Instead of making Chinese hamburgers, we want to make the world’s Roujiamo—a brief discussion of the cultural genes contained in Tongguan Roujiamo
Tongguan is an ancient city full of historical charm. The unique geographical environment and rich historical culture have given birth to the traditional delicacy Tongguan Roujiamo, which is vividly called "Chinese hamburger". It not only carries the emotions and memories of Tongguan people, but is also an important part of Chinese food culture. It has cultural characteristics such as a long history, distinct geography, unique craftsmanship, and rich connotations. It is an intangible cultural heritage of Shaanxi Province. Researching and excavating the cultural genes of Tongguan Roujiamo is of great significance for enhancing people’s sense of identity and pride in Chinese culture and promoting the spread of Chinese culture around the world.
1. Tongguan Roujiamo has a long historical origin
China has a long food culture, and almost every delicacy has its own unique origin and story, and the same is true for Tongguan Roujiamo.
The most widely circulated theory is that the Laotongguan Roujiamo first appeared in the early Tang Dynasty. It is said that Li Shimin was riding a horse to conquer the world. When passing by Tongguan, he tasted the Tongguan Roujiamo and praised it profusely: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, I I didn’t know there was such a delicacy in the world.” He immediately named it: “Tongguan Roujiamo.” Another theory is more believable. Tongguan Roujiamo originated from a post station in the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Tongguan was a transportation thoroughfare connecting the Central Plains and the Northwest, and an important pass on the Silk Road. Business travelers gathered here, and various cultural exchanges made the local food culture increasingly rich. In order to provide passengers with food that was easy to carry and eat, the post station cut the barbecue into small pieces and put it in the steamed bun. This is the earliest Tongguan Roujiamo. With the passage of time, the introduction of "braised pork" and "hu cake", steamed bun makers continued to improve the production methods of Tongguan Roujiamo, and completed the process of steamed buns with meat, beef tongue cakes with meat, and round thousand-layer buns. With the evolution of meat cakes, the production methods and processes have become simpler and faster, and the taste has become richer. Tongguan Roujiamo became popular during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and developed during the Republic of China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the production techniques were gradually improved, and eventually evolved into the unique delicacy today.
There is no conclusive historical evidence to prove these legendary historical stories, but they entrust the old Shaanxi people's wishes for a better life such as reunion, harmony, and happiness. They also give Roujiamo a rich cultural color, allowing future generations to learn about it through interesting stories. Roujiamo has been passed down from generation to generation, forming a common food culture memory of Tongguan people. The development and evolution of Tongguan Roujiamo reflects the hardworking wisdom, openness and tolerance of Tongguan people and their cultural mind of learning from others' strengths. It also makes Tongguan traditional snacks unique in food culture and has become a brilliant crystallization of Yellow River culture.
2. Tongguan Roujiamo has distinctive regional color
China has a vast territory, and different regions have different food cultures. These food cultures not only show the local customs and customs, but also reflect the historical and cultural backgrounds of different regions. Tongguan Roujiamo has distinctive cultural characteristics of the Yellow River Basin in the north.
The soil and water support the people, and the formation of local flavor is directly related to the geographical environment and climate products. The creation of Tongguan Roujiamo is inseparable from the rich products in Guanzhong area. The vast Guanzhong Plain has distinct seasons, a suitable climate, and fertile water and soil nourished by the Wei River. It is an ideal environment for the growth of crops. It has been one of the famous agricultural areas in Chinese history since ancient times. Due to its convenient transportation, it is surrounded by dangerous mountains and rivers. From the Western Zhou Dynasty, Since then, 10 dynasties, including Qin, Western Han, Sui and Tang, have established their capitals in the center of the Guanzhong Plain, which lasted for more than a thousand years. Shaanxi is the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture. As early as the Neolithic Age, five or six thousand years ago, the "Banpo Villagers" in Xi'an had domesticated pigs. For thousands of years, people have generally had a tradition of raising livestock and poultry. The high-quality wheat abundant in Guanzhong and the large-scale breeding of pigs provide sufficient high-quality ingredients for the production of Roujiamo.
There are many ancient Roujiamo brands in Tongguan, which have been passed down for hundreds of years. Walking into the Tongguan Roujiamo Cultural Museum Experience Hall, the antique decoration makes visitors feel as if they have traveled back to an ancient inn, and feel the strong historical atmosphere and folk customs. Steamed bun makers are still used to crackling their rolling pins to demonstrate their skills and attract customers. These characteristics add unique charm and cultural value to Tongguan food culture, which is full of strong local characteristics and humanistic sentiments. During important festivals and receptions, Tongguan Roujiamo must be a delicacy to entertain guests. It has also become a gift that Tongguan people often bring to relatives and friends when they go out. It represents the Tongguan people’s cherishment of family reunions, friendships and traditional festivals. and attention. In 2023, the China Cuisine Association awarded Tongguan the title of "Landmark City with Roujiamo Special Food".
