On vinegar in Shanxi

I just brushed a short article, the content is probably that a little girl in Guangdong vomited that Shanxi people were too jealous. I can't help laughing. Shanxi mature vinegar and Fenjiu should be two local IP's after Shanxi "coal boss".

Basically, in Jinzhong, Lvliang and further north, vinegar is essential. Shanxi over-mature vinegar is made from high-quality sorghum, barley, peas and other grains by steaming, fermentation, smoking, drenching and drying. It is one of the four famous vinegars in China with a history of more than 3,000 years. It is known as "the first vinegar in the world" and has five characteristics: color, fragrance, alcohol, concentration and acidity. Shanxi mature vinegar is red in color, delicate in aging and soft in acidity. Shanxi people love to eat mature vinegar, which is related to the climate and daily eating habits of the Loess Plateau. Geographically, Shanxi is located in the Loess Plateau. Groundwater in many places is alkaline and the water quality is hard. Drinking this water for a long time is easy to produce stones. At this time, it is necessary to add appropriate acid to neutralize the alkali. It is this kind of drinking water quality in Shanxi that has created a unique Shanxi people, who are unhappy without vinegar and love vinegar like life. In terms of climate, Shanxi is dry all the year round, with little rain and dry climate. Under such climatic conditions, people are prone to loss of appetite, and they can't eat peppers to stimulate their appetite like the humid places in the south, otherwise they will easily get angry. Vinegar is a good choice. Especially when the weather is hot in summer, if you eat vinegar, you will have an appetite immediately. In terms of eating habits, the eating habits of a region largely depend on local products, so-called relying on mountains to eat mountains. The crops in Shanxi are mainly drought-tolerant miscellaneous grains such as sorghum, millet, naked oats and buckwheat. Shanxi people have developed a variety of pasta, thus forming the habit of eating noodles. Pasta is hungry and full, but it is not easy to digest. Vinegar can solve the digestion problem well.

For example, every once in a while, our family will take a pot of 5 pounds to Liuxiang to make a pot of Ninghua House. Oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, vinegar is always used the fastest. I remember when I was a child, there was my own workshop for brewing vinegar near my home. The mellow smell of vinegar and the taste similar to distiller's grains are childhood memories. I have been to many places, such as Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar, all kinds of rice vinegar, persimmon vinegar, white vinegar and so on. And I have basically left the border of Shanxi. I'm not used to vinegar outside, and sometimes I'd rather not let it go. When I was in college, I would bring a pot of old vinegar to my dormitory every time I went home, and treat it as a treasure. Sometimes when I am on a business trip, I can't eat the old vinegar for many days, so I buy a few packs of hot and sour beef noodles of Master Kong. There is a small vinegar bag inside, which is authentic old vinegar. It's not enough, but it's satisfying. I remember once having hot pot with some friends in the south. I only used old vinegar, sesame oil and minced garlic to mix a dip, which shocked them all. On another occasion, several customers from other provinces were entertained in Shanxi guild hall, and several bottles of aged vinegar drinks (small glass bottles) were served, and the customers' scalp became numb after drinking acid.

Many people can't understand Shanxi people's love for mature vinegar. On the one hand, there are regional and cultural differences, on the other hand, there are differences in eating habits. If friends from other provinces have the opportunity to go to Shanxi, they must try authentic Shanxi mature vinegar. There is still a big difference between the vinegar in the circulation channel in the province and that in other provinces.