1. Er Er Eye Fried Cake

On the North Gate Street of Tianjin City, there is a narrow and winding alley. How narrow the alley is, you will be surprised when you hear the name. Got it—ears and eyes alley. In other words, the alley is narrow and winding, like human ears and eyes. At the entrance of Er'eryan Hutong, there is a fried cake shop, named after the place, called "Er'er Eye Fried Cake Shop". Speaking of this "Er'er Eye Fried Cake Shop", it really has a history.

It is said that during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, a foreigner named Liu Wanchun set up a stove on the streets of Tianjin and sold fried cakes in order to make a living. Because he is good at thinking, meticulous workmanship, and honest management, he gradually formed his own unique style. Very popular among the people of Jinmen. Later, when he had some savings, he opened a fried cake shop named "Zengshengcheng" at the exit of the narrow Er'eryan Hutong outside the north gate.

As the fried cakes of "Zengshengcheng" become more and more popular, more and more people like to eat them. In addition, it is adjacent to the entrance of Er'eryan Hutong, so people call this delicious fried cake "Zengshengcheng" fried cake. It's called "ear-eye fried cake", and "Zeng Sheng Cheng" is so big that no one calls it. Over time, people only know about "ears and eyes" but not "increasing prosperity". The boss followed suit and simply changed the name to "Er'er Eye Fried Cake Shop".

Er's Eye Fried Cake is made from the finest sticky yellow rice that is ground and fermented, and the finest red beans are boiled and peeled, then fried with red pond juice to make the filling. It is said that three oil pans are required during processing: first deep fry with slow fire, then put it in another pot and fry it with high heat, and finally put it in the sesame oil pot and fry it before it is out of the pot.

After multiple processes, the processed fried cake is golden in color, soft and crispy, and the filling is sweet but not greasy. It gives people a refreshing feeling just looking at it, let alone eating it, it is definitely delicious. oh! By the way, if you add adzuki bean porridge with green roses and white sugar, the taste will be even better.

Nowadays, Er’eryan Fried Cake is made from glutinous rice from the south. I have witnessed the frying process in the past: there are three pots, but only two pots are being processed, and the third pot is being processed. The pot is used to control oil. But the taste is still good.

After liberation, Er'eryan Fried Cake has developed greatly. Especially after the reform and opening up, Er Er Yan Fried Cake has been winning awards at home and abroad. Now it has broken out of Asia and is famous all over the world.

Second, 18th Street Mahua

When you walk into the store of Tianjin Guifaxiang Mahua Company, the first thing that catches your eye is a very eye-catching glass display cabinet, which is more than one meter long. The twists are placed inside, which not only serves as an advertisement, but also highlights the long history and irreplaceable popularity of the 18th Street twists.

Speaking of 18th Street Mahua, it’s a bit troublesome. Because two companies claimed that they were authentic 18th Street Mahua, and the public was right and the mother-in-law was right, the dispute went to court, and the court made a public decision and decided the winner or loser. This article does not involve this matter, it just explains it a little bit and explains the importance of this brand from the side.

There are two versions of the history of 18th Street Mahua. I think it is better to write them both.

Myth 1: The founders of 18th Street Mahua are two brothers, Fan Guicai and Fan Guilin. The two brothers each opened a mahua shop on the 18th Street of today's Dagu South Road, one called "Guifaxiang" and the other "Guifacheng". Due to proper management, the twists produced are very distinctive and are welcomed by the people. When asked "Where did I buy the mahua", the answer was "18th Street". As time went by, "Eighteenth Street Mahua" became people's customary name.

Story 2: In the late Qing Dynasty, a man named Liu Laoba opened a mahua shop on the 18th Street of today's Dagu South Road, named "Gui Faxiang". Liu Laoba is very smart and has researched many ways to make twists. He is especially unique in mastering the twists and turns, and he can also be said to have a unique skill. As for the name of Mahua, it is the same as above, so I won’t go into details here.

There is also a legend that explains how the 18th Street Twist Co., Ltd. created its characteristics: It is said that there was a young shopkeeper of the 18th Street Twist Twist. Once he went out for fun and came home tired and hungry. I wanted some snacks, but by chance there were no more snacks, leaving only some snack dregs.

