In the kitchens of these hills, dishes were once prepared to give farmers strength between hours of toil in the fields. Hakka cuisine is often described in…
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In the kitchens of these hills, dishes were once prepared to give farmers strength between hours of toil in the fields.
Hakka cuisine is often described in three words: "salty, fragrant, rich with oil." It is food built for those who work until they sweat — bold in salt, generous in fat.
Let us go through the representative dishes in turn. First, there is Hakka stir-fry — dried squid, pork, firm tofu, and scallions all tossed together over a fierce flame.
Next comes stir-fried pork intestines with ginger. Slivers of ginger and pork intestine are stir-fried with a sharp touch of vinegar. The first thing you taste is the tang of vinegar and the bite of ginger — and only afterward does the chewy texture of the intestine linger on the tongue.
For noodles, there is ban tiao — flat noodles made from rice flour, smooth and slippery as they slide down the throat.
And after the meal, there is lei cha. Tea leaves, sesame, and peanuts are placed in a mortar and patiently ground with a wooden pestle, then hot water is poured in to make the drink. As the pestle turns round and round, the fragrance of sesame rises up, little by little.
By the time your plate is empty, try asking for just one more cup of tea.
