Characteristics of golden duck eggs in Mata Lake

The golden duck eggs in Mata Lake are absolutely famous at home and abroad. The duck eggs here are extraordinary, with first-class color and taste, and have many years of production technology and high-quality egg source culture. Here, we will analyze the characteristics of golden duck eggs in Mata Lake and the play strategy of Mata Lake Scenic Area in detail.

There are three kinds of methods to pickle duck eggs:

Salting in salt water, yellow mud and spiced eggs. Various salting methods are either placed in glass jars or ceramic containers.

However, you didn't know until you went to Mata Lake that there is another kind of golden duck egg that is naturally preserved in a small mud pit without containers. Never underestimate this golden duck egg. It was once a royal tribute.

"Since ancient times, there have been flocks of geese and ducks in Mata Lake, and golden duck eggs have long enjoyed a good reputation.

Characteristics of golden duck eggs in Mata Lake:

Goose and duck usually feed on the clams in the lake, and the duck eggs produced are of good quality and unique in color and fragrance.

After pickling and steaming, it can be seen that there is a butter ring at the intersection of the egg yolk, which is like a wisp of golden thread twisted. Its taste is delicious, the egg is oily but not greasy, and the fleshy sand does not choke the throat, hence the name of golden thread duck egg. " In Shandong's tourism materials, there are such generally consistent propaganda contents.

Golden duck eggs are a traditional local specialty in Zibo, which is produced in Qifeng Town, Huantai County. Mata Lake, known as "the south of the north and the land of plenty", is located in Qifeng Town.

I remember traveling to Zibo five years ago. After a few days, I really felt that there was nowhere to go, so I asked the host of the hotel for advice. He is in his forties and looks simple and honest.

"What are the good places to visit in Zibo?"

At that time, we had visited the ancient street of Zhoucun, tasted the famous "Zhoucun Sesame Cake", and went to Liaozhai Garden to experience the strange world written by Pu Songling. After the store heard about it, it said helplessly, "Actually, we locals don't like to go to those places.

You can go to Mata Lake and the ancient city of Qi. The Museum of the Ancient City of Qi is the ruins of the capital of Qi State, which can witness the history of Qi kings competing for hegemony during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In addition, probably only Mata Lake can be regarded as the most rural old place with Shandong flavor. "

Regardless of whether this shopkeeper is cheating or not, he has hit the nail on the head anyway. I like this recommendation, especially I am more interested in Mata Lake.

So, I hurried out of the city and walked northwards for more than 3 kilometers, then I arrived at Qifeng Town, Huantai County. There is an ancient stone bridge at the head of the town, and more than 1 small peasant wooden boats have stopped under the bridge.

There is also a small stone pavilion by the river. What ancient figures are enshrined in the pavilion, which makes people feel that Qifeng Town should have a long history. However, there are no toll gates and scenic spots, and there is no shadow of Mata Lake at all, only a small river meanders.

"This is the entrance to the scenic spot. You are not allowed to drive into Mata Lake, but you can only take a boat. The fare for a single person is 5 yuan, and the boat journey takes more than 4 minutes."

The old man who paid the fee put the ticket money in his arms and arranged a boatman for us. The people who collect fees and row boats are all over 6 years old. It is estimated that they collect fees and manage them on behalf of the town committee.

It turns out that this 5 yuan includes both the scenic spot tickets and the boat fare to take us in, and the price is not cheap.

The boat flows northward along this small river with bright blue waves, and the river surface is fairly wide. The wicker on both sides hangs under the water, and the spacious farmyard on the bank of the river can be seen at any time. Because there is no fence in the yard, the situation of each family can be seen at a glance.

At that time, it was just after the autumn harvest. The stalks of wheat and orange piled up in the yard looked like a golden mat, shining yellow, and they were next to each other. Occasionally, farmers drying grain were busy.

these scenes are reflected on the river like a mirror, forming a three-dimensional picture with rich artistic conception, symmetrical up and down and carefree. The boatman shook the wooden oars, and the boat creaked, as if we were floating in a quiet and beautiful paradise.

