travel with yoga

Chapter 7: Too many, Luoyang Water Banquet

For many outsiders, it seems to be a common thing that they must have a meal when they go to Luoyang.The first time I heard about Luoyang Water Feast was when I was in high school many years ago. At that time, Ma Xiaoliang thought that Luoyang Water Feast was a place where people sit and eat together on the water on the edge of the Yellow River. She was also very surprised why it was called a Water Feast.It was not until many years later that Ma Xiaoliang came to Luoyang for the first time after graduating from college that he saw what a real Luoyang water banquet was. He was immediately angry and funny, but one thing is clear: for two people, there are a lot of Luoyang water banquets, not only Many and extremely many.

Taking Zhao Cui to find a particularly small store, Zhao Cui looked at this small store that was not too clean with some disgust, and immediately sarcastically said to Ma Xiaoliang: "Back then, you took me to look for all kinds of delicious snacks in Shunde. The shop, at least, looks very clean. Now ten years have passed and you actually brought me to a place like this. I really have a new love and forget about the old one. One generation is not as good as the other." Ma Xiaoliang quickly explained: "Don't look at this shop. The store is small, but the food is delicious. However, since it was the Peony Festival, there were many people, so it didn’t look so clean.”

Zhao Cui said nothing and sat down obediently.When it comes to Luoyang Water Banquet, one person has to be mentioned, and this is the source of Luoyang Water Banquet: Yuan Tiankui in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.Legend has it that Yuan Tiangang watched the sky on a grand night and knew that Wu Zetian would become emperor in the future, but the secret must not be leaked, so he planned this banquet to foreshadow Wu Zetian's feasting and feasting in the next 24 years.Every dish is soup and water, implying that Wu Zetian's success will come naturally; dry and thin, which is a metaphor for Wu Zetian's 24-year relationship (rare). The order of the "Luoyang Water Banquet" is the first eight dishes (cold dishes), four small dishes, eight large dishes, and four finishing dishes, a total of 24 dishes. This corresponds to Wu Zetian taking charge of the government from the first year of Yonglong to his death in Luoyang in the first year of Shenlong. The 24th year of the Yang Palace.However, there is also a saying: Luoyang is surrounded by mountains, with little rain and dryness.In ancient times, the weather was cold and there were no fruits, so soups were often used in folk meals, and they liked hot and sour to resist the dryness and cold.People here are accustomed to using locally produced starch, lotus root, yam, radish, cabbage, etc. to prepare economical and rich banquets. Even the princes and nobles are accustomed to cooking the main and non-staple foods together. Over time, they gradually created The Luoyang water mat, which is full of local characteristics, has gradually formed a "hot and sour taste, refreshing and delicious" flavor.All in all, the Luoyang Water Banquet consists of 24 dishes. As a traditional food style, together with the traditional Peony Flower Fair and the ancient Longmen Grottoes, it is also known as the Three Wonders of Luoyang. It is known as the three unique styles of the ancient capital Luoyang and has become Luoyang. Human pride.

For Ma Xiaoliang at this moment, the first choice he faces is how to choose the cuisine. If there are two people, they can eat the small water banquet, but there are also 12 dishes.At this moment, Ma Xiaoliang seemed to be unable to find anyone to share the burden with, so he said to the boss, "Let me have a small water table, with a smaller portion." The boss was busy, and said, "Okay, you can choose by yourself. Give it to me." Ma Xiaoliang handed the menu to Zhao Cui, meaning you choose.Zhao Cui looked at it, and said: "I don't eat vermicelli, and I don't want vermicelli, other things don't matter." Hearing this sentence, Ma Xiaoliang was a little sad, and remembered the previous sentence: "I'm hungry, I don't want to eat Fans, I want to eat pork stewed vermicelli.” How come you don’t eat vermicelli now?However, Ma Xiaoliang did not think too much, but chose 12 dishes, which definitely did not contain vermicelli, vermicelli and pork, and handed them to the boss.After a while, the dishes came up one by one. There is a way to eat in Luoyang Water Banquet, that is, after one dish is eaten, another dish is served after it is withdrawn, which is constantly updated like running water. Zhao Cui tastes each dish several times. He put down his chopsticks immediately, and finally the table became a mountain. Ma Xiaoliang said helplessly: "Boss, pack it up!"

(End of this chapter)