Delicacies
Local delicacies:Jiangsu, Hefei
(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-04 13:18
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Stewed cattail with dried shrimps is a famous dish in Huai'an, Jiangsu province. Provided to China Daily |
Jiangsu
If you go to Jiangsu province in springtime, cattail is a delicacy that you should not miss.
Sound strange? Well, it is very likely that you will fall in love with it after the first taste.
The edible part of a cattail is its tender stem. After you unpeel the straplike leaves and the old outer sheaths, the white, soft and juicy stem will present itself.
People in Jiangsu province - especially in Huai'an, a city famous for its delicate food - have developed various ways of cooking this special ingredient. The most popular: Boil the cattail together with chicken soup and dried shrimps.
The cooking method of this dish cannot be any simpler. All you need to do is put the ingredients into water and boil them. The magic of this dish lies in the wonderful flavor of the cattail.
Unfortunately, not all cattails are edible. Those produced in Huai'an are believed by gourmets to be the most delicious among the eatable ones. And there is a legend attached to this local specialty.
In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), one famous woman warrior Liang Hongyu was helping her husband to fight against the Jurchen, a nomadic group from the north, who were invading Huai'an city. The Jurchen troops surrounded the city for months. Dangers fell on all the people in the city, as they faced severe food shortages. Fortunately, Liang saw horses eat cattails by chance, and she urged people to eat the plant and the food problem was solved. Today in Huai'an, the cattail is also called "anti-Jurchen vegetable" and always reminds people of the courage of Liang. Though she once worked as a prostitute, Liang earned respect from local people.
There are many ways of cooking cattails, but none of them add seasoning with deep colors into the dishes. The white stems of cattails represent Liang's purity.
Local people have eaten cattails for hundreds of years. The marsh there is suitable for cattails of excellent quality to grow. In one district of the city, unpolluted fields dedicated to growing cattails have reached 4,000 hectares.
Imagining how delicious the cattail is may not be enough for you, so consider that the tender stems of cattails are also rich in nutritional value. Every 100 grams of the cattail stem contain 1.2 grams of protein, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of vitamin C, 53 milligrams of calcium and 18 kinds of amino acid.
Don't miss this specialty when you go to the scenic Jiangsu province. You can let your tongue and taste buds enjoy your journey as your eyes do.
