Pingyao's beef and Taigu's cakes..." This popular folk song has spread all over the country. Long before Pingyao became familiar to the world as a world cultural heritage, Pingyao's food culture had already been famous. Nationwide.

The ancient city of Pingyao has developed commerce and has a dense population since ancient times. Especially in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao became the most prosperous commercial and financial cultural center. The prosperity of commerce drove the development of Pingyao's food culture. In terms of traditional banquets, we have accumulated famous recipes such as "Four Four", "Eight Eight", "Four Plates of Hot Pot", "Eight Eight One and Two", "Nine Bowls and Nine Dishes", "Ten Big Bowls" and "Twelve Chess" Among the famous products, there are also "Pingyao beef", "Pingyao bowl holder", "Cao's smoked elbow", "Changyam" and "Beggar's chicken", "fried buns", "Chengsha oil cake", "yellow wine, beef" Features such as "Yao Yao" and "Liquor" are praised by the world. When the Empress Dowager Cixi passed through Pingyao on her western tour in 1900, the then magistrate entertained the Empress Dowager with more than 30 famous local delicacies, including Pingyao beef, smoked Local specialties such as elbows and long yam won the favor of the empress dowager. In terms of pasta, "eat a variety of things on one side", "make a variety of soups on one side", and "make a variety of soups with a variety of flavors". The people of the ancient city made the characteristics of the hometown of pasta. It’s so refined. It is said that there are 108 types of pasta in the ancient city, but local cultural figures believe that there are far more types of pasta in the ancient city. Currently, there are more than 600 types of ancient city dishes that have been excavated, collected, sorted and published. There are hundreds of dishes and hundreds of local flavors, and the delicacies are delicious in color, flavor, and shape, and will leave you with a long aftertaste after eating them. Recently, the book "Pingyao Food" was published, which systematically excavated the ancient city's food culture.

Pingyao Beef Pingyao Beef was famous all over the world before being named a world cultural heritage. It is said that the history of Pingyao Beef can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty. There are hundreds of beef processing workshops, which shows that Pingyao people love beef. Today, Pingyao beef is still the most famous brand in the ancient city, and the beef trademark "Guanyun" is the first Chinese famous trademark in the province's meat food processing industry. Lei Bingyi, chairman of Pingyao Beef Group Co., Ltd., told reporters that the most essential feature of Pingyao beef is "a piece of meat with a pinch of salt". Its taste is authentic and pure. If other condiments are added, it will not be Pingyao beef. He said. The production process of Pingyao beef was originally born due to the spoilage of processed beef. The owner of a Pingyao beef shop named "Xingsheng Lei", adhering to the frugal style of Shanxi merchants, was reluctant to throw away the spoiled beef and intensified it. After salting and re-cooking, he unexpectedly found that the taste was strange and attractive. He blurted out "This is Pingyao beef". From then on, this regional brand was born, and beef workshops and shops can be seen everywhere in Pingyao City.

But in the early days of liberation, due to material scarcity, people could hardly afford beef, and Pingyao's beef processing plants also ceased production. After that, Pingyao's beef processing technology was left blank for decades, and this unique craft was almost eliminated. Lost. Later, after excavation and rescue, the new generation of Pingyao people improved on the previous production techniques and re-polished the golden sign of the ancient city. With the reform and opening up and the rise of tourism in the ancient city, Pingyao's beef processing entered its heyday in the 1990s, until "Guanyun" was awarded the Chinese Well-known Trademark. Chai's Pingyao beef is favored by more and more diners. At present, beef and the ancient city are almost inseparable and are equally famous in the world. It can be called the "second face" of Pingyao after the ancient city.

Various pastas and snacks Pingyao has a wide variety of pastas and is exquisitely made. It has three characteristics: it has a wide variety of dishes, can be eaten in a variety of ways, uses a wide range of ingredients, is eclectic, and can be eaten in a variety of ways, and you can never get tired of eating it. There are also two important things to pay attention to: toppings and dish codes. There are so many types of noodles in Pingyao that even many diners who mainly eat noodles and grew up in Shanxi can't name them. In addition to the well-known types of noodles such as ramen, picky noodles, and shaved noodles, there are also noodles, Hu Tuoer, and Ge noodles. Duoduo, cutting board board, holding yoyo, oil spinner, etc., I'm afraid the authentic "Old West" can't even name them.