Since there was nothing else to eat, the young shopkeeper had an idea and asked someone to mix dim sum residue and twist noodles together to make twists and fry them in a pan. As a result, the fried twists were different from the previous ones. They were crispy and not too spicy, and they were fragrant and delicious. Later, I developed a set of unique skills based on this method. Since then, the reputation of 18th Street Mahua has become more and more famous. I personally have no doubts about this statement and think it is very credible.

No matter how you say it, this 18th Street twist has gained a foothold in Tianjin and has become a famous specialty snack. And also exported to many countries in the world. Several branches have also been opened in other places. If you come to Tianjin and are interested, you can go to Dagu South Road, where the main store of 18th Street Mahua is located. As for someone asking: "Tianjin's 18th Street Mahua Street is full of head offices. What's the reason?" To this question, I can only answer this: "Maybe this is their business strategy."

3. Goubuli Baozi

At the 2001 Spring Festival Gala, Feng Gong and Guo Donglin talked about a cross talk, in which a piece of Tianjin Allegro made Goubuli, who was already famous at home and abroad, The popularity of Li Baozi has increased a lot. No wonder the boss of "Goubuli" hosted a feast the next day and invited Feng Gong's family to spend the New Year's Day at Goubuli Hotel! Because this invisibly advertises Goubuli Baozi, and it doesn’t cost a penny. The effect is much better than those companies that spend millions or tens of millions desperately trying to fill the Spring Festival Gala advertisements. Go times.

Not to mention, within a few days, there was a call from New York, USA, requesting to discuss with Goubuli about cooperating to open a store in the United States. Maybe the boss of Goubuli Restaurant is still secretly enjoying himself. But then again, if "Goubuli" didn't have this "diamond", he wouldn't be able to get the "porcelain work" even if he lives in it. I think, in the end, it is because of the excellent products and hundreds of years of continuous summary and innovation. achieved this effect. You think this is the truth, right?

Goubuli steamed buns are indeed very unique. We can tell from the introduction of the recipe: "The filling is made of lean meat from pig elbows plus special soy sauce, sesame oil, It is made by mixing monosodium glutamate, minced onions, ginger and other seasonings with stock; its dough is also different from other steamed buns. It uses semi-risen dough, which involves kneading the dough, seasoning, rolling out the skin, stuffing, bagging, loading and unloading. Dazao has clear specifications and standards, and the pleats of the steamed buns are uniform, and each bun has no less than fifteen or six pleats. The steamed buns freshly taken out of the drawer look like budding autumn chrysanthemums in the mist. The lotus flowers are waiting to bloom, which is very refreshing and refreshing. Take a bite and it will be oily and juicy, fragrant but not greasy. "Although there is a saying that "the meat in a bun is not in the pleats," but this delicious bun with beautiful pleats is not only delicious. It can whet your appetite and enjoy the beauty!

Goubuli steamed buns have a history of more than a hundred years. It is said that during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a man named Gao Guiyou, whose nickname was Goubuli. He opened a bun shop named "De Juhao". Because he is ingenious, smart, studious and willing to study, he can make the buns delicious and beautiful. But as the reputation of his steamed buns became more and more famous, people became accustomed to calling it Goubuli steamed buns. As time went by, no one called his store by its name anymore. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, when Yuan Shikai was training troops at a small station, he offered this bun as a tribute to the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress Dowager praised it repeatedly after eating it. This "golden words" made "Goubuli" even more famous. Of course, this is just a legend.

On the eve of liberation, due to the market depression, "Goubuli" was unsustainable and eventually closed down. In 1956, in order to discover and protect the traditional national food, the government invited Goubuli's old chef and chefs from other steamed bun shops back to start a new business and established the Goubuli Restaurant. This traditional food with Tianjin characteristics has been carried forward and spread to the world. It has also been recognized and welcomed by diners from all over the world.

Now, on the basis of tradition, "Goubuli" has developed a series of Goubuli steamed bun products and Goubuli beer, making the specialty food Goubuli steamed buns even more icing on the cake and shocking. At home and abroad.