Sugar-coated haws: the same sweet and sour, all kinds of love.

The line between late autumn and early winter is blurred. Lead-gray sky, tight and slow wind, the temperature is getting lower and lower every day. At this time, nothing can bring comfort to children and girls, except candied haws sold all over the street. Crataegus pinnatifida worn on a bamboo stick looks like carnelian inlaid in crystal and a little sun inlaid with a layer of ice. I was very happy when I saw it. I feel that even if the weather is cold, there is still a little bright and lovely hope that warms you in red.

I spend the longest time in Tianjin and Beijing, and seldom go to other cities, so I only know that sugar-coated haws are called "sugar piles" in Tianjin. I don't know if there is another name. Anyway, the hometown of sugar-coated haws is Beijing-although unofficial history said that sugar-coated haws were modified by Huang Guifei's prescription for treating stomach diseases in the Song Dynasty, if you really want to find textual research, you still have to look at Dunchong's Yanjing Time, which is a folk record in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty:

"Sugar-Coated Berry is made of bamboo sticks with grapes, yam bean, begonia, hawthorn and so on. Dip in rock sugar, sweet, crisp and cold. Eating at night in winter can also get rid of coal. Wenpu is as strong as a cherry, stained with honey. Sour and sweet, quite suitable for drinking. "

"Gourd" is a gourd. There is no ambiguity between yam bean and Shanlihong, but Wenpu is worth mentioning. It is what old Beijingers often say. It was originally a transliteration of "sweet and sour" in Manchu, and later it was said that it was given the name hawthorn jelly by Cixi. So it makes sense for Brother Fu Cha to write with candied haws-now some mobile stalls in candied haws will also sell snacks such as fried red fruits and hawthorn snowballs together, and the same is true.

Although from the "Yanjing period", sugar-coated haws made many tricks in the Qing Dynasty, hawthorn was not the mainstream; But whether it is a novel or a movie, the protagonist of candied haws is still hawthorn. Mr. Liang Shiqiu once wrote this point in "Sour Plum Soup, Sugar Hulu", which is detailed and lovely:

"... there are three kinds of candied haws in Beiping. One uses maltose, which is syrup in Peiping dialect. It can be a bunch of red candied haws, which can be more than five feet long. This kind of big candied haws is sold the most in the Chinese New Year factory. Xinger's water-wrapped maltose (green apricots that don't grow up) is delicious, but it's not good to make candied haws, especially the hawthorn is often rotten or has insect excrement. The other one is glued with white sugar. When it's cold, put a layer of frost on it to give it a special flavor. Authentic sugar-coated haws, a thin layer of sugar, transparent and recognizable. There are many kinds of materials, such as begonia, yam, yam bean, dried apricots, grapes, oranges, water chestnuts and walnuts, but hawthorn is the authentic one. Mountain red, that is, hawthorn, is abundant in the north. It tastes sour and wrapped in sugar is extremely delicious. Generally, sugar-coated haws are made of bamboo sticks half a foot long, which are sold in stalls, stained with dust and sand, and the quality is very poor. Dongan market sells more advanced products. But it's made by Xinyuan Zhai, and it doesn't need a bamboo stick. Each hawthorn or begonia is independent, and the fruits used are huge and flawless, and they are taken away by the guests in cartons lined with oil paper. "

Hawthorn is also called red fruit in Tianjin. This thing has become a green tree species in recent years, which can be seen in many communities, but it can only be used for viewing and is not suitable for eating. Because a good hawthorn, big or small, must be fat, thick and waxy, and it tastes like "mortar", that's right; Don't taste too sour. Only with this kind of hawthorns strung together, can we reach the state of "wrapped in sugar and very fragrant" mentioned in Mr. Liang's article.

For the love of sugar-coated haws, Tianjin even lost to Beijing. But for most people, when it comes to candied haws, most people think of the scenery of Beijing/Imperial Capital/Beiping/Shi Jing/Beijing. Especially in these two places, Changdian and Dongan Market, according to the current concept, they are all proper places to punch in-who doesn't pick up piles of red candied haws when visiting temple fairs? For example, in my favorite movie Farewell My Concubine, when Xiao Douzi and Xiao chili pepper went shopping in Changdian during the Spring Festival, they bought a large Sugar-Coated Berry, which was more than one meter long and had a small colored paper flag on it.

"The world's most delicious sugar-coated haws ranked first. If I become a corner, I have to eat candied haws every day! " Small lazarillo DE tormes said.

There is also a joke that sugar-coated haws are necessary props for crossing women. Because there are too many travel novels, some women wear them back to ancient times and go to temple fairs with men. Men usually buy candied haws for women to eat. Regardless of the background of the work, or whether the sugar-coated haws were invented.

As for the disorderly intrusion of sugar-coated haws on entertainment works, listen to it as a joke, not too harsh. In addition, I think this phenomenon is quite interesting. It reflects the mentality of creators with different backgrounds, different ages and different industry backgrounds: fireworks on earth, love leads to the world of mortals. The gas field of candied haws itself is so simple but unspeakable joy.

