Guokui, a seemingly unremarkable food item, had actually become the magic weapon of the Great Qin army. The person who invented it probably didn't expect that this kind of ancient compressed biscuit would have such a great effect on increasing the Qin army's combat ability and reducing the logistical pressure.
The reason why guokui had such a long shelf life and was suitable for storage and carrying was inextricably linked to the materials used to make it. The way to make guokui was very particular. It needed to use good wheat flour and water to mix it into a dough. After it was fermented, it was rolled into a large round cake with a rolling pin and placed in a large iron pan with a flat bottom. It was slowly baked over a slow fire. Even in the hot summer, it wouldn't go bad after ten days or half a month. It was very suitable for long-distance combat. It was an extremely large compressed biscuit, a type of compressed biscuit that could be used as a shield.
When he thought about having a large shield hanging in front of his chest and back, Ang Lee felt that such a soldier would be even harder to kill. The two large guokui could very well protect the most important parts of the soldier.
This was a story from the Qin Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, there were also stories about guokui. It was said that during the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, and Empress Wu Zetian were buried together at Wufeng Mountain, 25 kilometers northeast of Qian County. Later, because the acupoint's feng shui was inauspicious, it was changed to Liangshan, 3 kilometers north of Qian County.
Liangshan's scenery was beautiful, and it was the place where Emperor Qin and Emperor Wen of Sui toured. It was located 80 kilometers northwest of the capital, Chang 'an. In the Eight Trigrams, it belonged to the Qian position, so the tomb was called Qian Ling. The construction of Qian Ling was massive, and tens of thousands of craftsmen and workers were recruited. At that time, there was a young man called Dong Wa. He had lost his mother when he was young, and he and his father depended on each other. He was smart, hardworking, and honest, and was praised by his neighbors. Who would have thought that his father would be bedridden due to illness? Every day, Dong Wa would go up the mountain to gather firewood and cook for his father. After doing this for a long time, he developed a cooking skill.
When the construction of Qian Ling required workers, he went to work for his father. Because there were many people and the work was arduous, he couldn't eat on time and was extremely miserable. One day, he was so hungry that he could not hold on any longer. He quietly dug a nest by the roadside and put his helmet on it. He placed the bread inside the helmet and burned some firewood under the helmet. After a while, he took out the bread that was baked from the inside of the helmet and tasted it. It was crispy and delicious. He was so happy that he told his companions about this method and asked them to use an iron pot instead. As a result, it tasted crispy and smelled fragrant. Word spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred, and this unique Guokou Bun was formed.
From then on, the mausoleum construction site was filled with aroma. After the director tasted the abnormally fragrant bread, he felt that it was not bad and hurriedly sent someone to deliver it to the capital, Chang 'an. Hence, buns were different. Later on, the Tang Dynasty would ask Qian County to send Guohelmet Buns as a tribute. This method of making steamed buns gradually spread to the people. Due to the continuous improvement of the production methods by the working people of the past generations, the quality of the buns was getting better and better, and there were many different styles. The tourism industry in the later generations was quite developed, and Qian Ling attracted many tourists from all over the world. They always loved to eat the Guokou Bun, the specialty of Qian Ling County. Before leaving, they would bring a few back to give to their relatives and friends.
However, the credibility of this story was not high. How could a migrant worker building Qian Ling have an iron helmet? In the Tang dynasty, iron was very precious, so it was unlikely that an ordinary migrant worker building the mausoleum would have an iron helmet. In ancient times, the control of armor and helmets was very strict. How could a migrant worker have an iron helmet? Even the helmets of soldiers were mostly made of rattan and leather. There were not enough iron helmets. Using fire to burn the helmet was suspected of destroying the helmet. If it was really damaged, then they would definitely be punished.
This was just a story that was passed down and did not have much truth. In any case, Ang Lee did not believe it and felt that it was made up.
For Central Sichuan, there was also a legend about the Guokou Bun. It was said that during the Shu Han Dynasty, the Prime Minister of Western Shu, Zhuge Kongming, stationed troops in the south, waiting for an expedition to the north. In order to not delay the battle, the Shu army was hungry during the march, so they put up a helmet and evenly placed it on the helmet. Under the helmet, they burned firewood. After a short while, the inside of the helmet was baked into a cake, so it was called the Guokou Bun. After that, Bao Yuanheng, the descendant of Bao Gong, followed the army into Sichuan and learned the craft of making helmets. After a long time, he saw that the Guokou Bun was round and thick. Although it could relieve hunger, it lacked texture and was not as crispy. After thinking for a long time, he changed it to be thin at the center and thick at the side. Then he smelled the fragrance, crispy and delicious. Since then, Bao Guokou was known as the Guokou Bun.
