When the evening breeze on the banks of the Yellow River is wrapped in the New Year's spirit, and when the lanterns in the streets and alleys are lit up one after another, the aroma of Chinese New Year's Eve dinner has become the most real symbol of the New Year's flavor of Lanzhou people. from the hot hot pots in the streets and alleys to the original family banquet in the secret places of the mountains and forests; From the hustle and bustle of cooking around the stove to the relaxation and comfort of enjoying the quiet time, recently, the reporter visited a number of catering establishments in Lanzhou, which are rooted in the land of Jincheng, connecting fireworks and poetry, carrying the cherishing of family companionship, and hiding the city's inclusive and warm humanistic background.
Few but not simple small bowls of Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in the northwest
In all the discussions about Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, "how to eat with few people" and "want to taste more but can't finish it" are practical problems that have been repeatedly mentioned in recent years. In Lanzhou, such a demand was first responded to on the banks of the Yellow River.
Located at the foot of Baita Mountain and on the bank of the Yellow River, Yegu Yiyun Teahouse has been deeply involved in the dissemination of traditional culture in the northwest with folk tea houses as the carrier since its establishment.
Xu Haifeng, the person in charge, said frankly that he was also a migrant worker in a foreign land, and his experience of celebrating the New Year in Guangzhou and Shenzhen made him well aware of the difficulties of foreigners - one person or two or three friends go to a restaurant for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, often limited by the large amount of dishes, and it is difficult to eat a variety of Northwest specialties. As a city with a large foreign population, many foreign strugglers and small families are eager to eat authentic Northwest Chinese New Year's Eve dinner when the end of the year is approaching, but they are often blocked by the "number of people".
To this end, Yegu Yiyun specially launched a small bowl of Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, which will make traditional dishes from the northwest such as bad meat, buckle elbow, Lanzhou hairtail, spicy meat, old Lanzhou meatballs, as well as hot and sour sandwiches, refreshing radish skin and other hors d'oeuvres that are suitable for the improved taste of modern people, all into exquisite small portions, each small bowl is moderately portioned and exquisitely presented, which not only retains the authentic flavor of Northwest cuisine, but also takes into account the needs of diversified tasting. In terms of ingredients, the store insists on using fresh local ingredients in Lanzhou, the meatballs are hand-beaten, and the bad meat is made of local high-quality pork belly, which is marinated and steamed by traditional craftsmanship to restore the homely taste of old Lanzhou to the greatest extent; In terms of pricing, the store adheres to the principle of "parity and heart-warming", so that everyone can taste more than ten kinds of Northwest specialty delicacies at one time for a small amount of money, without waste, but also to eat to their heart's content and eat with a sense of ceremony, so that foreign strugglers and small families, even if they are not in their hometown, can have a Northwest flavor and colorful New Year, and feel the warmth of home in the deliciousness of fireworks.
Hot and spicy encounters A new form of New Year's flavor in cooking around the stove
If the small bowl of Chinese New Year's Eve dinner solves the problem of "how to eat well with few people", then when family members gather together and friends meet for dinner, another form of Chinese New Year's Eve dinner that is more participatory and popular is becoming a new choice.
Walking into the Xiergu Hot Pot Lanmu Cultural and Creative Park store, red lanterns and retro Chinese decorations came into view, and the door of the box was written with friendly names such as "aunt's house", "nephew's house" and "uncle's house". Whether it's a family dinner with three generations or a team building of a like-minded company, you can find a suitable corner to make the reunion warmer.
Talking about the characteristics of the store, store manager Wang Jie introduced: "We want to make hot pot that understands Lanzhou people, so we have made targeted adjustments to the pot base and dishes. She introduced that the bottom of the pot is based on mellow butter, and non-alcoholic beer is specially added, which can not only enhance the aroma and freshness, remove the fishy smell, but also bring a faint malt aroma, and then paired with the store's special eagle tea, which is greasy and refreshing, perfectly balancing the thickness of butter, and also adapting to the taste preferences of Lanzhou people who love heavy mouths and need to relieve greasy.
In terms of dishes, more than 150 choices cover meat and vegetarian hot and cold, which can meet the needs of different ages and tastes, "The dishes that everyone often orders include hairy tripe sashimi, Arctic snowflake fat beef, cuttlefish crisp, veal with skin, beef tendon king, etc., each of which is carefully selected by us." Wang Jie said.
The details are seen in the real chapter, and the intentions of the second aunt are hidden in every inadvertent moment. "We adopt the bright kitchen and stove mode, and customers can clearly see the whole process of making dishes when they sit at the table, and they can eat with confidence and peace of mind." Wang Jie told reporters that some stores have also launched homemade scratch cards, which customers can participate in after consumption, and they can get discounts by collecting the word "Xi", which not only adds to the fun of dining, but also conveys the festive atmosphere at the end of the year.
Considering that many families want to reunite at home, but are unwilling to bother preparing dishes and washing dishes, Xi Ergu also launched a Chinese New Year's Eve lunch gift box to create a double choice of store + home, making the reunion more flexible. The gift box not only has the same butter pot base as the store, but also matches the combination of eight meat and eight vegetarian dishes - Yibin small sausage, large conch meat, Wulong dried tofu, etc., taking into account the convenience of home operation.
Over the years, many warm moments have always haunted Wang Jie's heart. "On New Year's Eve, many young people will take their elders to the store to eat hot pot, and the elders will follow the young people to shabu-shabu, dip sauce, and even take the initiative to participate in the New Year scratch card in the store, with more and more smiles on their faces." These moments made Wang Jie more determined her original intention: "What we do is not only business, but also warmth, and it is our greatest honor to be able to protect the joy of every reunion." ”
Enjoy leisure Another New Year's flavor on the natural table
Different from the fireworks of hot pot, the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner on Lanshan Cloud is more like a slowly spread reunion ceremony.
Lanshan Yunshang was established in the spring of 2016. Pushing the door in, I first saw ivy crawling all over the wall, and then smelled a faint fragrance of tea. You can drink tea and eat here, and it is a natural habitat in the hearts of many citizens.
"My original intention of opening this restaurant is actually very simple." Yang Chen, the person in charge of Lanshan Cloud, said frankly in an interview, "I just want to give urbanites a place where they can slow down and return to the original taste of food." ”
Therefore, the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner on Lanshan Cloud insists on not using prefabricated dishes, and the ingredients come from local farmers and organic vegetable gardens, purchased and made on the same day; The cooking method is mainly stir-frying and slow stewing, with less oil and salt, and does not rely on seasonings to accumulate flavor. Letting the ingredients speak for themselves is a concept he has repeatedly emphasized.
In order to create such an immersive natural healing space, Lanshan Yunshang has paid special attention to the environment, and the birdsong in the courtyard and the swimming sound in the fish pond have become the background sound. The children lay by the pond to watch the koi, the adults chatted with hot tea, and the dishes were served one by one, but there was no rapid rhythm. Yang Chen said: "I hope that after this meal, everyone will be comfortable in body and quiet in their hearts." "Different from the ritual of traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner here is more like a choice of attitude towards life - returning to nature, returning to the original taste, and returning to the companionship between people.
The New Year is unsealed, and the taste is warm and peaceful; Jincheng fireworks, reunion is endless. With taste as the medium and warmth as the link, the diverse Chinese New Year's Eve dinner options convey the warmth and goodwill of the city. I hope that every family can find their own way of reunion, and in the fireworks and poetry, they will go to the warmth and joy of the new year. (Written and pictured by our reporters Hua Jing and Wei Jiabei)