Going to Quanzhou to eat beef is a bit like the Silk Road.

"Compared with big cities,

Delicious in ancient times,

It is worth further discussion. "

Before I went to Quanzhou, I knew little or nothing about the city. This is not my first time in Fujian province, but I can't bypass Xiamen, where the internet celebrity economy is developing day by day. The short weekend trip to Quanzhou opened a new door to Minnan cuisine, but I had already planned my next trip to Quanzhou before I set foot on the return plane.

Arriving in Quanzhou in the middle of the night, my companion and I were exhausted. We took a taxi out of the airport and went straight to the hotel we had already booked. It was safe. The city is very quiet, and the ancient city walls make people feel that time seems to have solidified at this moment. The driver's uncle casually said, "On the right hand side is the famous Guandi Temple here." I was suddenly awakened by a whole row of red lanterns in front of me. From a distance, it looked like a road paved with red lanterns, illuminating the night sky of the whole city. Although the hotel is in the center of the old city, it is also extremely hidden.

Facing the rising sun, the streets and alleys are filled with the ancient flavor of the old city. There are temples and parks in front of our homestay, and they go deep into the alley on the corner, which are all kinds of early scents.

Probably because of the weekend, there are not many people at this time. It is divided into east and west streets, of which West Street is the most intact ancient block in Quanzhou.

As the saying goes, "look at Xi underground and see the whole state on the ground." From the bell tower to the end of Xinhua North Road, West Street is more lively, and some vague words suddenly pop up in my mind: ancient early, mixed and peaceful.

We wandered among the arcades and occasionally saw frolicking children and leisurely old people. From time to time, we heard the cries of vendors and quickly searched for the beef shop recommended by Mr. Cai Lan. Everyone knows that eating beef can't be separated from Chaoshan people, and they all say that "no cow can walk out of Chaoshan alive", so going to Chaozhou to eat beef and beef offal made me sit up and take notice.

What makes me feel incredible is that all kinds of beef-based snacks in Quanzhou have a very long history. Now there are more than two or three hundred beef shops in Quanzhou, which is unimaginable.

We came early on Saturday, because it was not a meal, and there were not many diners in Dongxing Beef Shop. Quanzhou people all have their favorite beef shops, which are praised by everyone. Because the boss's name is Jianxing, it was first opened in East Street, so it was named "Dongxing Beef Shop". Later, because of the road reconstruction, I moved to Zhuangfu Lane. Old Quanzhou told me that every time I go to Zhuangfu Lane, there are only two possibilities, 20% may be passing by and 80% may be coming here.

Seeing the boss sitting in the shop casually, chatting with the clerk from time to time. To me, those are obscure Minnan languages. Fortunately, it is the internet age. Based on the recommendation of netizens, considering the limited ability of two people, I chose a few selectively.

It can be said that beef was rarely eaten in the history of China, because cattle are the main animal power, and Fujian does not produce cattle locally. In this way, Quanzhou, as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, where Arabs came, not only exotic cultures flowed in, but also spices and delicacies on the other side of the ocean took root. There are many descendants of Arabs in Quanzhou who still live on beef.

A steak, a bowl of beef soup and a bowl of salty rice are basically the standards of Quanzhou people. This statement is correct. Braised steak was originally supplied in limited quantities, not exceeding 30 servings a day. It was cut into pieces, blanched, washed and cooked again. The process is simple but complicated. According to the current statement, it is almost a second to become an "online celebrity."

We also ordered a steak, two ribs in a simple stainless steel bowl, but this "steak" is really a beef rib, each piece is full and can be instantly removed by the strong meat flavor. As soon as I entered, I felt the smell of braised pork and the appearance of spices, probably because Arabs like to use various spices.

The steak has been stewed to the bone. Take a bite, you can feel the tightness of the meat and the fullness of the juice. Chew it again and it will be more fragrant. Some old diners chew directly with their hands, which is simple and rude, but very enjoyable.

Seeing our first visit to Quanzhou, the boss enthusiastically introduced his beef. He proudly said that he had to use the freshest meat in the slaughterhouse every day, and he didn't like to use frozen products, so the shop assistants here got busy in the kitchen early in the morning, and first boiled this vat of beef offal soup with the whole cow bought that day. In fact, as soon as I entered the store, I wanted to say that the whole store smelled delicious. It turned out to be the soup of this cow bone.

