糟味乡愁
2020-02-14魏水华
魏水华
这样一钵糟味,能从除夕一直吃到元宵,而且越吃越有味,越吃越浓烈。这是绍兴版的蓝纹芝士,表达了中国人对食物过人的智慧。
《笑林广记》记载了一则笑话:一人家贫,喝不起酒,只能吃两个糟饼装出醉意。有朋友问,你早上喝酒了?他如实答,我吃的是糟饼。回家告诉妻子。妻子好面子,教他:“呆子,便说饮酒,也装些门面。”第二天,他按照妻子的意思回答。朋友再问,酒是热吃还是冷吃的。他答,是油煎的。此公又回家告诉妻子,妻有愠色的。第三天,朋友又逗他,你喝了多少?他伸出两手指:两个。还是糟饼呀!
所谓糟饼,其实就是用面粉混合酒糟做的饼,过油一煎,微甜有酒香,这滋味是可以想象的好吃。在已经掌握成熟的酿酒技术,物质却又不甚丰沛的古代,酿酒副产物——酒糟如何被合理而又优雅地吃进肚子不浪费,是一个很早就被载入文人笔记的议题。从宋代的《山家清供》到清朝的《随园食单》,都有以酒糟入菜的传统。
和上海人喜欢在夏天吃糟钵头消暑不同,绍兴人的糟味,是过年犒赏自己和家人的礼物。
糟香浸透着乡愁
一个有趣的现象是,酒文化越盛行的地区,酒糟产量越大,以糟入菜的风俗也就越悠久越流行。齐鲁是中国酒文化的发祥地,所以鲁菜里有大量的“糟溜”“糟蒸”;四川有着全国最集中的白酒产业,所以加入酒糟做成的圆子、冰粉、凉糕,是火锅之后最好的甜品,还有人直接加入牛油火锅汤底,有去腥增鲜的功效;福建人喜欢以红曲米酿酒,副产品红糟是烹饪、生腌,乃至直接佐餐不可或缺的宝贝。
而提到黄酒,“绍兴”是几乎所有中国人下意识为它加的定语。大量出产优质黄酒的背后,还隐藏着家家户户对糟菜的追求。
1939年,刘海粟去拜访蔡元培,身为绍兴人的蔡先生设家宴款待画家。菜肴中有干菜、霉千张、酱鸭、鱼干和糟鸡。这唤起了同是江浙人的刘海粟的思乡之情——虽然身在异乡,但对遥远的沦陷的家乡从未忘怀。
糟香浸透了一荤一素,亦浸透了乡愁,本是小小一物,可偏就能放大人的心思。舌尖牵动着的是家乡,舌尖牵动着的更是家国。
从除夕吃到元宵
1929年正月,章廷谦致信身在上海的鲁迅,邀请他来杭州灵峰探梅。鲁迅在回信中婉拒,他说:“冬假中我大约未必动,研究之结果,自觉和灵峰之梅,并无感情,倒是和糟鸡酱鸭,颇表好感。”
自古就与文人高士联系起来的梅花,在鲁迅眼里“并无感情”,相反,对糟鸡和酱鸭这些脍炙人口的食物,却“颇表好感”。鲁迅的三言两语,除了反映出新文化运动中知识分子们的风尚,还凸显了他作为绍兴人的舌尖记忆。
事实上,鲁迅日记中多次提到了他收到朋友、家人捎来的糟鸡、糟鹅、糟蛋、鱼干和酥糖这些绍兴特产。无一例外,鲁迅收到这些糟味的时间,都在冬季过年前后。
绍兴黄酒对粮食不彻底的发酵工艺,让酒糟中的酒精含量低,残糖和氨基酸含量高,风味层次多,几乎不用另加调味料,就能给予食物豐沛的口感。
但这种糟菜带来的代价就是:易变质。如果是气温较高的夏天,往往糟味还没渗透,食物本身的鲜活灵气已经散失。所以保鲜条件相对较好的冬季,才是绍兴糟味最流行的季节。如今虽然冰箱已经普及,但绍兴人冬天吃糟味,特别是作为过年大菜的习俗却流传了下来。
即便气温低,但酒精含量不足的绍兴糟味,依然需要一些特殊的杀菌技巧。旧时,很多绍兴人家为了追求酒香充分浸透食物的口感,甚至能做到长达十几天的糟腌:每次要吃的时候,用干净的筷子夹出一部分,再以湿润的纱布封口,防止杂菌污染。每天睡前还要上炉灶滚一滚,用以杀菌,完了再加些新的酒糟,补充挥发掉的酒精。
这样一钵糟味,能从除夕一直吃到元宵。而且越吃越有味,越吃越浓烈。这是绍兴版的蓝纹芝士,表达了中国人对食物过人的智慧。
馆子里的“精致糟”
传统的绍兴糟味,用的是直接从黄酒发酵池底捞上来的酒糟。
鸡鸭鹅肉煮熟,待冷却切块,用纱布包着酒糟放到罐头里,一层酒糟一层肉,盖得严严实实的。最后加入盐,放上个把星期,酒糟味渗入肉里头,就大功告成。
整个过程没什么技巧,也没有什么过分的讲究。就像绍兴这座城市一样,透着一股如同乌毡帽一样的粗糙质感。和更精致的淮扬菜、苏帮菜比起来,倒多了一种时间慢下来、生活过起来的情调。
绍兴人回忆小时候过年,印象最深的一定是鲞冻肉或糟钵头。父辈们都说,过年这两道菜顿顿上桌,但他们是顿顿都吃不上的,一来是充门面的,二来是留给大客人们吃的。同样,取个“年年有余”好彩头的鱼,也这样被摆了几乎一个正月,所以,也叫“摆鱼”。
但绍兴的饭店馆子里,却对这种粗糙的糟味有完全不同的演绎。其最重要的差别,就是“吊糟卤”的过程。
绍兴美食家们评判糟卤的标准是“正”和“雅”。正,意思是滋味要浓烈,除了糟泥作为主料之外,还要加入一定量的黄酒、盐、月桂叶和肉桂,激发酒糟微醺的口感;雅,意思是气味要清新,加入白糖、陈皮、桂花,中和酒糟的冲味。诸味齐全后,不能烧、不能煮,否则酒精挥发,就变成盐水一碗,所谓“吊”,意思要小火微温,久浸慢泡,最后让味道融合,才算是合格的糟卤。