It was possible that Shu's northern expedition army used an iron helmet to bake cake in an emergency. However, Ang Lee still felt that the possibility of it being made up was higher. When marching to war, there were professional soldiers at the front. Why would they use a helmet instead of a good pot? In ancient times, iron helmets were rare and the quality was average. Were they not afraid that they would be burnt? How would they ensure hygiene? These were all problems.
While waiting in the queue, Ang Lee could roughly see the process of making the Guokou Bun. The first step was naturally to ferment the dough. After that, the dough was taken out, and the dough was kneaded evenly. The dough was divided into two portions, and each portion was kneaded evenly. Each portion was rolled into thin slices and coated with oil. Sprinkle two spoons of salt, two spoons of pepper, and three spoons of cumin powder. From bottom to top, the dough was rolled up tightly. Slightly longer, the dough was rolled up, and the end was stuffed into the bottom.
After that, the dough was slightly thinner, sprinkled a spoonful of sesame seeds, and rolled a few more times with a rolling pin. The two finished Guokou Bun blankets were covered with a lid and fermented for a period of time. Then, the second batch of Guokou Bun blankets was gently placed in the pot. After blanching one side, it was gently flipped over until both sides were golden yellow. The finished Guokou Bun blankets were taken out of the pot and placed on flat plates for customers to choose from. Of course, during the period of time when the supply could not meet the demand, it was basically bought as soon as it was placed on the plate. The customers still had to line up.
In fact, there were quite a lot of small shops that made Guokou Bun in Yizhou City. However, the same food, after being made by different people, would have a little difference in taste. If the taste was good, the more authentic shops would have to line up, but if the taste was not good, the business would be very ordinary.
Ang Lee naturally wanted to taste the most authentic Guokou Bun. Therefore, he deliberately came to line up. Even if he had to wait a little longer, it was worth it.
After waiting for a long time, it was finally Ang Lee's turn. Because it was not easy to line up, he bought four Guokou Bun in one go. This made the people behind him complain a little. Generally, people who queued up to buy Guokou Bun would buy one or two. It was very rare to buy four.
Ang Lee ignored the dissatisfaction of the people behind him. He took one for himself and distributed the rest to Chen Long and the others. He casually broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth to taste.
"Well, the taste is really authentic. Not bad, it's very delicious."
After tasting it, Ang Lee said with great satisfaction.
The small Guokou Bun was made with very simple materials and craftsmanship, but it could have such a taste. It was really very good, which made Ang Lee quite satisfied.
"Sir, you must be a foreigner! This is the famous Baoji Guokou Bun in Central Sichuan. There are many kinds of Guokou Bun in Central Sichuan. "
A passer-by said.
"Oh, there are more Guokou Bun. Can you tell me more about them?"
Ang Lee asked curiously.
The passer-by explained many kinds of Guokou Bun in one breath, including the Public Security Guokou Bun. The so-called Public Security Guokou Bun was naturally the Guokou Bun produced in the Public Security District. It was not difficult to make the Guokou Bun, and the materials to prepare were even simpler. All that was needed was an oil barrel, the top cover was removed, and the space inside was pasted with fire-resistant soil. Then, a chopping board was added.
Generally, there were two people who made the Public Security Guokou Bun. One was called the White Table, and was responsible for kneading the dough on the chopping board. He kept kneading the fermented dough in his hands until he felt satisfied and then put it aside. The other was called the Red Table, and according to the customer's needs, he would add sugar if it was sweet, salt if it was salty, and even chili could be added. Depending on the customer's needs, he would add sugar if it was sweet, or salt if it was salty, or even chili if it was light. After getting the complete instructions, he would stretch the dough in a few strokes, sometimes into the shape of a begonia leaf, sometimes into the shape of a shoe sole, and finally shake an iron box. The bottom of the box was chiseled into a sieve, and there were sesame seeds in the box. He could add more or less at will. All this was done in two or three minutes, and the Red Table quickly stuck the dough into the stove.
At this time, people noticed that there was still a pot of fire burning in the stove. It was either charcoal or anthracite, which was the only source of energy for baking the Guokou. In about two or three minutes, the master used a pair of special pliers to gently take out the Guokou Bun, which was nearly twice its size, from the stove, and directly handed it to the diner standing at the side.
