[ Dried tangerine peel ]

tangerine peel

I struggled with the English translation of "tangerine peel" for a long time.

Concise statements are always "irrelevant".

I'm not good at Douyin summaries,

I can only trouble you to read this lengthy text.

We are always in a hurry,

Get better as soon as possible, achieve as soon as possible, and understand as soon as possible.

COVID-19 taught me one thing,

It means "leave everything to time."

When I was a child, I lived in Jiangnan most of my time. My unique memory of Lingnan tangerine peel came from sharing a pack of nine-made tangerine peel with children. The magical sweet and sour taste from Chaoshan always lies in my memory and shines in the sun. For every child, the taste of tangerine peel is unfamiliar at first. As long as it takes enough time to reminisce, it will always be sweet when you think about it.

It took me a long time to like the taste of tangerine peel.

As the old saying goes, Guangdong has three treasures: tangerine peel, ginger, and straw grass, and tangerine peel comes first. For Chaoshan children born in the 1960s and 1970s, citrus is a beautiful fruit that is peeled off and turned into natural four-petal flowers. They would obediently wait next to the fruit plate after the adults had a meal, collect these "flowers", go to the market to weigh the weight and sell them to those skin collectors, usually for sugar. In the end, it is very likely that the original skin will be transformed into the original food. They will switch from those small snack workshops in Anpu to exchange for nine-made dried tangerine peel. Those "flowers" are given to the mother at home. They are also treasures. When hot water is boiled in the big iron pot, the family can warm and soak their feet in autumn and winter.

As a food worker, I usually lose my tongue, throat, and stomach. If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools. Chenpi became my companion when traveling on. When I went to Xinhui in Guangdong to shoot a show during the New Year, I met with "Chenpi Chen", the leading domestic expert on tangerine peel. Only then did I realize that the real meaning of the word "Chenpi" is not as simple as old skin.

Every autumn and winter, it happens to be the harvest season for Xinhui Chazhi citrus trees all over the mountains and plains. Chen Chenpi takes his son to run all over the mountains in several major producing areas. In my opinion, it is just a thick-skinned orange. The meat has a faint sour and bitter taste. It is quite strange, but what is even more strange is that the tangerine peel water is sweet and long. Only then did I understand the famous saying in Yanzi's Spring and Autumn Period: "Orange grows in Huainan, it becomes orange, and when it grows in Huaibei, it becomes trifoliate." This place is called tangerine, and tangerine peel Chen corrected me.

It must be aged for more than three years in Xinhui's approved production area to be called "tangerine peel". The good citrus whiskers are picked directly when hanging on the tree. If they fall to the ground, they cannot be made into tangerine peel. The shape of the "flower" must be definite, which is almost strict with LV presbyopic."One is symmetrical with two knives, and the pedicles are like the eyes of a bird, on the side. There is also a positive three-way blade technique with the base in the middle." he said.

"Meijiangxiang, Dongmethanol, Tianma sweet, Chakenggan", these famous Xinhui Chazhi citrus flavor descriptions in the mouth of experts, actually refer to citrus skin, not citrus meat.

Speaking of Chenpi Chen as a businessman, I think it would be more appropriate to call him a collector of Chenpi Chen in Xinhui, Guangzhou. As soon as I entered the door, there were rows of tangerine peel like mountains into the sea, and golden light came out of the glass cabinet. For cultural researchers, Chenpi Chen's home is Xinhui Chenpi Museum. One or two tangerine peel and one or two gold coins. For investors, I came to the tangerine peel treasury. In the past, there was a record of 500,000 kilograms of tangerine peel that was more than 50 years old. In special times, for ordinary people like me, this is a nourishing and beauty salon.

There is a great deal about good citrus peel. He told me: "There are probably more than 10 production areas in the national geographical indication, and the locals call 4 of them core production areas. During the Qing Dynasty, Dongjia Village was the designated place for tribute to the Empress Dowager Cixi, making it the most famous. I personally think the quality of Meijiang Saikou is also very good."

He turned on the small light on his mobile phone. Light penetrates through the orange peel to form a mini spotlight stage. Only then did the delicate small round beasts next to each other in the orange peel stick out their eyes and collectively "look around" among the "flowers", replying to my charm after circle. In a flash, I thought it was Yayoi Kusama's work.

"This is oil bubble, and the skin of good oranges is thick and thin. There are 37 old trees in Xinhui, 27 years old and of relatively great medicinal value. This kind of tree can only be grown on mountains. The skins grown in new paddy fields are of good quality. But such old trees cannot be grown in paddy fields. We also pick a tree at different times. In October, the big green skin is sold, the second red skin is sold in November, and the red skin is sold in December. After winter, we sometimes leave a little bit behind and call it the consequences of winter. I also call it extremely red skin for the consequences of winter. Keeping those late-maturing fruits and picking them will not be good for the growth of the tree next year. Old trees can produce less skin than ordinary ones. A 100-pound fruit can only produce 4 kilograms of skin, and a young one can produce 5 kilograms of skin."