The 65-year-old boatman is ruddy, kind and simple. He paddled and talked about the origin of Mata Lake. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zibo was the capital of the State of Qi, because there was a circus platform in Qi Huangong, Huantai County was established, and Matahu area was a strategic place.

after years of crusade against the east and the west, most of Qi Huangong was conquered, and the power of Qi became stronger and stronger. Therefore, it was agreed to form an alliance with the waiting countries in this place (also known as Huicheng).

Everyone knew that Huan Gong wanted to be the overlord, and they were afraid of being caught in a trap, so they led an army to flock to him.

This place is named Mata Lake, also known as Huicheng Lake, because of the heavy troops and horses trampling on it, and the water accumulated into a lake after the rain.

Looking online, "The terrain in Huantai County is high in the south and low in the north, inclining from southwest to northeast, and slightly microwave-shaped. Mata Lake is located at the northern foot of Taiyi Mountain, and the overlapping concave land of flood alluvial plain in front of the mountain is distributed in a trough shape, forming a natural wetland." It seems that the description of Mata Lake in this story is still vivid.

On the way, the boat stopped at a river beach. There is only one family on the river beach, an adobe bungalow, with a row of awnings in front of it, and the edge of the awning is the sparkling water.

Ducks flock on the shore, and some catch fish and shrimp in the water; Some are floating on the shore, flapping their wings and shouting; Others dangle around with big bellies at our feet.

Look carefully at these ducks. They are light in size, small in the front chest, plump in the back, with brown feathers and black stripes. They belong to the sparrow feather type similar to their ancestors, so they are commonly called "Ma Duck".

It is said that they have strong foraging ability and are suitable for living in rivers, ponds, reed fields and plains. Ducks with white and black plumage are all its varieties.

Our boatman should be familiar with the host of this family. As soon as the boat landed, they sat at a Xiao Mu table under the arbor and drank tea. The teacup is a porcelain cup from the 198s, with the words "Long live Chairman Mao" in red on the outside, which is very familiar.

While the boatman was having tea and chatting with his friends, we turned and walked into the house, which was crowded with people. "Oh, duck eggs are sold in the house!" Because the wall near the door is full of baskets of duck eggs.

The hostess of this family, who looks less than 6 years old, is squatting by the back wall, with a row of dark cellars at her feet. She reaches out and gropes for them.

A duck egg wrapped in black mud was put into a small carton with a handle beside it, and a box was filled with exactly 5 duck eggs. After paying the money, the tourists lifted the egg box and all smiled and squeezed out of the room.

It turns out that golden duck eggs can be pickled with hemp duck eggs outside the house. When curing, you don't need a glass bottle, a pottery jar or a plastic bucket, but a small brick cellar under the ground.

It's the first time that I've seen such a primitive and natural way to pickle eggs.

those duck eggs are squeezed in the thick black mud in the cellar. I don't know whether the sand and mud were transported back from the outside and put into the cellar, or whether the bottom of the cellar is directly connected with the river bottom outside the house.

It feels like those duck eggs are sleeping comfortably in the mushy river mud. They can completely breathe the breath and spirituality of nature.

"The sand mud is accompanied by old-fashioned large-grain salt, which can be marinated in 2 days. Duck eggs marinated in this way will not go bad for a long time. In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong took a fancy to the golden duck eggs here and hand-picked them as royal tributes. "

We also walked out of the house with our favorite "baby" and saw the host proudly introducing the characteristics of golden duck eggs to the tourists in the yard.

On the bank of the river, the sun is shining, the wicker is fluttering, the water is rippling, and the ducks are croaking. A man and a woman, two teenagers are fishing on the west side of the corner, one left and one right, and they are very busy.

with the lifting and lowering of the fishing rod, the lively little fish are pulled out of the water. Before the children could throw the hooked fish into the silk bag, several ducks suddenly jumped in, grabbed the fish and swallowed it. < P > The two children are probably the grandchildren of this family. What a relaxing summer vacation!

