Chapter 4 Cucumber

When a green cucumber is cut open crisply, the clear and fragrant smell emanating from the jade-colored melon flesh gradually smells of summer.But what is especially unimaginable at this moment is that the hometown of cucumbers is far away in the Himalayas, thousands of mountains and rivers away. Perhaps it is for this reason that there has always been a saying in Buddhism about Sakyamuni's "development of the medicinal value of cucumber".However, Cucumber’s Buddhist relationship later made it somewhat similar to the 36,501st stubborn stone that was left unused at the foot of Qinggeng Peak in Dahuang Mountain in the story of stones.

In fact, the Himalayas are not all ice and snow.At the foot of the southern foot of the Himalayas on the northern side of India, there is a tropical rainforest greener than cucumbers.More than 4,000 years ago, when a certain old cucumber in this tropical rainforest "hated himself for being stupid" was "blaming himself" and "wailing ashamed day and night", he might have met a person sitting beside the cucumber and talking loudly. The monk came together, and then he unconsciously moved his heart, and was brought into the world of mortals and walked away. It is said that the Indians cultivated wild cucumbers for the first time. Since then, cucumbers have made a long and slow journey in Egypt, the Middle East, Rome, and Greece. , It has just been cultivated to France, the capital of western delicacy.As for Chinese cucumbers, they were brought to Chang'an more than 2,000 years ago by Zhang Qian, who was on a mission.Because cucumbers were introduced from the Western Regions, they have the name "Hugua", which is still used in Taiwan today (it has nothing to do with the TV host with the same name and surname). "Cucumber West" has been written for 4,000 years. After countless artificial improvements, it was naturally eliminated. Although it is a melon that grows, the inherent bitterness of the old cucumber at the foot of the Himalayas is not only greatly weakened, but also In different soils and waters, the shapes gradually vary, and the appearance is different. Although they belong to the annual vine crops of Cucurbitaceae in botany, they are full of varieties and chaotic genealogy.exactly:

Green paint all over the body, a bitter tear! It is said that it is delicious, but who understands its taste? Although it later became complicated, and today it is difficult to find pure-bred wild cucumbers in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, the differences of cucumbers are mainly reflected in the body shape and the texture of the skin. It is all green, unlike other melons with many color differences.Cucumbers that are often eaten are basically divided into two categories, large and small, and the former has thorn-like protrusions on the outer skin, commonly known as "top flower with thorns"; the latter has no thorns and has yellow strip tattoos.When the big cucumber is old, it loses its green color, wrinkles, turns hard, turns yellow, and is dull, because of the joke of "painting the old cucumber with green paint - pretending to be tender".However, the old body of the big cucumber is not a useless waste. Cantonese people only love to use it to cook old fire soup.

Traditionally, smaller Chinese and Japanese like to eat large cucumbers, while tall Westerners favor small ones.Because of its large size, chefs have more scope for use, and are more suitable for Chinese cooking techniques.Because of this, the variety of cucumber in Chinese cuisine is far better than that of Western food. Not only can it be fried, soyized, but also can be photographed and stuffed. Cucumbers are eaten in Western style, because they are small, so they have always been sold as small ones. Usually they are pickled, empty, or sandwiched. Lemon juice is mixed together to make a sauce. Similar sauces are also popular in India, the cucumber's ancestral home. In addition, Indians sometimes add cucumber to their curries to make it more mild and refreshing.

I love both east and west, although I can eat all kinds of food, but in comparison, although the meat of the big cucumber tastes a little rougher than the small cucumber, it is more enjoyable to eat, and it has a unique aroma, that is to say , can remind people living in China of summer.Especially when eating raw.To use an inaccurate analogy, holding a bunch of big cucumbers and making a rattling sound in the mouth feels like holding the first-generation wireless phone that enjoyed the reputation of "Big Brother" and giving orders in a rough voice. Difficulties, but if you take a delicate analog mobile phone out of your jacket pocket and bring it to your mouth, it is like picking up a pickled pickle from a glass bottle. Although the quality is crisp, which one is better in terms of posture? Cool, it is a matter of opinion.

The stubborn stone at the foot of Qinggeng Peak was turned into beautiful jade. After going through the joys and sorrows of parting and reunion, he went to the gentle and rich hometown of the world. The Taoist promoted himself: "The unofficial history has always followed the same pattern. It's better that I don't use this trick, but I am novel and unique... It's not as good as these women I have seen and heard in half my life, although I dare not say that they are better than the previous generations All the people in the book, but the story is true, you can also relieve your sorrows and boredom, and there are a few crooked poems and paintings, you can spray rice and drink."