Say "simple happiness", sugar-coated haws pay attention to it, but it is not simple. Only the basic model of hawthorn, the classic status of course can not be shaken; But what I like best is the kind where the hawthorn is cut in half, with bean paste and walnuts embedded. It would be better if it was sweet-scented osmanthus bean paste!

Delicate and waxy bean paste and crisp rock sugar, two different flavors of sweetness, guard the charming fruit acid of hawthorn and the unforgettable fragrance of walnut. If it is necessary to break the boundaries of "no sweets", then I am only willing to pay for it.

Of course, there are other varieties that make people feel "not bad". For example, at the age of Yanjing, it was also written that candied haws string yam or yam bean was ambiguous. Anyway, yam, a raw material with glutinous powder and fragrance, is delicious as long as it is given sugar. The same is true of glutinous rice balls, but glutinous rice balls must be embedded in hawthorn to get a "good" word, probably because the aroma of glutinous rice is worse than that of yam and can only be used as a supporting role.

There are also more fruits to join the camp of sugar-coated haws. The earliest orange petals are strung together one by one, wrapped in rock sugar like hawthorn, and taste like a piece of ice wrapped in a pool of water. Opening it reminds people of Bai Juyi's "a stream of water, the silver bottle suddenly breaks", which is also very interesting. There are candied haws made of strawberries, but no matter the taste or taste, they always feel that they are not as natural as candied haws made of hawthorn and orange petals, but like a beautiful woman with heavy makeup, and both sides are not pleasing. In recent years, there is even a kind of assorted fruit sugar-coated berries, including kiwifruit, pineapple, grapes, bananas, cherry tomatoes, hawthorn, orange petals and so on. They are all strung together, so they are pleasant red, fast green, purple, bright yellow and beautiful. But it's hard to be soft and hard Kiwifruit, in particular, is often sour, and the part of pineapple near the core tastes like chewing wood. In short, it is expensive and unpalatable. Probably only suitable for children, or proud girlfriends.

Sugar-coated haws were my childhood snacks. Because there is a famous stall selling candied haws (now celebrity snacks online) in front of my house. The hawthorn in that house is good in ingredients, full in size, crisp in flesh and beautiful in rock sugar. The uncle who set up the stall always stood by patiently. When I finally decided which one I wanted, I picked it out, wrapped it in transparent glutinous rice paper and handed it to me in a paper bag, but I always thought the glutinous rice paper with rock sugar was particularly delicious ... well, it was really worthless.

But I haven't bought candied haws for two years. Not only because I don't eat sweets now, but also because the sour and sweet taste of sugar-coated haws is seriously inconsistent with my mood. That simple and lively joy is probably only suitable for two scenes: childhood or love.

Everything is wonderful. It's beautiful. The former is gone, and the latter can still be chased. This idea amused me and my heart suddenly lit up.

Sugar-coated haws are on the market this year, and I want to buy one anyway. Remember the kind embedded in walnuts-neither sour nor bitter nor sweet, sweet and sweet, not loving.

June 65438+1October 65438+August 2020

What is written at the back?

Gee, the time difference has changed from one month to nearly one and a half months! Fortunately, this is not wrong.

This article about sugar-coated haws was originally written at the end of 20 19, but it was delayed because the kitchen was suspended. The result is a year.

A year ago, I said I would write, but I couldn't, so for a while, I always felt empty when I thought about this topic. But I comforted myself that I was not afraid to wait for something delicious. If you really want to write, even next winter, you will still be interested in starting over. What I'm worried about is the kitchenette. Can it last until next winter?

It's good. It's the next winter. Moreover, this article happens to be a landmark on the time node.

Speaking of boundary markers, this concept was just mentioned in an article about Taro Lipu yesterday. It is said that taro is something I wanted to write at the beginning, with all kinds of ups and downs in the middle. The result was written from 20 19 until yesterday. I spent three nights!

With so much effort and emotion, the finished product itself is as light as water, just like a soft saying "there you are".

Waiting or putting it on hold for too long seems to kill something, but in fact it only teaches people to be silent, and then they learn to keep more feelings in their hearts. Taro's article is, as is this article and many subsequent articles.

For example, I still don't like sugar but I'm used to it. It is used to season vegetables, so it is stamped with a secret stamp. But I will never put a box of chocolates or sweets around me again. I will put them in my mouth one by one today and tomorrow.

On the other hand, don't call me the title party. I really found it-put some love and affection in the title, and people will read the article several times more. So this is a question of income, please forgive me.

Finally, these two days are still very tired. I'm not interested in anything except work. I know this is not a problem, but I can't help it.

It can only be said that fate will arrange for us to lower our heads and learn humility and patience when necessary.

I have to say that no one is irreplaceable, so I can only admit that I am just a drop in the ocean.

65438+February 3, 2020