用糟卤浸泡的糟味,就不是普通人家糟腌的路数了。要细心切好,用精致的小碟分装上来,搭配醇厚甘甜的绍兴善酿黄酒,让整个生活充满甜味。
这是绍兴作为古越都城、兰亭故里,遗留至今为数不多的风雅情趣,也是这个城市性格一体两面,上能入煌煌殿宇,下能达江湖风情的生动体现。
一切都透着酒香
除了时令应景之外,糟钵头似乎很能体现某个时代和地域的富足程度:南宋百姓富得流油,“糟鲍鱼、糟羊蹄、糟蟹”之类的高端货色在很多文人笔记中都有提到;到了清初,条件差了些,袁枚在《随园食单》里只有“糟肉、糟鸡、糟鲞”;《红楼梦》正值乾嘉盛世,“糟鹅掌、糟鹌鹑”又开始大行其道。
而绍兴这个江南水乡、鱼米之城,也在糟味的多元化上,把本地的富足体现得淋漓尽致。
糟鸡当然是标配,绍兴人甚至会觉得无鸡不成糟。鸡除了提供用以糟醉的肉之外,其渗出的鸡汤,也是一钵糟味能否让人鲜掉眉毛的关键。一碟子皮黄、肉嫩、骨头里还有血丝的上好白斩鸡,用糟卤浸过,越发显卖相饱满、油色诱人,咬一口酒香充盈,最好糟卤里顺带浸一点鸡胗、鸡爪、鸡心之类的“什件”,一样切片了下酒,其美简直无法描述。
糟肉作为糟鸡必要的补充,不可忽视。鸡肉往往鲜韧有余而油润不足,如果能有几块上好的猪五花肉同浸,油脂能很好地平衡整坛糟味的口感,鲜香软糯,极宜下饭。
糟毛豆是最好的零食,把毛豆两头剪去,旺火快煮到微微破壳,不能焖,离火后直接浸在冰水中使其发脆,再用糟卤炮制数小时后上桌,依然如新摘一般翠绿。剥出一颗,脆韧爽滑,酒香却已渗入豆子内部。比之五香花生米,糟毛豆含蓄,却更悠远。
糟田螺也是美馔,田螺加葱姜水和黄酒煮开去腥,浸在糟卤中凉透了上桌,牙签挑出肉来。质地鲜嫩而有嚼劲,比之豆豉爆炒,其中原汁原味的手段,不知高明了多少。
当然,糟味中的至尊标配,还要属“糟钵头”:除了常见的鸡肉、猪肉之外,再加豬肚、猪肝、猪爪、火腿、笋片、香菇、面筋等“好料”,用高汤文火,在小钵里慢煮数小时到酥烂,最后关火,加煮熟的虾、毛豆,用糟卤浸透。比之福建人趁热吃的佛跳墙,绍兴人这坛隐藏着酒香的清腴小菜,更委婉地诉出了江浙佳丽地含而不露的审美情趣。
In the long past centuries when natural disasters and wars could happen anytime, our ancestors tried hard to save all kinds of food. Nothing was thrown away. Even rice wine dregs were saved. Recipes were invented and improved to make them as eatable and delicious as possible. Thats how food prepared with rice wine dregs in Shaoxing started according to gourmets and food historians and thats how so many delicacies with rice wine dregs as a key ingredient have remained as so many peoples favorites.
In China, dishes prepared with rice wine dregs are galore in wine-producing regions. In the Shandong cuisine, food is pickled and steamed with rice wine dregs. In the Sichuan cuisine, rice wine dregs are the key ingredient in desserts such as dumplings or cakes to wrap up a hot-pot feast.