Chaoshan people must drink tea when they entertain guests. In Chenpi Chen, it becomes drinking Chenpi. Chen Chenpi said: "Soak it first and drink it, then boil the tangerine peel. After boiling, cook it for about 10 minutes, add water, and cook until you don't want to drink it, then eat the tangerine peel. Xinhui tangerine peel is very resistant to boiling. After a few hours, the water is very sweet." The taste of old tangerine peel will last for a long time.

The taste of old tangerine peel from the Republic of China is grandma's love

I asked him, is the darker the color, the older the color? Chen Pi Chen said: "Not necessarily. The green skin will not turn black after being left for a long time, and the red skin will easily turn black. It may be due to the sugar. Only by drinking the taste can you recognize the skin and be clearer in all aspects. We used to hear from those old seniors in Xinhui that there are five-spice, which can be divided into fruit aroma, general aroma, strong aroma, old aroma, and finally bone aroma. The tangerine peel aroma will change with the year."

Chen Peichen comes from a family of traditional Chinese medicine. Speaking of his unique love for Chen Peichen, it also comes from his grandmother. When he was a child, he often coughed, and his grandmother ached in his heart. Therefore, strings of orange peels were hung on the beams of the house all year round, tied with thick straw thread and knots. Grandma saw Xiao Chenpi coughing, and she kept it every year during the harvest season. Over the years, she used this Chenpi to cook Sichuan fritillary shells, snake gall, etc., and cured her precious grandson. Even before she left, she left tangerine peel for Chenpi Chen's mother, telling her child to cough before eating it.

Now, the rope has been moldy and broken, leaving only small holes. "My mother was from the 1940s, so I guess the skin is from the 1940s." Chenpi Chen took out a wooden box. The tangerine peel inside was purple-black. Spider webs could be seen in the recesses of some skin. They were a treasure left by grandma.

He picked a piece with his fingernails and let me smell it. I couldn't smell anything except the faint smell of dust and haze. The typical aroma of tangerine peel seemed to have disappeared. But after he washed the skin, he soaked a few slices, and the glassware suddenly turned from yellow to red, which was a clear and bright color. I smelled a damp aroma, and it turned out to be a mixture of seafood and medicinal aroma. Chenpi Chen said that everyone has different tastes. He said that Xinhui used to be a beach, and there were many shells and other deposits in the soil. It is very possible to smell the taste of seafood. I tried to take a sip. It was sour and medicinal, and it was very refreshing. It's hard to believe that such an old tangerine peel can have such a bright taste. "This is my first time drinking it," he said.

I smiled and said, I finally tasted the taste of antiques!

Chenpi Chen said that these Chenpi were very cheap back then. His own collection full of houses is actually due to his grandmother's subtle influence, which gave him unique insight in his early years and accumulated considerable old tangerine peel. "I only need the circles of branches in the core production areas and tangerine peels that are more than six years old and stored in a reputable tangerine peels warehouse for more than ten years before they can be circulated." He actually spends the most energy on the preservation of tangerine peel. The tangerine peel is precious. The warehouse where tangerine peel is stored in Guangdong is called Chenpi Bank, also known as Chenpi Treasury.

"You need to take care of it every year, and you need to get in the sun frequently for the first two or three years, especially when the north wind is blowing, which takes three to five years. Later, I would dry it every year depending on the situation. After eight years, I would store it in a sealed manner. I would not dry it in a sealed manner unless it was damp. After about half an hour in the sun, you have to dry it hard, let it cool and put it back in the bottle. It's good to keep it, so take care of it carefully. Orange peel is difficult to keep, and sugar attracts insects again. So we need to freeze freezing below zero to remove the insects."

"I'm pretty much selling time." Chen Pi Chen said.

There is a century-old piece of dried tangerine peel that he is now carefully caring for in a glass cover. It was an early collection of his grandmother. It was his family heirloom and looked as thin as a cicada's wings. Chaoshan dialect says that old tangerine peel cannot be taken back when it falls to the ground, just like water being poured out. For him, this weathered tangerine peel is unbearable lightness for years. Every time I see it, it's like seeing grandma's smile.

There is no small matter in food matters. Chenpi Chen carries the family's mission. Every piece of Xinhui Chenpi in his hand must be traceable. The process is just like escorting darts in ancient times. "There is a seal after the fruit is picked before it can enter the processing factory. After that, I washed the fruits, opened the fruits, flipped the skins, and sun-dried the skins. Then I took a seal to lock the skins again, so that I could cut the seal."

