In Dali, there is a kind of nostalgia called pig rice!

Every year after New Year's Day and before the Spring Festival, there is the custom of killing New Year pigs and eating pig rice in rural areas of Dali. The New Year is celebrated in a lively manner and the Spring Festival is celebrated with joy.

Pig killing rice is a kind of nostalgia. Every time during this period of time, I always think of the lively scenes of relatives and friends getting together.

Pig killing rice is a kind of nostalgia. Every time during these days, I always think of the aroma of pork floating in the wind. My mother's specialty dishes, coupled with the chef's various hard dishes, always make me feel full until I eat it.

Pig killing rice is a kind of nostalgia. Every time during these days, I always think of the most beautiful fireworks scenes in the world.

January 5, 2021 is the Xiaohan in the 24 solar terms. On this day, I went to participate in a pig killing rice activity and had the honor to record some beautiful moments, which I now share with you. Entering the small cold, the flavor of the New Year is getting stronger. I hope everyone will not be cold for the third winter, and I hope everyone will be warm in the years.

Xiaohan: It is the penultimate solar term of the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar, marking the official start of the winter season. "Small colds are better than big colds. They are common but not rare." The coldest time of the year is here.

This year's pig pig rice was enjoyed at my uncle's house in "Cunde Village" in Xiangyun County, about 40 kilometers away from the ancient city of Dali. The place where my uncle's family is located has always been called "Haoziba" or "Maolipo" by relatives. Now when looking at relevant information, it should be called "Cunde Village". After eating pig rice, I finally figured out this problem. It was a small gain.

"Cunde Village" belongs to Xiangcheng Town, Xiangyun County, Dali Prefecture, more than 20 kilometers away from the county seat. Surrounding "Cunde Village" are: Duigu Mountain, Dayingchang Mountain, Landong Mountain, Jinchangqing, Hongshuitang, Longtan Mountain, Laizhumaqing, Taojiafen, Waiduige Mountain, etc. The main agricultural products include: Brussels sprouts, pea seedlings, rice, kiwi fruit, etc.

Facing the sunrise on the Erhai Lake, we set out from Dali's "Yuanwuwei B & B" in the morning, went to Xiaguan's "Baizhouli" to throw a bowl of grilled meat and bait, passed through the "Chuda Expressway", and got off at the Midu Toll Station. Then enter from the entrance of the "Lisu Flavor Garden", pass through Bailongtan, and you will arrive at the house of my uncle who is eating pig rice for about 1 kilometer.

The original plan was to arrive early and use a camera to record the festive atmosphere of killing New Year pigs. However, after arriving at the scene, I realized that two pigs had been killed today and nine people had been hired to help. The pigs had been "chopped into eight pieces", leaving only finishing the cleaning work. Looking at the house full of pork, it was very gratifying. The happy expressions of harvest were written on the faces of my aunt and mother (niáng).

There is no need to hang a gift to eat pig rice here. Every relative and friend who comes to eat pig-killing rice will bring some casual gifts. Some carry beer, some take drinks, and some carry yogurt or milk.

When I was at home, I was also thinking, what should I get for a meeting gift? I want to buy something, but I'm afraid that it will be repeated, and it will be a waste. After thinking about it, it would be more appropriate to pack a red envelope and send it over.

When I arrived at the gate of the courtyard, my aunt saw my car arriving and immediately got out of the car to welcome me. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, I stuffed the red envelope to him. After several excuses, he was willing to accept it. Finally, he sent a blessing and the ceremony was over.

Many people will think that in doing so, only the lizi (real) has no face (no publicity). I think it's good to do this. It's good to be yourself in a down-to-earth and kind manner. Face is not given by others, it is earned by yourself!

Just after lunch, people from home who came to help were preparing a big afternoon meal. I learned from the chef that boiled large intestine with pig blood is a very delicious and famous local dish. The general process is: First of all, clean the large intestine. This is a delicate job and must not be sloppy, otherwise it will taste strange. After rinsing repeatedly, cut into long pieces, stir-fry with sesame oil. Then use a large pot to boil the large intestine, add pig's blood and other seasonings to taste and cook together.

Then prepare the ingredients: paste chili powder. Bake the best dried peppers on hot charcoal ashes just taken out of the stove. Flip the peppers from time to time until they are roasted until they are crispy before picking them up. Hold the basin and shake it down the wind a few times, blow off the dust on the pepper, then put the pepper into a plastic bag, and rub it into paste paprika powder. When serving, sprinkle a handful of chili powder on each pot of pig's blood boiled large intestine, and the taste was immediately improved to the extreme.

Relatives and friends chatted in twos and threes, playing mahjong or going to the kitchen to help, creating a happy and peaceful atmosphere. The sizzling sound of firewood in the kitchen, the long-lost smoke of firewood, and the aroma of meat coming to our nostrils, everything is so beautiful and endless aftertaste.

Of course, there are other specialty dishes with pig rice. For example, the improved rawhide (unlike the rawhide of the Bai people, the way to eat here is to cut it all, and the seasoning is all mixed together, and you can eat it immediately), stir-fried pork liver, stir-fried pork, crispy meat, fried pig blood with fennel, steamed pork with rice flour, stewed radish with ribs, fried cauliflower, vegetarian fried peas, fried white kidney beans, taro and cabbage soup.

My great-uncle is a generous, simple, kind person who likes to be lively. Various brewing wines were prepared a few months ago for everyone to choose from, and each table had to be toasted. Drinking in a big bowl and eating meat in large chunks is relaxing and pleasant. That feeling is just comfortable.

My mother is a simple, kind and silent person. I saw her busy all day and never sat down to rest. Just as we were having dinner, she was sorting out the pork for relatives and friends and today's pork dish.

After dinner, we headed back in the colorful sunset. When bidding farewell, my aunt and mother put a large bag of fresh pork on the car and told me how to store it when I got home. In addition, I went to the kitchen and took a bag of various processed vegetables. I said I would take them back for my daughter-in-law and children to try them. I said they couldn't do less.

After returning home, I immediately followed the method instructed by my elders to pickle bacon for the first time. After marinating overnight, it was hung in the backyard to dry the next morning. A full pot is estimated to contain nearly 20 kilograms of pork. The color of the meat is the color of the pork he ate in the countryside when he was a child.

Later, I learned that the New Year pigs killed by my uncle's family this year were raised by myself. They were all fed grain and grew up without adding any feed during this period, so the meat quality was particularly good. After hanging up the cured meat, I counted it. There were just 12 pieces of meat, enough to last for several months. The breeze blew gently, and the aroma of meat suddenly filled the courtyard.

Make a pot of green tea, bathe in the morning light, smell the aroma of meat, and I can vividly remember the scenes of eating pig rice yesterday. Take out your notebook and record this wonderful process.

In this material-rich era, what you eat really doesn't matter anymore. Pig killing rice is not only a meal, it is a traditional culture, but also a kind of nostalgia. It is a gathering of relatives and friends to enhance emotions, recall the past, and look forward to the better.

Finally, I wish my aunt and mother's family prosperity, happiness and well-being!