In Shaoxing, a region that produces the largest quantity of yellow wine, rice wine dregs are used as a key ingredient for a lot of food. In the brewing procedure for yellow wine making, an incomplete fermentation approach is used, which means dregs have low alcoholic content but are rich in sugar and amino acid. Rice wine dregs are delicious and they are used in various delicacies. However, food pickled with wine dregs is easy to turn bad in relatively warm weather. That explains why it is in winter that chickens, geese, ducks, and eggs are pickled with wine dregs in Shaoxing and why family reunion banquets on the eve of the Spring Festival have main courses prepared with wine dregs.
Traditionally, the best wine dregs are directly from the bottom of the fermentation tank at the best winery in Shaoxing. Chickens, ducks and geese are cooked and cooled before cut into chops. Rice wine dregs are wrapped up in gauze. Place one layer of rice wine dregs at the bottom of a jar, then one layer of chops on the dregs, then add another layer of wine dreg wrap-ups on the chops. Repeat the process until the jar is filled. Add some salt on the top. Seal the jar and let the chops and the wine dregs react to each other for about a week. Then the chops are ready for consumption.
Restaurants in Shaoxing make a special wine-dreg liquid seasoning, which vary in flavor from restaurant to restaurant. Rice wine dregs are the main ingredient. Other minor ingredients include rice wine, salt, bay leaf and cinnamon, sugar, dried old orange peels, sweet osmanthus flowers. The liquid must be simmered in small fire for a while and then cool off. Let the ingredients stay steeped for a long while before the liquid is ready to have food steeped in it. Food steeped in it must be finely cut and served on a small plate.
The best known delicacy prepared with rice wine dregs on the menu of the Shaoxing cuisine is cooked in an earthen bowl. Most favorite ingredients that go into this earthen bowl are chicken, pork, pig offal, pig feet, bacon, sliced bamboo shoot, mushroom, and wheat gluten. Beans and field snails can be added to the earthen bowl dishes in the last stage of preparations, but they must be pickled in rice wine dregs for a long while, too.