With "Piyazi", Xinjiang people can eat meat in large quantities

▲ Piy?z means onion in Persian. Photography/Flying through the window D young people Pictures/Picture Chong·Creativity

-Fengwujunyu-

Why do I always have tears in my eyes?

Because I love Piyazi deeply

Maybe even Xinjiang people don’t realize that “Piyazi”, also known as onions, is Xinjiang cuisine An irreplaceable character.

It’s no wonder, who said Xinjiang’s gourmet wife is so amazing? Nang is the staple food of Xinjiang people; mutton is also the most famous thing in the world; there are also the heroic pilaf, the unique style of strips, and the small and exquisite baked buns...everything makes people want to gain weight. Want to indulge in it.

▲ Nang, the staple food of Xinjiang! Photography/Teacup Stork Pictures/Picture Chong·Creativity

However, these delicacies that are well-known in the "foodie world" are actually inseparable from the cooperation of Pi Ya Zi - naan must be used Piyazi is used for seasoning, mutton relies on Piyazi to relieve greasiness, baked buns are filled with crushed Piyazi, and Piyazi is an indispensable ingredient in rice pilaf and pulled strips. Even the Xinjiang Grand Theater in Urumqi is affectionately called the "Piyazi Grand Theater" because of its similar shape.

▲ "Piyazi Grand Theater" in Urumqi. Photography/Dajiang L Picture/Tu Chong·Creativity

In a certain dish, Piyazi may be just a short-lived supporting role; however, looking at the entire Xinjiang flavor stage, it can be called a A resounding protagonist!

Pi Yazi is to the people of Xinjiang, just like garlic is to the people of the north, and green onions are to the people of Shandong. It is naturally indispensable for cooking. Eating is even more wild and unrestrained.

As the saying goes, "If you eat meat without garlic, the taste will be half as bad." For Xinjiang people who like mutton the most, Pi Ya Zi has replaced raw garlic as a way to relieve fatigue and improve food quality. The flavorful "sacred meat accompaniment" also has the effect of lowering blood lipids. Therefore, with a "skin" in hand, you can let go of your belly, eat meat, and have a carnival of fun.

▲ Pi Ya Zi is a vegetable, so eating mutton with Pi Ya Zi, rounding it off can be considered as a weight loss. Photography/Guardian Angel Picture/Picture Chong·Creativity

In Xinjiang, the most common way to cook mutton is undoubtedly stew. Good ingredients often only require the simplest cooking method. A large piece of mutton is stewed in a pot until the meat is tender. During this period, onions, ginger, salt, pepper and other seasonings are added in appropriate amounts according to personal taste. However, after taking it out of the pot, a lot of skin Teeth strips are essential.

The original stewed mutton is delicate and soft, with a strong meaty aroma; the skin yam is spicy and crispy, but has a sweet aftertaste in the mouth. The tastes of the two complement each other and the flavors are consistent. When the tender and juicy stewed mutton meets the sweet and spicy taste of the skin, it is the "gold wind and jade dew meeting each other", which is enough to win the world.

▲ The retro enamel teapot is the standard for teapots. Photography/User Wolf of the North Picture/Picture Chong·Creativity

The "tank meat" invented by the Kashgar people is a pocket version of stewed mutton. There are retro enamel tea jars arranged on the stove, in which ingredients such as mutton, carrots, and skin yams are added. In some places, some Xinjiang specialty "Qiamagu" is also placed. This time, the mutton and Pi Ya Zi had a "long conversation" in a small tea vat. They blended together during the continuous stewing, and Pi Ya Zi disappeared without a trace, turning into the fragrance of the meat and the sweetness of the soup.

▲ A pinch of salt is enough to bring out the flavor of the lamb. Photography/Sheep-herding star

And the most famous barbecue in Xinjiang needs Pi Yazi to assist.

The cooking method of barbecue can be called "minimalist style": in terms of ingredients, mutton is often "three lean and one fat", and no additional oil is needed. Lamb is the fattest meat. The oil will naturally come out sizzlingly and penetrate into the lean meat; for seasoning, you only need to sprinkle a handful of salt on it, or drop a puddle of salt water on the plate, and at most a handful of cumin, and the flavor of the barbecue will be revealed. Nothing left.

