Los Angeles Gudong: The Legend of Porridge

Los Angeles Gudong: The Legend of Porridge There is probably no one who has not eaten porridge! I remember reading "Chinese Language" in the past, there is a saying: "Cooking is rice, cooking is porridge." But I...

Los Angeles Gudong: The Legend of Porridge There is probably no one who has not eaten porridge! I remember reading "Guowen" before and there was a saying: "Cooking is rice, cooking is porridge." But it made me as confused as porridge. Boiling means using fire to cook things, and cooking means cooking. Isn't that the same thing? It's been a mystery to me that a handful of rice held between two bent bows is called porridge. Later, after eating a bowl of "porridge" made by a "brother" in the north, I suddenly understood. If the rice is boiled with a little more water, it becomes porridge! The fate of porridge - let's not talk about it, it is destined to be eaten by others! However, in different time and space, it will have different identities and different values ​​when served in different people's bowls. Cooking (cooking) is impossible without rice. The amount of rice determines the thickness and weight of the porridge, and also determines the role that the porridge can play. During the days of war or the "three-year disaster", a bowl of thin porridge was also regarded as a precious and supreme tonic. And if the porridge becomes thinner and thinner, and finally there is only water but no rice, then sadly, the poor owner may die before he finishes drinking it! However, the same bowl of light porridge, placed in front of a wealthy family with a full stomach, has a completely different mission. It has become the advance team for the next sumptuous dinner. It has the function of clearing the intestines and eliminating stagnation, and is used to tidy up the congested inventory so that the old can be emptied and the new can be brought in. Ordinary people, porridge is mostly used for breakfast, so as to make necessary preparations for their new day's life. A bowl of clear porridge, a small plate of pickled cucumbers or salted peanuts are often the first thing northerners do when they open their doors every day. Cantonese people are more particular and have more varieties. In addition to "white porridge and fried ghost", there are also ginkgo porridge, Ji Di porridge, Tingzi porridge, chicken porridge, beef porridge, seafood porridge and so on. The method of cooking porridge is also simpler for northerners. Some people simply leave some white rice in the morning and soak it in boiling water the next morning to have a refreshing bowl of white porridge. If you want to eat richer, just add some ready-made condiments to the bowl, such as seaweed, lard, soy sauce, salt, etc., and it will change immediately. But now it's no longer porridge, but a bowl of salty rice. In this regard, the Cantonese also have a different approach. We simply don’t call it boiling or roasting, but stewing. The trick to cooking the porridge is to use an open flame, that is, the fire is strong and not intermittent, and there is no need to stir when cooking, just let it roll, so that the porridge will be fragrant and smooth. Therefore, good porridge shops all label "open fire white porridge" to attract customers. It's a pity that porridge of this quality is rarely seen anymore. A few days ago, we ordered a bowl of fish fillet porridge at a Hong Kong-style Western restaurant. At first glance, we knew that it was a trick. It was not porridge, but slightly processed rice. The cold rice was smashed with a chopper and then "dinged" in the microwave. Because porridge is rice porridge and is not full, it is usually not used as a meal. But in addition to making breakfast, it is also good for late night snacks. In the past, there was a Shanghai restaurant called Yipinxiang in Hong Kong that served clear porridge in the evening, so it became a popular spot for night tourists. Just like some Taiwanese porridge restaurants nowadays, the business is good. A few years ago, a few Hong Kong people, whether out of arrogance or whim, when they grabbed the second pot of gold from the property market and stock market, actually opened several large porridge shops based on the luxurious "China Club" and the elegant Jialin Tower of the Peninsula Hotel, and suddenly promoted the porridge to unprecedented heights. If you tie a net with silk, you will surely get another pot of gold from it. Unexpectedly, what kind of people are Hong Kong people? No matter how expensive the porridge is, it is just porridge. It is not rich and rich enough, nor is it dazzling enough. How can we teach them to like it? Coupled with bad luck, the stock market plummeted, and the building suddenly became a negative asset. Customers returned home to eat white porridge. Didn’t you expect that an ordinary bowl of porridge also has an extraordinary legend!