What will we eat today? A phrase on the lips of Beijing people. Yeah, what do you eat? In the era of material scarcity, noodle soup has long been an important staple food. In addition to steamed buns, a meal of rice or white flour Mantou every now and then will improve your life. There is limited choice. Nowadays, with the abundance of material life, what to eat has really become a problem. Needless to say, chicken, duck, fish, and seafood are no longer so rare. However, no matter when, it is the bowl of Zhajiangmian that Beijing people are most reluctant to give up. It is said that the history of fried sauce noodles can be traced back to the Liao and Jin Dynasties. The climate in northern regions is cold and dry, and fermented sauces have become an important way of food preservation and seasoning. Northerners, who mainly use noodles, began to use yellow sauce as a seasoning, and the embryonic form of "fried sauce" emerged; By the Qing Dynasty, Zhajiangmian had become a special food in Beijing. The essence of fried sauce noodles lies in fried sauce. My wife chose Northeastern soy sauce, mixed it with 1/5 sweet bean sauce, and bought a piece of pork belly. Peel it and cut it into diced meat the size of a finger. When frying, pour cooking oil into the pot, add ginger powder first, stir fry until fragrant, then add diced meat, stir fry slowly over low heat until the color turns slightly yellow, add sauce and slowly simmer. At this point, the control of the heat is very important. If the heat is too low, the aroma of the sauce cannot be released, and if the heat is too high, the sauce is prone to burning. My wife's cooking skills are good, and her fried sauce is no less than those of old Beijing brands. The production of noodles is also very important to make a bowl of Zhajiangmian with perfect color, flavor and taste. Warm water and noodles, with a harder texture preferred. After kneading the dough, wake up for half an hour and knead it again; Continue to wake up the noodles, knead them again to give them some strength, so that the noodles can be chewy; Finally, roll the dough into thin and moderately thick slices, cut them into thin or wide noodles, bring the water to a boil, and let them all come alive. The size of the dishes also requires attention to detail. When my wife makes Zhajiangmian, shredded cucumbers, shredded carrots and sprouted mung beans are essential; Soybeans, green beans, celery powder, Chinese toon sprouts, and shredded cabbage are suitable for the time. Mixing noodles should not be careless. Beijingers emphasize that every noodle must be evenly coated with sauce in order to fully enjoy the unique taste experience. In my life, Zhajiangmian have become a special symbol. When I think of Zhajiangmian, I will think of home, the lamp at home, my mother's busy back in the kitchen, and the pictures related to Zhajiangmian; Each noodle is filled with indescribable special emotions. When I was a child, there were more than ten households living in the courtyard. When someone fries sauce, the yard is filled with joy and celebration. There are two ways to eat Zhajiangmian: "Wen" and "Wu". The so-called "literary" eating, "a small bowl of dry fried sauce red color, a plate with eight vegetables must meet", a family sitting together, with family affection and warmth overflowing on their faces; Where is' Wu 'eating? We can't restrain it anymore. Holding a bowl of Zhajiangmian, holding a cucumber and a slice of garlic, it is a unique scene in the summer yard. The topics of discussion are extremely diverse, ranging from international current events to family matters, with each expressing their own opinions. Beijingers are straightforward, chivalrous, enthusiastic and informal. Eating Zhajiangmian just reflects this attitude towards life. When I was serving in the army, the staple food of the company was rice, sorghum rice, and so on. I can eat one meal of meat stuffed buns a week, the size of a fist, and I can eat eight or nine at once. Two years ago, when I went home to visit my family, my parents saw their son who had been blown black by the wind and sand, and naturally loved him very much, asking me what I wanted to eat. Mother's Braised pork belly and braised hairtail are no less than restaurants. I'm thirsty for oil and water in my belly. But after swallowing saliva, he said, "Let's have a bowl of Zhajiangmian." In those two years, Zhajiangmian was the most popular one in my dreams. When frying sauce, my mother gently stirred the iron shovel in the pot, like a commanding general arranging troops and formations; When rolling, slicing, and shaking noodles, it's like a skilled musician playing the strings. There is her cooking skill in Zhajiangmian, and there is also her concern for her son. What is homesickness? Nostalgia is the sense of belonging in the heart. Only after eating a bowl of Zhajiangmian made by my mother can I truly feel the feeling of going home. I remember that day, my usually frugal mother rolled out noodles and went to the market to buy two cucumbers. It's the middle of winter season, when cucumbers are most expensive. When cut into shreds, the faint fragrance wafts through the entire yard and has been lingering on the pasture of my life. Sucking and sniffing, I can still smell that fragrant scent - it's the scent of home, the scent of family affection. In recent years, I occasionally patronized the old Beijing Fried Noodle Restaurant on the street, and I always felt something was missing after eating. The production process and ingredients of the noodle shop are impeccable. After thinking about it, what is missing may be the kind of temperature that only mothers can knead. My son graduated from college and worked in Guangzhou for six months. On the day he returned to Beijing, his wife was naturally very happy and asked him what he wanted to eat the most? I suggest that we open a new Seafood hot-pot downstairs, which is very special. Would you like to try it? My son paused at the other end of the phone for a moment and said calmly, "Have a bowl of Zhajiangmian.". My son's answer to his wife is exactly the same as my answer to my mother 40 years ago. Taste is the most evocative sense of memory. The taste of fried sauce noodles is the secret passage connecting memory and hometown. For Beijingers, Zhajiangmian is no longer an ordinary pasta. It carries the food memories and family feelings of generations of Beijingers, allowing them to find the warmth and peace in their hearts in the ups and downs of the secular world. "A bowl of Zhajiangmian!" Is it just a call from the taste buds for delicious food? No, it clearly conveys the unbreakable homesickness and family affection of Beijing people. (New Society)