The afternoon tea dessert in front of me is nearly 50 years old tangerine peel red bean paste. It is boiled for 9 hours, and it smells sweet, plum, spicy and medicinal. That was also what Chenpi Chen's grandma would make for him when she was a child. I tasted a magical taste similar to woody. Chenpi Chen said: "It is best to cook Chenpi with red beans that are more than 40 years old. It will have a flavor of agarwood." I suddenly understood and couldn't help but take another bite. That was the taste of time. According to this year's current price, this bowl of red bean paste costs at least 600 yuan.

Later, Chenpi Chen soaked another 2001 Meijiang Chenpi. When I drank it, it smelled of egg yolk. It tasted sweet and moistened my throat. It had a spicy skeleton and was full of charm. "If you are cold, cook it with ginger. If you are hot, add some wolfberry and chrysanthemum to boil. In fact, you can put Ganoderma lucidum and Dendrobium. You can also soak honey, soak wine, and cook vegetables. tangerine peel has a 'harmonious' taste, which is flat in the medicinal properties of traditional Chinese medicine, balancing the effects of various medicinal properties, so it can be matched with anything. When encountering cold drugs, it will calm down the cold, and when encountering very hot drugs, it will also make it mild."

This makes everything feel like tangerine peel in the spring breeze, accompanied by the touching story of grandma Chenpi Chen doting on her youngest grandson. This ancient Chinese wisdom of regulating qi and protecting the spleen and stomach warms my heart.

The long-lived tangerine peel banquet

Chenpi Chen said that Mr. Cai Lan once mentioned that Xinhui Chenpi would be fine if it was left for thirty to fifty years, but it is difficult to say whether it will last so long.

I said, fortunately I survived last year's disaster. After eating this tangerine peel banquet this year, I can see that I will have good luck.

For the sequelae of Yangkang, I have never left the dry rice strain and the sleepy strain. It's good that when the tangerine peel banquet comes, I have two plants in parallel!

"Big green skin is mainly used to break qi, benefit liver and gallbladder, and is good for removing dampness. Big red skin is to regulate qi, which is good for the lungs and stomach. Breastfeeding women will break their breath when they eat green skin when they get their breasts full." Chen Pi Chen said.

tangerine peel has a lot of medicinal value. According to local saying, the older it is, the better. What is hidden in the oil bubbles is actually all natural plant essential oils. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that tangerine peel has three main functions: one is to guide cold evil in the chest, the other is to break stagnation of qi, and the third is to enrich the spleen and stomach. As the old saying goes, the longer the tangerine peel is placed, the stronger the effect will be. It has a conditioning effect on the recovery of general respiratory patients, especially the lungs and stomach. Chenpi can regulate qi and reduce adverse reactions, regulate the middle and appetizing appetite, and eliminate dampness and phlegm. Flavonoids account for 5%-7% of the total mass of Xinhui tangerine peel. Through aging, the content of high-value and high-activity flavonoids is increased. In fact, according to modern medicine, citrus hesperidin, vitamins B, C and other ingredients can soothe the smooth muscle of our trachea and esophagus, demonstrating the effect of aroma to strengthen the stomach and dispel the wind. These are just added value to normal people. "Aged Xinhui tangerine peel will also have better aroma and taste." This is what I pay more attention to as a foodie.

To this end, I specially read "Xinhui Chenpi Research and Application". The research results of this book are aimed at the changes in aging of tangerine peel. Xinhui tangerine peel that has been stored for more than ten years has some additional compounds such as alcohols, ketones, acids, and esters; but corresponding research also shows that after ten years, the content of Xinhui tangerine peel will tend to be stable with time., and will not age "infinitely". It is said that with the increase of storage years, the content of "α-pinene","β-pinene" and other elements in Xinhui tangerine peel will increase, while the content of limonene (acid) will decrease. Samples stored for one year change gently, and samples stored for more than three years change significantly. This limonene brings a pungent smell, similar to lime and the like. After more than 3 years, the taste will become mellow.

It also seems to show that medicinal value does not change infinitely, but delicious food does change infinitely!

Chenpi Chen's cooking skills are amazing to me. He has opened chain restaurants all over Guangfu Jiangmen in the 1990s, and he has a deep understanding of taste.

Before starting the meal, after eating tangerine tea, which is anti-inflammatory and anti-cough, people became quiet; more than 40 years old duck soup Xinhui Dongjia Chenpi 8 years old, nourishing yin and calming the nerves, and people became moist. It seems that even if you are full of water, you can have no water at all! I drank two cups and two bowls in a row, and the water immediately filled with water. Not to mention getting better, I even lost the opportunity to get heavier.

