Chapter 121 Yeyu cut spring leeks

Someone commented on Du Fu's famous sentence: "Yeyu cuts spring leeks", thinking that it is not to use scissors to cut leeks in the back garden, but to cut them evenly when frying.This is really what the Shanghainese call Mr. Chan Jia Er's nonsense.Leek is planted once and can continue to be used many times.Therefore, it is inconvenient to uproot them like green vegetables and radishes.And because there are too many, you can't pick a few like onions, so you don't need scissors to cut them, but you have to use a knife to cut them.In the nursery rhymes of Jiangxi people, there is a sentence "the razor cuts the leeks, and the Dingmao is sometimes cut at Yinshi", which describes the faster the leeks grow the faster they are cut; It is not suitable to cut in the middle of the day, and the old proverb "do not dig out sunflowers when exposed to the sun, do not cut leeks in the middle of the day" as a testimony.In addition, the method of growing leeks contained in "Qi Min Yao Shu" also repeatedly mentioned the use of pruning.It can be seen that Du Lao's "Ye Yu cuts spring leeks" is a realistic and well-known sentence that understands gardening life and has a sense of season; it cannot be misinterpreted from the point of view of a maid under the stove or a gang leader.

Hong Kong chives are very good, fat and long, and chives are even better.However, Hong Kong people don’t seem to eat a lot of non-vegetables in their daily lives. Only when they eat dog meat must they use chrysanthemum chrysanthemum and leeks.I usually eat less scrambled eggs with leeks and boiled pork with leeks and tofu.This is cheaper for the northerners, dumplings and pancakes made with leeks, boiled tofu with non-vegetables, fried shredded pork, and fried snail meat.The most wonderful thing is fried tofu, which is baked in a pot to make the tofu yellow, and then smashed and fried with leeks. It is dry and fragrant and appetizing.The northerners also know how to pickle leeks. They stuff whole handfuls of fat leeks into jars and pickle them with salt. Soon they can be taken out and eaten raw, which has a unique flavor.Leeks in Hong Kong are plentiful and cheap. Since the locals don’t eat them often, it’s hard for the northerners to feast on them.

The spring chives that Du Fu mentioned are actually chives.The climate in the north is different from that in the south. Chives cannot be bought almost anytime like in Hong Kong. They are only available in spring when the leeks germinate.This is real chives, not artificially baked under the sun, so the taste is very sweet and the price is very expensive.Northerners are eating spring rolls, and the most particular thing is to use shredded pork and stir-fried chives as fillings.Chives in the north are short and tender, not as long as those in Hong Kong. They are treasures among garden vegetables. "Shanjia Qinggong" records that Zhou Yong in the Six Dynasties was poor and had few desires, and he often ate vegetables all year round.Prince Wenhui asked him what is the best vegetable food?He replied: "Early leeks in early spring, and late autumn cabbage." This can be said to be the most understanding and interesting evaluation of leeks.

The ancients have long respected spring leeks. "Book of Songs Binfeng": On the fourth day, lambs are sacrificed to leeks. "Book of Rites" also said that common people recommend leeks in spring, with "eggs", which means frying leeks with eggs to worship their ancestors.As for the medicinal functions of chives recorded in "Materia Medica", there are countless articles. Leek is a lazy dish, because it only needs to be planted once, and it can be cut and grown again.