This is the farm life by Mata Lake, which seems to be not much different from the ancient legend. "In ancient times, there were many springs in Huantai, and the rivers were staggered. People near the water raised more ducks. Hanoi produces a lot of screws and fish and shrimp. When ducks eat it, they lay eggs with layers of yolk and purple and red. Cut it, such as gold wire winding, its taste is abnormal. If it is salted for nearly a month, when the knife is cooked, the butter will flow out of this duck egg along the edge, also known as the shredded duck egg. "

It is said that Mata Lake, which was called "Little Sea" in ancient times, has flourished since ancient times because of its rich products, forming an early and late market. Before dawn every day, traders and fishermen have gathered, and a few stalls are trading with lanterns. Just before dawn, the transaction reached its peak. This unique morning market is called "Dew Collection".

after buying duck eggs, our boat continued to float to the depths of the lake area, with reeds in the way and green waves rippling beside the boat. When crossing several low bridges on the river, we quickly lowered our heads for fear of hitting the top of the bridge. In fact, it was just a matter of mind.

in a short time, the view was broadened, and Mata Lake arrived, with lotus gardens everywhere in front of and around, and vast lakes and reed fields in the distance.

"The reed blocks the water and there is no way, but the penny is lighter and there is another village", and the boat floats in the world full of lotus flowers. Swimming in the meantime, I feel refreshed and warm. The boatman told us the story of Yan Shu and Lu Zhonglian talking about the gains and losses of the six countries' current politics by Mata Lake.

At that time, Lu Zhonglian had foreseen that the State of Qin would rise to the occasion and dominate the world. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed Qi, the hermit of Qi who was good at explaining grand and extraordinary strategies was not reconciled and threw himself into the river. These stories make people sad, and they also remind people of the prosperity of the old land of the King of Qi.

Our boat circled among the lotus leaves, and the green lake overflowed, reaching down. So, I couldn't help picking a big lotus leaf with dew and covering it on my head, and the fatigue of the journey and the fierce inflammation of the sun suddenly disappeared. Mata Lake wetland is pristine and quiet, and it is really hard to see that Shandong still preserves such quaint scenery.

The water sources in the lake area are gathered by many rivers, such as Wuhe River, Xiaofu River, Zhulong River in the east and west, Xinghua River and so on. The Wuhe River, which was called Black Water and Wulong Water in ancient times, is cold and does not freeze in winter, so it is named because Zishui is flowing and contains black sediment.

I don't know if this is the reason why the sand mud pickled golden duck eggs is black and oily. However, the lake here is not black, but clear water, lotus leaf fields, Yu Lian pavilions, fish and shrimp.

In the distance, the reeds are dense and flourishing, birds are flying between Tianshui and insects are singing in the grass by the lake. If it is sunset, the fishing boat sings late to the lotus, and yan zhen is frightened and cold, it will be a charming picture of water and sky. Although we visited before noon, we felt satisfied.

Time passes very slowly here. I think it can't be calculated by hours, but should be measured by the displacement of the lotus shadow on the lake.

Time is long and quiet in Mata Lake, just like the ripples drawn by fish, shrimps, birds and dragonflies, it passes away little by little. Time is wonderful in Mata Lake, which is as colorful as the fragrant buds and red calyx on the blue waves.

Time is full of reverie in Mata Lake. It is like a densely woven reed flower in the distance, swaying and swaying, shaking out dreams and shaking time. If there are pure land and holy land in the world, Mata Lake is one of them.

"The breeze blows the green willows, the clear water reflects the white lotus, the colorful fish play and sail, and people are in Traveling in a pictorial world." It is the best explanation for this northern country Jiangnan.

At noon, we went to a farmer's fishing shop by the lake and tasted local special snacks, such as "chili pepper Black Fish Slice", "Pubai Monopterus albus Soup" and "Lotus Root with Sugar Mixed with Flowers". In particular, "sugar mixed with flowers and lotus roots" makes people wonder.

lotus root, we usually slice it, blanch it and then mix it with cold water, or have fried lotus root slices. I never thought that the local people actually ate raw lotus root slices. This dish does not need any cooking skills. Fresh lotus roots are washed, sliced, put on a plate, sprinkled with white sugar and shredded ginger.

I thought the raw lotus root slices would be astringent and hard to swallow, and there would be an unspeakable starch taste, but I never thought it would be so delicious.