When the time is right, put the shiny meat skewers on the naan, cut a few slices of skin and eat the meat one by one, "skin", to get rid of the greasy taste brought by the fat. It was completely dissipated by the skin, leaving only the charming smoke and long-lasting aroma of barbecue.

▲ The authentic way to eat Xinjiang barbecue.

Photography/wangzfjuv Picture/Tu Chong·Creativity

In Urumqi and other places in northern Xinjiang, there is also a roasted dish called "Seppi" (pronounced similar to "CP") To make a skewer, the sheep's spleen is hollowed out, stuffed with shredded leather teeth, minced fat lamb, minced lamb liver, etc., then sealed and grilled. When the fat and the skin melt together, the rich aroma of the oil and the fragrance of the skin are intertwined, and the resulting taste is no less delicious than the extremely tender roasted kidneys.

In addition to mutton, Pi Ya Zi is also a companion of horse meat, beef and other ingredients. Kazakh Naren usually has a lower floor, and a large amount of horse meat and leather teeth are arranged on the upper floor, and a pot of milk tea is cooked to relieve greasiness and digestion; there is also a kind of "horse intestines", where horse meat is stuffed into the horse intestines. After making it, cut it into thin slices and eat it with skinny strips. It also has a wonderful flavor.

▲ Horse intestines, a unique Xinjiang delicacy. Photography/Nowhere to Come/Pictures·Creativity

Therefore, for Xinjiang people, mutton is indeed the irreplaceable overlord on the table, and Piyazi is the indispensable mutton. As an alternative partner, Xinjiang tastes like mutton, but it also tastes like skin.

If when it comes to mutton, Pi Ya Zi is just an auxiliary, then in staple food, it is the core ingredient that determines the flavor. Among the three staple foods of Xinjiang - naan, pilaf and slivers, Piyazi can make his "C debut" and dominate the audience.

▲ Xinjiang’s Pi Ya Zi Naan. Photography/Lanlan LAN Pictures/Tu Chong·Creativity

Nang is firmly at the top of the list of staple foods for Xinjiang people. However, few outsiders know that crispy naan bread is often coated with salt water and chopped onions on the surface before baking, and then placed in a naan pit for baking. Under the catalysis of heat, the bread expands and turns into a brown color, and the noodle will turn into burnt black particles and adhere to it. The spicy and slightly sweet flavor penetrates into the naan, making its taste richer and layered. feel.

When the baked naan comes out of the pit, the wheat aroma of the naan mixed with the fragrance of the skin wafts out. Taking a bite makes people feel like they are on a farm in late autumn, with the wind blowing the waves of wheat. , the land is fresh, and everything in front of you is a mature golden color.

▲ The combination of naan and meat requires onions to match. Photography/Mutu_21 Picture/Tu Chong·Creativity

In Xinjiang’s pilaf, soy sauce and curry are not added to add color, nor are ginger or star anise added. , peppercorns and other spices, only the original rice, mutton, carrots, yellow radish, and our protagonist Pi Yazi are stir-fried, fused, and intertwined in the big pot, and only the mutton, vegetables, and rice themselves are exuded. The aroma.

When people in Xinjiang cook rice, they mostly use a large, thick iron pot, which conducts heat slowly and allows the heat to dissipate slowly and continuously to complete the "stewing" process. "This process. After being simmered for a long time, it was finally served, but it was difficult for diners to find the whereabouts of Piyazi in the rice - after finishing the seasoning, it had already "finished and left" and melted itself into the hot rice. You see It is nowhere to be seen, but there are traces of it everywhere in the rice.

▲ The pilaf is fried and simmered in a large pot, and the taste is amazing. Photography/Happy Photographer cdf picture/Picture Chong·Creativity

Compared to being low-key in Zhaofan, Piyazi appears to be high-profile and high-profile among Xinjiang people. Sweeping in all directions.