Every meal is in one period and one period. During such a special period, for every guest attending the banquet,"like thirst" should be ranked as "like hunger". Enough good "soup" to smooth everything out.

"It's very difficult to find old ducks nowadays. Basically, we can't find one for several months, weighing 20 kilograms. Smilax glabra is added to it, which is especially good for removing dampness."

With the preparation of this soup, the delicious taste of the soup went up again during the second bowl. It is extremely soft and gentle, and it keeps salivating in its mouth.

A large plate of duck tangerine peel "dregs" is contained in a pottery, plastic and tile ridge basin of Zhongshan's ancient building by the intangible cultural heritage inheritor He Zhanquan. It is spectacular. Chenpi Chen quickly reminded him not to eat, save your stomach. Oh, there were tangerine peel in the Song Dynasty, and there were also "viewing dishes" in Song banquets. This is also for watching, foreign style!

This is the first time in my life I have eaten a tangerine peel banquet. Since you are in Zhongshan, you must have famous squab pigeons. None of the many versions of tangerine peel squab has a beautiful aftertaste at this moment. The flavor of tangerine peel is strong and round. The dried tangerine peel is only taken from the legs of the Zhongshanshi Ruqi pigeon that has been used for 30 days. It is tender and tender, and the flavor of dried tangerine peel penetrates into it, making it extremely mellow and fragrant.

It turns out that the old stewing of this stewing pigeon is extraordinary. It has been eight years old. Three taels of tangerine peel are added to the stewing every week to enhance the flavor and determine the situation. I did some calculations, and there were 1152 taels, about 115 kilograms of tangerine peel, which was heavier than me! However, I'm really not sure whether after eating this delicious meal, it will be more than the dried tangerine peel in the old stew!

The "Rising Sun Golden Flower" uses the maw of a fish in eastern Fujian and the east star spot from the waters of Huangyan Island. The big red citrus fruits of that time are soaked in tangerine peel soy sauce, which is fragrant and smooth when dipped in, and has a hint of sweetness.

"Hengmen Jinsha Jiang" is actually Yanzai crab, which uses delicious tangerine peel vinegar made from green peel, tangerine peel and shredded ginger. These two pioneering efforts have made dried tangerine peel famous in the seasoning world.

I took a sip of Cai Hao's selected tangerine peel whisky and decided to explore the wonderful possibilities of tangerine peel in vegetables. It was all the taste of time. Chenpi Chen told me that it would take him 13 years to have a strict year classification for Chenpi.

The "nephrite jade plate" is steamed together with zucchini, baby cabbage and mud carp. Back then, green skin was a little fairy that added fresh taste.

The Chaozhou style old steamed flower dragon uses more than 20 years of mixed tangerine peel powder, more than 20 years of dried tangerine peel ink and crab net, and Chaozhou dried radish. The sauce is mixed together to steam lobster, balancing the spicy aroma and sweetness, and enhancing the lobster's richness.

Also used in this way is the "lotus fragrance double fun", which is the spicy stir-fry of tripe head and vermicelli head. I think the effect of this dried tangerine peel powder is similar to MSG. It enhances freshness and adds a bit of fruity to the vegetables.

Similarly, the Meijiang peel of Xinhui for more than 20 years is mellow and sweet, and the "Wanzhang Oyster Love" made from sheep tendons and oysters cooked in a casserole is equivalent to adding "sugar" to make the teeth soft. "Sheep tendons and front legs are the smoothest. The oysters from Taishan are fat. The juice from the tangerine peel has a strong aroma of tangerine peel." Chen Pi Chen said. As soon as I took it, it was sure that this "harmony" medicine also had a harmonious effect.

"Chen Mi Jade Pot" is a combination of 5 years old Changbai Mountain honey and 50 years old tangerine peel. It finally gently watered the bird's nest and my duck's voice.

Chenpi is not only a mild prescription with the same origin of medicine and food. It turns into an exquisite spice in the hands of Chenpi Chen, which is very refreshing. Every piece of tangerine peel is worthy of respect. Chenpi Chen insists on using the pot made by Wu Guoqiang, a Guangzhou intangible cultural heritage copper pot. The copper pot has been used to detoxify since ancient times. It can digest digestion after meals and make everyone drink it thoroughly. From today on, even if tangerine peel is useless, I will divide it into different years for the sake of good taste and simply enjoy it.

🍌

The goddess asked

What do you like to eat most recently?

"All good things are

Towering towards his goal,

Everything straight is a lie,

All truths are crooked,

Time itself is a circle. "

--Nietzsche

Food Bless You!

Consultant for "Flavor World 3"

Owner of "God's Table"

Producer of "Food Wild China"