I couldn't help poking at beef offal soup who had just served on the table. As a result, a bowl full of beef offal made my mouth water. The soup in this restaurant looks light and has a fragrant aftertaste, which never depends on the fineness of additives. Don't worry, have a few drinks first. Ginger and herbs are yellow and green, and the full tripe is delicious and crisp. I haven't tasted such a real and delicious beef offal soup for a long time.

Beef soup can be divided into soft soup and hard soup. The biggest difference is whether the beef is chopped or sliced. The beef soup in Quanzhou is made by mashing beef repeatedly with a wooden stick, adding various seasonings and cooking in a pot. Dongxing is no exception, and it is still cooked by hand with fresh beef every day. When we were sitting in the shop, we vaguely heard the knock of "bang, bang, bang" from the kitchen. I remember when my dad was making wonton at home, he also liked to buy a piece of pork hind leg. Instead of grinding the meat with a machine, he took two kitchen knives and chopped the meat alternately with his own sense of rhythm, saying that the meat tasted good and would not rot.

It is also an unadorned stainless steel bowl. It looks like clear soup with light beef soup, supplemented by chopped coriander and thin shredded ginger. How delicious can it be? However, the moment of entrance is clear and the soup is rich. I think it is more chewy than Fuzhou's soft, because the material is too capricious and even more unsatisfactory.

Unconsciously, there were more customers in the store. I looked around and found there must be this bowl of beef soup on the table. I vaguely heard someone say, "I've been eating this bowl since primary school, but I'm still not tired of it!" " The boss smiled: "Secret!" Just a little disclosure, beef should be sliced before beating.

At first, I wanted to order beef tendon powder, but my boss stopped me: "Beef tendon soup is best to drink directly, and adding things indiscriminately is destructive."

Before opening the store, the boss used to be the chef of the unit, and accidentally exposed the nature of the chef. So I ordered pure beef tendon soup, as if women would prefer this bowl of natural collagen. When I stir with a spoon, I let my sense of smell "taste" first, accompanied by the aroma of shredded ginger and chopped green onion and the aroma of soup base.

I greedily scooped two more pieces, but the beef tendon was really big, and I could only carry one piece on the spoon, which made people happy. I feel young every time I eat beef tendon. I forgot to mention that the soup in the shop can be added on the spot. Although it is an old shop for more than 30 years, the boss is still very generous.

I should have had a bowl of salty rice with old Quanzhou, but the nature of loving pasta came out again. I was particularly curious when I saw dry mixed noodles! This bowl of mixed noodles with peanut butter and red hot sauce is really delicious.

The boss said that this peanut butter was processed by themselves. Stir-fry black sesame seeds thoroughly first, and then grind peanuts. It took a lot of effort to match this bowl of dry mixed noodles. Not only that, I also smell a little scallion oil. The whole bowl of noodles tastes normal and soft, but the roots can be wrapped in sweet and spicy peanut butter. It's the first time I know that black sesame peanut butter is so delicate. It is said that this bowl of dry mixed noodles has been mixed countless times.

I love and hate jiaozi because I like it, but I'm afraid I'll eat too much. Maybe eating food is so tangled. Dongxing also makes jiaozi with minced meat. I ordered one and tasted it. It's really big. There are marinated eggs, mushrooms, chestnuts, scallops, shrimps and a large piece of fat and thin meat. Just like noodles, put a spoonful of peanut butter and red hot sauce on it. It is best to have a big mouth, take a big bite, feel the collision of different ingredients in glutinous rice, and don't forget to dip some sauce, which will make the aftertaste slightly sweet. If you have leisure time, I recommend you to go to a famous meat steamed stuffed bun shop in Quanzhou, and you will get different results.

I only hate myself for having a big heart and a small stomach. After all, I can't eat salty rice soaked in steak soup. I told my boss to come again next time. He smiled and said, "Well, I don't know how long I can do it. In fact, it is not that the craft has not been passed down, but who wants to suffer hardships and make less money now? " Then he got up and went to work again.

1988 Dongxing,

It seems to be accompanied by the growth of Quanzhou.

There is also a blessing that is older than Guandi Temple.

Much like McDonald's and KFC in Quanzhou,

If you really can't figure out what to eat,

Eating beef is always right.

# Travel with all the blessings, have all the blessings #

hahaha

Text/Photo: Piglet

Comments: Piggy _ Cloud

Personal WeChat official account: Piggy likes to eat and drink (although lazy).

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