How many types of pimps are there in Xinjiang? Minced meat noodles, spicy egg noodles, eggplant and meat noodles, leek and meat noodles, oiled meat noodles... There are dozens of kinds at least, too many to count, so much so that people in Xinjiang often eat pulled rice noodles without being picky. With the ingredients in hand, you can put whatever you have on the big plate. Different regions have different styles. However, only Piyazi is unbeatable and almost universal in the pasta world.

▲ According to friends from Xinjiang, the authentic way to eat Tiaozi in Xinjiang is only when the vegetables and noodles are packaged separately. Photography/Guo Lu LuGuo Pictures/Tu Chong·Creativity

La Tiaozi’s "carrying the tripod" When mixing noodles with oily meat, the essence lies in the oil, whether it is a large piece of meat, The chewy noodles and brightly colored dishes are all made bright by the oil. However, oil can make a plate of noodles, but it can also make the noodles too greasy. The appearance of Pi Ya Zi neutralizes most of the greasiness. Add a few cloves of garlic and the powerful combination will make people appetite.

Xinjiang people’s love for their hometown is so intense that it makes them cry.

In the night market when the lanterns are on, a few plastic stools are moved out, and before waiting for the barbecue to come on, Xinjiang people often ask for a plate of "pi spicy red" - Piyazi +Chili+Tomato, it can be regarded as an appetizer before the meal. These three ingredients are sour, spicy, sweet and spicy, and are good at stimulating appetite. Add a few mouthfuls of "Deadly Wusu" and a night full of fireworks begins.

▲ "Pi Spicy Red", also known as "Tiger Vegetable", as the name suggests, is a combination of Pi Ya Zi, peppers and tomatoes. Photography/Big Zoom Small Eye Picture/Picture Chong·Creativity

When the barbecue comes on stage, Xinjiang people will have to order another plate of skin noodles and hold the meat in one hand - it can be Barbecue can also be roasted lamb legs, roasted kidneys, roasted lamb chops, roasted livers, etc. With the other hand, grab a few strands of leather teeth and stuff them into your mouth, making the mouth become a tit-for-tat battlefield between meat and vegetables. Raise your glass again and drink with a broad mind.

Xinjiang baked buns, which are mainly made from shredded Pi Yazi, can be served as breakfast or afternoon tea, and are also popular as a late-night snack.

▲ Among the baked buns, Hotan ones are the cutest. Photography/The Star of the Sheep Baby

Baked buns are available in many places in Xinjiang, but Hotan baked buns are round and famous throughout Xinjiang for their flavor. Despite the small size of the buns, the thin dough is almost filled with meat fillings. Among them, diced mutton leg meat, diced mutton fat and shredded skin and teeth are "three-thirds of the world", especially the mutton fat and skin and teeth are delicious together. The power makes the baked buns extremely tender and juicy, with rich layers and a sweet taste.

Freshly baked buns have the best flavor and can be hard and round throughout, making them difficult to eat. People in Xinjiang often serve a bowl of local herbal tea. They first snap off the flat end, wait until the dough is soft, and then use a knife to pry it open from the bottom to form an "edible bowl" filled with concentrated broth. Enjoy it while it's hot. After eating the meat and soup, he ate the dough soaked in the meat juice, and finally even the medicinal tea, sipped it all and left in a leisurely manner.

▲ Take a bite of Baozi when he is not paying attention. Picture/"Breakfast in China Season 2"

Just like how disgusted foreigners only talk about "kebabs" but don't know about barbecue, Xinjiang people wandering in foreign lands always complain about The people at the same table could not understand the beauty of "eating Pi Ya Zi raw" and were helpless. After all, when it is used as an onion, it is just a dispensable condiment; however, when it is turned into a pickle, it is enough to make a meal lively.

Therefore, when homesick, each skin represents the Xinjiang people’s longing for their homeland, peeling off layers of nostalgia, sometimes with sweet aftertaste, sometimes with tears. Flow all over face.

"Did you choke on the onions?"

"No, I miss home.

”

- END -

Text丨September

*Special thanks to Kut and Lao Li