Speaking of ears, no one who has lived in the southwest will feel strange. Although it is ugly, it is a necessary ingredient on the local table. Even on holidays, ears must occupy the same important position as fish, chicken, duck and fish.
In fact, the roots of Auricularia auricula are not limited to the southwest, but are widely distributed from Shaanxi and Gansu all the way to the south of the Yangtze River basin, and even in Japan and Java, Indonesia.
Of course, it's called differently in different places:
It is called "Houttuynia cordata" in Compendium of Materia Medica, and "Dogs See Ears" in Meizhou, Guangdong. "Broken Ear Root" is the most common name in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan.
In China, the edible history of Siraitia grosvenorii can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in 520 BC. At that time, it was not called Siraitia grosvenorii or Houttuynia cordata, so it was called "water shield" because it grew in a place called Jishan in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, and its discovery was related to one person, namely Gou Jian, the King of Yue.
One year when there was a famine, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, led the people up the mountain to look for wild vegetables. Water shield was accidentally dug out of the ground, so people called it water shield because it was found on the mountain. Later, because of the fishy smell of this wild vegetable, Gou Jian changed his name, which is now Houttuynia cordata.
About this historical allusion, it was later written into a poem by the Qing Dynasty poet Wang, named Yong Yun:
This poem was also carved on the cliff by later generations.
But this is probably just a local folklore. The earliest origin of the name "Houttuynia cordata Thunb." was first seen in A Bie Lu, a famous doctor;
China's food culture has a long history, and even people have created many cooking methods for auricularia auricula roots growing on rural ridges.
The most common is "cold-mixed auricularia auricula root", but the materials of auricularia auricula root are different in different places, such as Sichuan and Chongqing, and Yunnan and Guizhou prefer to eat roots.
I remember once going to Chongqing with my friends and seeing a kind of "cold-mixed broken ears" in the local restaurant. We were homesick and ordered this dish. As a result, we only saw a plate of leaves after serving. We are tempted, and the locals tell us that this is their local way of eating. Broken spikes, roots and leaves are delicious when mixed together.
We asked, "Where are the roots?"
Answer: "It's all for pigs."
Hearing this, my friend blurted out:
"We only eat roots here and feed leaves to pigs."
This is not anger, because Yunnan and Guizhou really only eat the roots of broken ears, and few people eat leaves, but this episode also proves a fact:
Broken ears are full of treasures.
In fact, whether you eat roots or leaves, the practice is basically the same. After washing, put it into a bowl, sprinkle with chopped green onion, Jiang Mo and minced garlic, add some sesame oil to enhance the flavor, pour soy sauce and vinegar, and add some pepper. This practice is very simple. The ingredients cost only a dozen dollars, but it is a refreshing side dish that everyone likes.
In addition, in the "dipping culture" of Guizhou people, it is natural to have broken ears: cut the broken ears into small pieces, sprinkle them on chopped green onion, coriander, pepper and other seasonings, add a little soup, stir fry twice, and can't wait to fish out the fish and vegetables in the soup pot. Just "smack" the chopsticks dipped in water twice with the tip of your tongue, and that unique fragrance will overflow from your mouth instantly.
Of course, fried bacon with broken ears is also a must-have food for many people in festivals-"Fried bacon with broken ears".
The strong oily smell of bacon is neutralized by the smell of broken ears, which is not only not greasy, but also refreshing, and the broken ears are even more because the oily smell of bacon makes people want to stop. As a result, the ear root became the protagonist and soul of this dish, and the more expensive bacon became a supporting role; Generally, in the end, the roots of broken ears are often eaten up, and bacon can only be left alone in the bowl.
As I said before, the roots of broken ears are treasures. This is not only because every part of it can be used as food, but also because the ear root is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine with little toxicity. Li Shizhen once wrote in Compendium of Materia Medica:
"Houttuynia cordata Thunb, lukewarm, contains little poison. Remove toxic carbuncle, treat hemorrhoids and proctoptosis, and remove arsenic poisoning. "
There are also more than ten kinds of records about auricularia auricula roots used as medicine in southwest minority areas. Although the usage is different, such as soaking the ear root in water, decocting it with other medicinal materials, or mashing the ear root for external application, these methods all use the effect of clearing away heat and toxic materials.
Modern medicine has also proved that auricularia auricula root can treat upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, lung abscess, mumps and other diseases, and also has a certain therapeutic effect on gastric cancer, rectal cancer and lung cancer. It is said that foreign countries have been conducting research on extracting anticancer substances from the roots of auricularia auricula.
It is believed that the roots of Auricularia auricula will play a greater role in future medicine.
Nowadays, when COVID-19 is popular, many people in Guizhou still regard it as a "medicine for treating diseases". Although there is no clear evidence that it has a unique role in resisting COVID-19, the slogan "Protect your body with broken ears" is also humorous, but it gives many people optimistic hope.
In my opinion, no matter how the times develop and technology advances, auricularia will never leave people's lives. It is still a side dish grown in Shan Ye.
Some netizens once ranked "the most unpalatable vegetables", and their ears were all happy to rank first-is it really unpalatable?
Not necessarily.
Although some netizens classify the broken ear root as an "unpalatable vegetable" and don't like its strong odor, it still has its own loyal fans.
There is no other reason-I just like the earthy smell on my body!
In fact, the root cause of the broken ear has also been "advanced":
According to legend, once upon a time, an emperor fled to Sichuan, and the local official in charge of reception arranged a table of delicious food, but the emperor had a special liking for the broken ear dish and asked its name. Officials thought the original name was too corny and unsightly, so they just made up a name-"Zhu Bi Palace".
Later, the name spread to the people, but the people found it difficult to shout. Besides, the pronunciation of "Zhu Bi Arch" in Sichuan is very similar to that of "Pig's Nose Arch", so people use "Pig's Nose Arch" to address the roots of ears, which has continued to this day.
Until now, in some areas of Sichuan, people can still hear the ear roots called pig nose arch. "
Speaking of it, this is a unofficial history that can't be verified, but I like this story very much. "Zhu Bi Arch" and "Pig Nose Arch" are both special meanings given by people. Although "Zhu Bi Palace" sounds like an exquisite imperial meal, it can't compare with "Pig's Nose Arch" because it has a broader mass base, because it is tacky but more grounded. This is probably the wisdom of broken ears. I don't care about the preferences of the world, nor do I cater to the secular value orientation. I just want to grow up in the countryside.
Can you not love such a confident lifestyle?