Cucumber at the foot of the Himalayas, in the world of mortals, has at least met a strange woman who is "either in love or infatuated", and has a romantic relationship with words. This woman is Xiao Hong from the Northeast. I have eaten many kinds of cucumbers and many ways of cucumbers, and each has a taste in my heart.Among the vernacular Chinese, the most beautiful poetic description of the nature of cucumbers can only be found in this novel. In Xiao Hong’s childhood life, cucumber was not only a daily food, but also the most free and willful flower in heaven (that is, her family’s vegetable garden): “The flower blooms, as if the flower woke up from sleep. The bird flies It’s like a bird has gone to the sky. The worms are singing, just like the worms are talking. Everything is alive. They all have unlimited abilities. They can do whatever they want. Whatever they want, they can do it. It is free. If a pumpkin is willing to climb on the shelf, it will climb on the shelf. If it wants to climb on the room, it will climb to the room. If the cucumber is willing to open a yellow flower, it will open a yellow flower. If it is willing to bear a cucumber, it will bear a cucumber. If it is unwilling, it will be a cucumber No knots, no flowers bloom, and no one asks him...just the sky is blue, high and far away."

Although every textbook says that cucumbers will bloom yellow flowers and grow vines, but textbooks will never know the temperament of cucumbers, and it is even more impossible to describe the conditions of cucumbers and vines in detail, and only use "climbing herbs" as five The words are lightly passed over... If you want to hear the story of cucumbers, you can either go to the countryside to find a yard with a melon shed to live in, or read Xiao Hong again. Of course, the best way to read "Hulan River" is to sit under the vines of cucumbers , on an early summer afternoon.If you are willing to eat a cucumber, you can eat a cucumber; if you are willing to take a look at Xiaohong, you can only take a look at Xiaohong.If you don't want to, you don't even eat a bite of cucumber, don't read a book, and no one asks you.Summer is comfortable because of such cucumbers, and cucumbers are not in vain because of such women.As a result, I believe more and more that cucumbers should be eaten according to their nature, that is to say, the taste is best when eaten raw.

Among the Northeast people, there are women like Xiao Hong who are good at writing cucumbers, mainly because Northeast people generally eat cucumbers.Only on the basis of popularization can there be improvement. People in the Northeast generally eat cucumbers, mainly because cucumbers in the Northeast generally grow well.As for the cucumber dish in Northeast cuisine, "patting cucumber" is my favorite. This is because the technical index of cooking is almost reduced to zero in this dish. Verbs are not uncommon in the names of Chinese dishes, but the not-so-elegant "swatting fly", "slapping brick" and "flattering" word "pat" is rarely used-of course, "shoot" photo, and "pat" "Movies are still very polite behavior.In fact, the word "pat" in "pat cucumber" refers to a kind of knife skill, that is, first cut the cucumber into four with the blade, and then smash the four sections of cucumber into pieces with the back of the knife.At this point, 90% of the "shooting cucumber" is completed. Next, you can add oil and salt, minced garlic, sweet and sour, coriander or pepper according to your personal preference. Chill in the refrigerator for a while before serving.

With such a low technical content, "pat cucumber" has become one of the most homely and delicious cold dishes in Northeast China and even the entire North China. , but taking pictures and making movies is still a very advanced and elegant skill.If we must compare "shooting cucumbers" to taking pictures, can we call it the "Polaroid" in cooking? However, similar cucumber dishes can also be extremely complicated, "shooting" a Hollywood blockbuster.Let’s look at the method of “cutting melon skin” recorded by Mr. Wang Zengqi in 1989: “Cucumbers (not too old) are cut into inch-length sections, and turned into thin strips from the outside to the inside with a fruit knife, like strips, into thin strips. Roll. The remaining yellow seeds and the heart of the melon are not used. Soy sauce, sugar, pepper, aniseed, cinnamon, pepper (broken), dried red pepper (whole), monosodium glutamate, cooking wine (indispensable) and mix thoroughly. Cut the melon Put the skin into the sauce, turn it with chopsticks from time to time, wait for the skin to soak in the juice, marinate for about an hour, take out the skin and put it on a plate. First install the center, then put the skin of the melon on the outside, stack it layer by layer, like a small steamed bun , still pouring the rest of the sauce over the top of the head. The skin of the skewered melon is very crisp, chewing soundly, all the flavors are transparent, and it still has the fragrance of the melon."

In the summer of 1988, I had dinner with Mr. Wang in Beijing, but we ate outside, and I have long forgotten what we ate.For example, an old acquaintance of Mr. Wang came to Sui from Beijing. After dinner, he talked about the food at Mr. Wang's home. The words were so simple that it was unbelievable.It is also said that literati are poor, it has always been like this, and so on.I can't help but feel sad when I hear it.After returning home, I checked out Wang Lao’s beautiful essays on delicious food and reread them under the lamp.