At this time, the Guokou Bun was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was soft and suitable. It seemed that it was a little hot to hold, but it felt good to eat. It seemed that the dough on the chopping board had unknowingly disappeared just like that. If it wasn't for the lingering fragrance at the corner of the mouth, people would even want to find where the Guokou Bun had gone.
Eating Guokou Bun, one didn't need the help of tools, whether it was chopsticks or spoons. Secondly, one didn't need dishes, whether it was pickled vegetables or fresh vegetables. Thirdly, one didn't need tables or chairs. Guokou Bun was suitable to be eaten standing or walking. Some people wanted a bowl of tofu pudding for sesame seed pancakes, saying that it couldn't be swallowed by just chewing it. If one wanted to eat dumplings, they also wanted to eat it with a bowl of soup. The reason was that the original soup could melt the original food. Only Guokou Bun didn't seem to be so particular. One Guokou Bun was only a few coins. Whether it was the form or the price, Guokou Bun was an out-and-out popular food.
What was strange was that even in the local police district, there were no seats for Guokou Bun. If you wanted to eat Guokou Bun, you had to go to the simple streets and alleys. In the Police District, people wanted to find the authentic Guokou Bun. Unexpectedly, compared with the snacks in other places, no one here said that their Guokou Bun belonged to any sect. Whether it was the white-haired old man or the vigorous young man who asked, they all smiled gently. Wasn't it just making Guokou Bun?
In the countryside, even if you learned to be an ordinary carpenter, there was a set of tedious and almost religious ceremony for apprenticeship. Only when it came to making Guokou Bun, those who knew how to make it immersed themselves in it. Those who didn't know how to make it stood aside and watched. After watching more, they would try to make it. If they didn't make it well, they would fill their own stomach until they were satisfied with it. Then they could come out and challenge.
There was a saying among the people, "If you teach your disciple, the master will starve to death." Making Guokou Bun didn't seem to be particular about passing it down from master to disciple. The streets were full of Guokou Bun. No one had anything to do with anyone. It was said that walking on the streets of the Police District, people who saw Guokou Bun were young men and women, old men, travelers on the road, and sleepy village women. They felt that this kind of popular food, without any hype, could be enjoyed by everyone regardless of whether they were from the north or south, old or young. It was really incredible. No one was proud of its specialty, and no one boasted about its popularity. There were many Guokou Bun shops in the streets and alleys. It was a very popular snack.
"Brother, are you from the Police District? You are actually so familiar with Guokou Bun? "
Ang Lee asked.
The commoner shook his head and said, "No, no, I'm a businessman. I've been to many places, but I've only been to the Police District. I've eaten a lot of Guokou Bun there."
"Oh, I see. What other Guokou Bun do you know?"
Ang Lee asked.
The commoner named more than a dozen kinds of Guokou Bun in one breath. For example, the Guokou Bun in Bozhou was comparable to the Guokou Bun in Guanzhong. It was also a very large Guokou Bun. It was said that this was a unique food. It originated from a grandmother who gave it to her grandson as a gift. Later, it developed into a special convenient food. This kind of Guokou Bun was round, about a foot in diameter, one inch thick, and weighed five catties. Because its appearance was very similar to ancient armor, round and hard, it was named Guokou Bun. It was also called Zhuang Bun because it was especially filling.
It was made by repeatedly kneading large pieces of dough into a round pancake the size of a basin. It was about an inch thick and one to two feet in diameter. A layer of sesame was stuck on the surface and placed on top of a pan to dry it. After it was made, it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was golden in color and was very fragrant. Some experts could even make some patterns on the surface of the Guokou Bun.
The most important thing to make this kind of Guokou Bun was to mix the dough and slowly knead it. The dough had to be fully kneaded so that the pancake would have a good texture. The Guokou Bun looked hard and was also very chewy. Most people thought it was made of dead dough. In fact, it was not. When kneading the dough, the fermented dough had to be used together with flour. Otherwise, the pancake would taste like stone blocks. When making the Guokou Bun, no oil or other materials were added. It was an absolutely light food. Many people would eat Bozhou Guokou Bun after drinking and feel very refreshed.
Ang Lee really did not expect that such a small Guokou Bun would have so many varieties. It bloomed almost all over the country. However, due to the different techniques and regional tastes, Guokou Bun in different regions would have different tastes and sizes. Some were crispy, some were soft, and some were very hard. The shape was not completely round. There were also long Guokou Bun that did not look like a pot at all.
In short, there were too many types of Guokou Bun. A person might not be able to eat all the Guokou Bun in his lifetime. It was very good to be able to taste the most famous and authentic Guokou Bun once.
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