A chopstick chopped pepper fish, fresh spicy into the soul, hidden Xiangxi Phoenix fireworks warmth

the spring day in western Hunan is always wrapped in the moist air of Tuojiang River. When the wind blows beside the stilted building, the fresh and spicy aroma floating out of every household in the alley is entangled. It is the sweet and sour aroma of the old altar chopped pepper that hits the fresh fish. It is not strong and does not rush, but it can instantly awaken the taste buds. Even the dull moisture in spring can be dispelled by this aroma. This seemingly homely chopped pepper fish is never a simple spicy steamed fish, but the taste of life engraved in every Xiangxi people's three meals. It is the hard dish that the farmhouse stove can handle best, and it is also the warm taste that can settle homesickness in one bite.

I am Su Wantang, 26 years old this year. I am a native of Xiangxi Phoenix. I have been deeply cultivating Xiangxi local cuisine in aifoodnews for three years. My temperament is as warm as the landscape in Xiangxi, but I hide my extreme preference for fresh and spicy food. I don't like to write exquisite and grandiose food copy, and I don't chase after online red fast food dishes. I only focus on digging out the old flavor of Xiangxi folk handed down from generation. I grew up with my grandmother in the Diaojiao Building beside the Tuojiang River. My grandmother is a real peasant woman in Xiangxi. She pickles and chops pepper well and makes fresh, spicy and tasty steamed vegetables. My obsession with chopping pepper and fish started from my childhood when I squatted at the hearth and waited for the steamer to open the lid and stomped my feet. For me, this dish is my grandmother's love and the fireworks in Xiangxi, it's a hometown imprint engraved on the taste buds.

My childhood dinner table, can never be separated from a steaming bowl of chopped pepper fish. Xiangxi is densely covered with rivers and lakes, and people along the river are never short of fresh fish. Whenever they go to the market or come back from fishing along the river, my grandmother always chooses a piece of grass carp or bream with the most tender meat, handles it clean and spreads it on a porcelain plate, and spreads it on a layer of old altar chopped pepper that she has pickled for more than half a year without any extra seasoning. I always stood by the hearth, listening to the glug in the pan, smelling the fresh and spicy aroma, waiting patiently for the moment when the lid was opened more than ten minutes later. The chopped pepper fish made by my grandmother is tender to melt away with a gentle sip. There is no fishy smell. The sour, fragrant, fresh and spicy of the chopped pepper in the old altar completely seeps into every texture of the fish. The soup at the bottom of the plate is red and attractive. A bowl of white rice can make people have a big appetite and even eat two or three bowls without feeling greasy. At that time, the family was ordinary and there were not many precious ingredients, but this bowl of chopped pepper and fish was the most abundant delicacy and the most healing taste of childhood. When I grew up, I left Phoenix to work in other places. I ate countless chopped chili fish from Hunan restaurants. Either chopped chili fish is a quick industrial sauce, or the fish is not fresh and firewood. I can't eat the mellow, fresh and spicy taste made by my grandmother. Every time I miss home, what I think most is this hot chopped chili fish, which is simple and homely, but can heal the fatigue and grievance of all foreign countries.

Fish with chopped pepper is the core representative of classic Hunan cuisine, and it is also the iconic home-cooked dish of Xiangxi farmers. Its origin is closely related to the unique regional climate and dietary customs of Xiangxi. Xiangxi is located in Wuling mountain area, the climate is humid and cold. Since ancient times, local people have the tradition of pickling chopped pepper to dispel dampness and appetizer. However, fresh fish has become one of the main ingredients in daily life. In order to remove fishy smell, prolong the eating period of food materials, and meet the dietary needs of humid climate, Xiangxi ancestors combined homemade chopped pepper with fresh fish and cooked it by steaming, gradually forming the classic method. This dish is the daily dish of fishermen and farmers at the earliest. It has no gorgeous historical allusions and is the crystallization of the wisdom of folk life. With Hunan cuisine going to the whole country, chopped pepper fish has moved from the deep mountains of western Hunan to the public table with its characteristics of fresh, spicy, appetizing, tender and less oil. It has become a classic Hunan cuisine well-known to diners all over the country, and it is also a typical representative of "fresh, spicy, taste first" taste first "in Hunan food culture, different from the style of Hunan cuisine with heavy oil and heavy stir-frying, the steaming method is more refreshing and retains the original flavor of the ingredients. It is a home-made boutique suitable for all ages in Hunan cuisine.

I sincerely recommend you to try authentic Xiangxi chopped pepper fish. First, it is a homely representative of Hunan cuisine classics. It carries the dietary wisdom of Xiangxi folk and Hunan food culture. It perfectly interprets the essence of Hunan cuisine "spicy but not dry, fresh but not fishy". It eats authentic Hunan flavor and tastes the fireworks of deep mountain farmers. Second, the taste is excellent and suitable for the crowd. The fish is tender, soft and smooth, and easy to chew without thorns, laotan chopped peppers are sour, delicious and spicy, sweet and appetizing. Steaming is less oil and healthy. People who do not eat heavy spicy food can reduce the amount of chopped peppers, and the elderly and children can eat at ease. Third, the eating scene is versatile. It is not only the top-level meal for three daily meals, which can quickly open appetite and relieve loss of appetite. It is also a hard dish for family gathering and casual meals. It is simple, easy to obtain, cost, cost-effective, the taste is pure and natural, relying on the original taste of fresh fish and the aroma of fermented chopped pepper in Laotan to enhance the taste, without adding any extra flavor and seasoning, the taste of fresh, spicy and appetizing is the most delicious food that can enhance the happiness in ordinary three meals. Fifth, the regional characteristics are distinctive. It is an excellent entrance to understand the local conditions and customs of Xiangxi and the dietary wisdom of people in the mountains.

In Xiangxi, every family has its own secret recipe for pickling and chopping pepper. The taste of chopping pepper fish made by each family is slightly different, but the core remains the same: fresh fish must be cooked now to ensure that the meat is fresh and tender. Chopped pepper should be local red pepper in western Hunan, sealed and fermented with salt for several months. The jar is full of fragrance, which is by no means comparable to quick chopped pepper. This dish does not have complicated cooking techniques. It all depends on the fresh ingredients and the taste of time fermentation. The more homely, the more attentively. Now I share Xiangxi cuisine in aifoodnews. I always focus on this fish with chopped pepper. I share with my fans the skills of pickling with chopped pepper and authentic steaming that my grandmother taught me. I am also very happy to see more and more people fall in love with this simple, fresh and spicy Xiangxi home cooking. This dish has long been more than just a fruity meal, it is the daily three meals of Xiangxi people, the warmth carrier of family reunion, the homesickness sustenance of wandering away from home, and the tenderness of Xiangxi hidden in the fresh and spicy taste.

If you also prefer the delicious taste of fresh and spicy food, you may as well abandon the industrial quick sauce and try to make an authentic fish with chopped pepper from Laotan, or find an authentic Hunan restaurant to taste the delicious taste of fresh and spicy food. A chopstick fish, a mouthful of rice, fresh and spicy intertwined, warm stomach and warm heart, this is the most touching charm of home cooking. Have you ever eaten authentic Xiangxi minced fish with chili? What is the most memorable home-cooked meal in my heart? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to share and talk about the warm taste of the fireworks meal, or come to aifoodnews to find me, I will share more authentic Xiangxi home-cooked food practices and stories.