The cut lotus root slices have nine holes, and the texture is delicate and round, muddy as white jade, and delicious and crisp as perfume pears; Those sticky lotus root liquids can be pulled out in rows of white silk, which is full of stains; The food is mouth-watering, and the truth of "breaking the silk" is suddenly realized.

This is the first time in my life to eat lotus roots like this. The store said: "White lotus root is also a must for Mata Lake and the first choice for entertaining guests.

People on the lake are the best guests. In the old days, when guests came, strong guys would jump into the lake. _ Fresh lotus roots were wrapped in lotus leaves, then wrapped in a new handkerchief, cracked the shell with boxing, sprinkled with appropriate amount of sugar and shredded ginger, and dug raw lotus roots with a spoon until a clean empty shell was left. "

it seems that the way we just ate is still not the most primitive.

The name of the shop is Laowan Fishing, which is located by the lake. The dining room has an elegant environment, surrounded by screens like mosquito nets, not glass walls, which are ventilated, bright and mosquito-proof. It would be even more beautiful if you tasted lotus tea, basked in the sun and played poker here.

not far from the east, there is an exaggerated arched wooden bridge, which is connected with a row of tortuous wooden plank roads, and under the plank road is a lotus pond. Needless to say, there are pieces of white lotus roots hanging on the lotus roots underwater.

It is said that when President Nixon visited China in 1972, he ate the white lotus root here, which shows his reputation. In addition, fried lotus and fried mint leaves are also famous for their nature and crispness.

The fishing shop itself is a small farmhouse built by the lake, and the fence corridor made of sorghum and orange stalks is covered with green vines. Sunlight passes through the fence corridor and casts mottled light and shadow.

seasonal fruits and vegetables are planted in the courtyard, and baskets of red peppers are basked in the sun. The pepper basket is very big, belonging to a large wicker basket with a diameter of one meter wide, and the corner of the courtyard is full of gorgeous flowers. Being in the city for too long is getting farther and farther away from the life in the country. Everything here makes people feel that they have finally found a long-lost pastoral atmosphere.

It's been five years since I came back from that trip to Zibo, and there are still a few regrets:

First, I bought too few golden duck eggs, only one in 1.5 yuan. Why did I only bring back two small boxes of 1 eggs?

salted duck eggs in mud pits started in Taiyuan! In the northeast, salted eggs are put in a jar, which is very clean, but it loses the original taste of the soil. According to my friends in Shandong, when I was a child, their family pickled duck eggs like this, which was super green and environmentally friendly. Therefore, every time I eat the big porridge in the northeast, my family will say, "How beautiful it would be with that golden duck egg!" Now, a "seven-day crash method for duck eggs" is popular in cities.

The method is to soak the washed duck eggs in a white wine bowl, roll them with salt foam, then wrap them with plastic wrap layer by layer, put them in large plastic boxes or glass containers, and refrigerate them in the refrigerator. After 7 days, they can be eaten quickly. Here, regardless of the advantages and disadvantages of this pickling method, compared with the quality of golden silk duck eggs, it is definitely not as original as they can't breathe the earth, so they naturally lack grounding gas.

By the way, according to the 7-day quick method, before wrapping the duck eggs with plastic wrap, roll a layer of five spices, and the spiced duck eggs will come out. If wrapped in a layer of yellow mud, it is the yellow mud pickling method mentioned at the beginning of this article.

second, I didn't buy some reed painting. The reed-woven handicrafts in Mata Lake are very distinctive. Reed is cut, scalded, pasted, moistened and mounted. 8% of the whole picture is the natural color difference of natural reed, and about 2% is made of ironing and carbonization, which can be called "green art painting".

Third, due to insufficient preparation in advance, I didn't visit the historic sites around Mata Lake. It is said that there are 18 crowds. Dongpo Pavilion, for example, boarded the poetry office for Su Dongpo.

It is said that when Su Dongpo made a secretariat in Mizhou (now Zhucheng), after visiting Mata Lake, he was full of praise, so he wrote a poem, "Henghu Jueju": "

I am greedy to see the emerald green cover with red makeup, no!