushan, you will let your eyes down, and if you don’t eat crabs, you will let your belly down.”
Since ancient times, many literati have left many poems and essays about crabs. Pi Rixiu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in "Ode to Crabs": "It has long been known to travel to the sea in the east, and it has bones and is still born from flesh. There is no reason to be afraid of thunder and lightning, and the sea dragon king is also rampant."
Just four sentences , depicting crabs in a realistic and interesting way.
Crabs taste delicious. No wonder Lu You, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, wrote a hymn: "The fat of the crabs is temporarily broken, and the saliva falls, and the green wine first makes the old eyes bright." Coincidentally, Li Yu, a playwright of the Qing Dynasty, also praised crab-eating: "The belly is full of gold and jade, and the two pincers are bright with the moon and the autumn river." ?
There are many poems about crabs in "A Dream of Red Mansions", among which "holding chela prefers the coolness of cinnamon, pouring vinegar on ginger makes you crazy", "cold accumulates in the navel, greedy forgetfulness, and fishy fingers are stained" "Wash Shangxiang" and so on are written very vividly.
Zheng Banqiao likes crabs. He once said: "Crabs among scales, bamboo shoots among vegetables, and lychees among fruits are all of good quality and mellow taste. If you taste them, you will think about them again and again. Food, this is what is called a natural beauty."
On a picture of shrimps and crabs, he also wrote this poem: "The yellow flowers are full of wine, sweeping the path to call friends to peel garlic. Pound the ginger and chew it together to see if the crabs are not rampant."
Similarly, Li Yudan also said: "The persimmons turn into new frost when the wind blows, and the stamens of the fence are stained and turn yellow. The poem titled "Appreciating the Autumn Lights".
Why did literati in the past have such a special liking for crabs? Gu Pingzi thinks about the following reasons.
? First, it goes without saying that crabs are delicious, and it is natural that pleasure leads to inspiration.
Secondly, crab is an excellent dish to accompany drinks. Although crab is nutritious and delicious, it is a cooling food. White wine and rice wine are both warm drinks. The two will offset each other in the stomach and become balanced, which is in line with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine for health preservation. road. ?
Third, autumn scenery, chrysanthemums, and crab fat are in the same season, which is the best subject for literati and poets to touch the scenery and express their feelings through the scenery. ?
Fourth, crab was not a top delicacy for entertaining guests at banquets in the past. It should not be as expensive as it is today. Except for officials and wealthy literati, most literati and scholars can afford it. The custom of tasting crabs, admiring chrysanthemums, drinking wine and reciting poems has been formed. ?
Fifth, crabs are very easy to cook. They can be steamed or boiled in just a few minutes and can be served on the table. Moreover, eating them is time-consuming and time-consuming. Literati have free time, drink wine and drink water, and can recite poems and enjoy the scenery. Come. ?
The above may be a skewed comment, or the truth may be far-fetched, so let’s just treat it as a joke.
A self-deprecating poem: ?
When autumn is cool and the chrysanthemums turn yellow, crabs come from afar.
Let’s enjoy fine wine with you, even in a small cup.
It’s hard to guess the origin of my love.
Things that are popular in the world are favored by the world.