Wantuozi is a famous snack in Pingyao. According to legend, it was created by Dong Xuan, a famous chef in Chengnanbao Village outside the south gate of Pingyao Ancient City. Pingyao bowl holder is round and thin, light yellow and shiny, soft and sinewy, can be folded and rolled freely, has a smooth texture in the mouth, and you will never tire of eating it for a long time. Whether eaten cold or hot, it is unforgettable.

Bowl trays can be cooked in a variety of ways to produce dishes with different flavors. Even if only bowl trays are used as the main ingredient, a hearty and delicious "bowl tray banquet" can be made.

Cao’s smoked elbow is another famous traditional dish in Pingyao. It is famous all over the world because it was selected as a royal tribute. Cao's smoked elbows are made with exquisite materials and unique craftsmanship. In the Qing Dynasty, Wuwei Shanren wrote the poem "Xunkhou", which goes like this: "The Queen Mother is seduced and her steps are slanted/The drunken ministers also praise it in their dreams/Who is the most famous in the imperial city/The treasures in the world come out of the Cao family", which describes the charm of this famous food. In addition, rice wine and other products also have distinctive Pingyao characteristics.

Healthy food Changyam Pingyao is known as the “hometown of Changyam”. Pingyao Changyam was originally a local variety in our province, and was later introduced to Henan, Shandong and other places. For its cultivation, sandy soil with thick soil, loose and fertile, sunny, smooth drainage, underground water table, hydrogen ion concentration of 10 to 1000 nanomoles, and pH between 6.0-8.0 is suitable. The soil of Yuebi Township, Pingyao It is most suitable for the cultivation of long yam, and the long yam produced there has the highest value. Yuebi Township has a history of growing and processing long yam for more than 800 years.

Compendium of Materia Medica points out: Chinese yam can cure various deficiencies and injuries, treat five tuberculosis and seven injuries, remove wind on the head and face, relieve low back pain, remove irritability and heat, replenish the deficiency of heart qi, open the heart holes, and remember more things. , strengthen muscles and bones, replenish kidney qi, strengthen the spleen and stomach, stop diarrhea and dysentery, resolve phlegm and saliva, and moisturize the fur. The swelling can be cured by pounding it raw and applying hard poison. The Zipei Decoction of Yuye Decoction in "Medicine Zhongshenxilu" uses yam and astragalus to treat thirst, fatigue and asthma. Chinese yam also has a certain anti-tumor effect and can treat hypertension, diabetes, asthma, neurasthenia, waist and leg pain and other diseases. Long-term consumption of Chinese yam can also delay aging and is known as the "Chinese little ginseng".

Many delicacies processed from long yam are very popular, such as snow long yam, honey long yam, barbecue long yam, etc., especially the " "Ancient Pottery Ginseng Banquet", including first-class long ginseng, pickled pepper ginseng diced, colorful ginseng flowers, sea buckthorn ginseng slices, dry mother ginseng strips, green sea cucumbers roasted with green onions, ginseng stewed beef, Rongshan mushroom ginseng, fried ginseng rice, honey Sauce ginseng balls, fairy porridge, Pu Bang longevity ginseng, longevity brains, stir-fried ginseng with eggs, ginseng paste, nine ginseng, and ginseng meat soup noodles embody the exquisite skills and unique cultural content of Pingyao's culinary world. These dishes are favored by consumers, especially tourists who come to Pingyao for sightseeing. Some people say: "The three treasures of Pingyao-beef, lacquerware, and long yam."

At present, the development of long yam in Pingyao has been considerable. scale, its processing techniques are also more exciting and diverse, and it is highly praised by gourmets and ordinary diners.

There are countless other types of food culture in the ancient city, which is dazzling. In particular, the development of tourism has injected new connotations into Pingyao's food culture. Because tourists come from all over the world and have vastly different tastes, Pingyao's traditional food is constantly incorporating new elements. There are also many foreign food cultures that have gradually been integrated into Pingyao’s food culture and become an integral part of it. Wandering on the streets of Pingyao, you can see the fusion of northern and southern cuisine and the collision of eastern and western cultures everywhere. When the reporter passed by Pingyao South Street Folk Inn, the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee overflowed on the antique Eight Immortals table. The owner spoke English and served coffee to foreign guests, and also brought out Western-style pineapple cakes. The owner said that he had studied spoken English in college and learned many Western food recipes under the guidance of foreign guests. He also often made some Pingyao snacks according to the tastes of foreign guests. For a long time, he has been exploring the convergence of Chinese and Western food culture, firstly to provide delicious food to foreign guests, and secondly, to introduce Pingyao's special food to them through special methods. I believe that the food culture of the ancient city will develop more internationally and be better passed on due to the collision of Eastern and Western cultures.