3. Tongguan Roujiamo has exquisite production skills
Noodles are the main theme in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi Province, and Tongguan Roujiamo is the leader in noodles. The production process of Tongguan Roujiamo consists of four steps: braised pork, kneading noodles, making cakes and stuffing meat. Each process has its own secret recipe. There are secret recipes for braised pork, four seasons for kneading noodles, unique skills for making cakes, and special skills for stuffing meat.
Tongguan Roujiamo is made from high-quality wheat flour, mixed with warm water, alkaline noodles and lard, kneaded into dough, rolled into strips, rolled into cakes, and baked in a special oven until the color is even and the cake turns yellow. take out. Thousand-layer sesame seed cakes freshly baked are layered inside, and the skin is thin and crispy, like puff pastry. When you take a bite, the residue will fall off and burn your mouth. It tastes great. The meat of Tongguan Roujiamo is made by soaking and stewing pork belly in a stew pot with special formula and seasonings. The meat is fresh and tender, the soup is rich, fat but not greasy, lean but not woody, and tastes salty and delicious. , a profound aftertaste. The way to eat Tongguan Roujiamo is also very particular. It pays attention to "hot buns with cold meat", which means that you must use freshly baked hot pancakes to sandwich the cooked cold meat, so that the fat of the meat can penetrate into the buns, and the meat and buns can be mixed together. , soft and crispy, the aroma of meat and wheat are perfectly blended together, stimulating the diners' sense of smell, taste and touch at the same time, making them enjoy and indulge in it.
Tongguan Roujiamo, no matter from the choice of ingredients, the unique way of making layer cakes and braised pork, or the way of eating "hot buns with cold meat", all reflect the intelligence, tolerance and open-mindedness of Tongguan people, reflecting Understand the lifestyle and aesthetic concepts of Tongguan people.
4. Tongguan Roujiamo has a good inheritance foundation
"The best inheritance of history is to create new history; the greatest tribute to human civilization is to create a new form of human civilization." Tongguan Roujiamo is a precious cultural heritage, and Tongguan County deeply explores the historical and cultural elements of Tongguan Roujiamo. , giving it a new era of cultural connotation.
In order to let more people taste Tongguan delicacies and let Tongguan Roujiamo go out of Tongguan, the steamed bun craftsmen have made bold innovations and researched and developed Tongguan Roujiamo industrial production technology, quick freezing technology and cold chain logistics, which not only highly preserved the Tongguan Roujiamo The original taste of Roujiamo has greatly improved production efficiency, allowing Tongguan Roujiamo to go out of Tongguan, Shaanxi, abroad, and into thousands of households. To this day, Tongguan Roujiamo is still innovating and developing, and has introduced a variety of new flavors, such as spicy Roujiamo, pickled cabbage Roujiamo, etc., to meet the taste needs of different people and create Shaanxi A successful example of the transformation of local snacks into industrialization, scale and standardization. The rapid development of the Roujiamo industry has led to the development of the entire industrial chain system including wheat planting, pig breeding, production and processing, cold chain transportation, online and offline sales, and packaging materials, promoting agricultural development and increasing people's income.
5. Tongguan Roujiamo has strong spreading ability
Cultural self-confidence is a more basic, deeper and more lasting force. For people in Shaanxi, the Roujiamo in their hands is a symbol of nostalgia, the memory and yearning for the delicacies of their hometown. The three words "Roujiamo" have been integrated into their bones and blood, taking root in their souls. Eating Roujiamo It is not only a filling of the stomach, but also a kind of glory, a kind of blessing in the heart or a kind of spiritual satisfaction and pride. Economic self-confidence breeds cultural self-confidence. Tong cares about people from all over the world and has expanded its business to the world. Currently, there are more than 10,000 Tongguan Roujiamo stores across the country, with physical stores located in Eastern Europe and exported to Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea and other countries and regions. Tongguan Roujiamo not only conveys the unique taste of Shaanxi cuisine, but also enhances the recognition and confidence of Shaanxi people in the local culture. It also spreads the long charm of Chinese culture to people around the world and builds a cultural exchange between Shaanxi traditional culture and countries around the world. The bridge has expanded the attraction, appeal and influence of Chinese national culture around the world.
Tongguan Roujiamo is becoming more and more popular and has attracted the attention of major media. CCTV's "Getting Rich", "Who Knows a Chinese Meal", "Home for Dinner", "Economic Half Hour" and other columns have carried out special reports. Xinhua News Agency has promoted Tongguan Roujiamo through columns such as "Tongguan Roujiamo Exploring the Sea", "The Fragrance of Tongguan Roujiamo is Fragrant in Thousands of Households" and "A Piece of Roujiamo Reveals the Code of Industrial Recovery", which has promoted Tongguan Roujiamo to become an international brand. The stage plays an important role in telling Chinese stories, spreading China’s voice, and presenting a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive China. In December 2023, Tongguan Roujiamo was selected into the Xinhua News Agency’s national brand project, marking that Tongguan Roujiamo will use Xinhua News Agency’s rich media resources, powerful communication channels and high-end think tank power to comprehensively enhance its brand value, economic value and culture value, further demonstrating the Chinese spirit and Chinese power contained in it, and the new brand image of "World Roujiamo" will surely be more brilliant.