Chapter 216
The two old men have left Nanning for many years, but no matter how far they go, the taste of their hometown in their minds is familiar and stubborn, one end is locked on the other side of the strait, and the other end is tied to the hometown deep in their memory.
They also like Su Ji, which has the taste of hometown but a novel format. During the month they have lived here, they often bring their son to Su Ji to eat.
Lin Yongchang said: "This kind of braised food and porridge were rare in the past, but I found them very appetizing. This is the first time I've eaten my old friend's recipe, but I've liked sour bamboo shoots since I was very young.
I remember one time my mother was pickling bamboo shoots and asked me to wash the jar. I didn't clean it thoroughly and there was still oil in it. The bamboo shoots went bad and my father spanked me so hard that my butt was swollen for several days.
As he spoke, he began to laugh, and his eyes became red again.
After so many years of going to Taiwan, everyone brought the flavors of their hometowns with them, but after all, they have been improved and integrated with the flavors there, and are no longer exactly the same as those in their hometowns.
Lin Yongmao particularly liked the pickled papaya shreds. He asked Su Miao, "Miss, did you buy these shredded papaya or did you make them yourself? I haven't eaten them in other people's shops."
"This pickled shredded papaya dish is a local dish from Hengxian County. Actually, many families make it, but the taste is slightly different in each household. Ours is made by my second aunt, and it's famous all over the place!"
"How long can this pickle be kept? Can I buy it individually? I want to take some home for my wife to try. She's an Indigenous person and has never tasted our authentic food."
Su Miao thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't know the exact shelf life. If it's sealed in a jar and stored for a few months, it's not a problem. But after opening, it must be eaten as soon as possible, and it must be picked up with clean chopsticks. We can make it and sell it individually, but since we've never done this before, I need to discuss the pricing with my family."
"Okay! Talk to your family. We can still stay for ten days. If possible, please make more. To be honest, I have a restaurant there, and I'd like to serve it there for customers to try."
"Can food be brought over?" Su Miao asked, because she knew that many entry and exit points had restrictions on food brought in, and she was not sure what the current policy was.
Lin Yongmao waved his hand and said, "It's okay. We know people there. We'll check it in and we'll check it out. At worst, we can open a can and let them taste it. That way, they won't be so ignorant and think they're the best."
Su Miao attaches great importance to this business because she knows that cross-strait economic and trade exchanges will begin to be established starting next year, and private contacts and investments will be gradually liberalized.
This inconspicuous jar of shredded papaya may become her stepping stone.
Second aunt passed on half of her pickle-making skills to Su Hui, including papaya pickles, and Su Hui also took Su Miao to make them.
But Su Miao still made a special call to tell her second aunt about this matter. Her second aunt said on the phone: "It's not worth calling back to ask. It's yours after I gave it to you. Since someone wants to buy it, you can make it and sell it. How can you not make money? If you are too busy, I can make it at home and send it to you."
Finally, we discussed and decided that in order to avoid even the slightest difference in taste, we should make it in the same batch here.
I went to Brother Xiaopang and bought plastic jars. They are lighter and more durable to transport than glass jars, and the cost is also relatively low. One jar weighs one kilogram and costs one dollar.
Lin Yongmao felt that this price was a bargain, so he raised the price by two cents and ordered 100 bottles directly. If it weren't for the fact that it was still just a trial phase and transporting so many things would really attract attention, he would have ordered at least 1,000 kilograms.
Green papaya should be used to make papaya. August to October is the season when papaya matures. Now it is mid-to-late November and there are no large quantities of papaya on the market.
However, in Sujia Village, almost every house has one or two papaya trees planted at the door, which are used to make papaya acid when the mouth feels dry.
The late winter in Nanning allows them to catch a small wave of green papayas.
My second uncle and second aunt searched the village and picked all the green papayas of the right size, which were just enough for this batch of goods. They sold them at 8 cents each. They grew the papayas themselves and allowed them to grow freely, and they could exchange them for some candy for their children. The villagers were very happy to do so.
Uncle Huzi brought it up when he went to transport the goods, and Su Miao, Su Hui and Ye Jiayin started to work on it. After all, they still had to dry the papayas into papaya shreds, and they didn't have much time left.
First, peel and wash the green papaya, cut it into strips thinner than your fingers, and spread it out to dry.
Now it is autumn and the air is dry, so papaya can be dried into shreds in 4 or 5 days.
After drying, rinse it with water and soak it to wash off the dust, then spend half a day to dry the surface moisture.
Put the shredded papaya in a large bowl, add chopped garlic, ginger, chili and salt and mix thoroughly, then divide them into jars. In order to ensure the weight, they have to weigh each jar.
Then crush the rock sugar and pour it into the soy sauce to dissolve it. Pour the soy sauce into each jar, making sure the papaya shreds are completely soaked.
Just soak it for a day and you can eat the spicy and crispy papaya shreds. The longer you soak it, the more flavorful it will be.
Some people like the refreshing feeling of freshly soaked papaya, while others like to eat papaya shreds that have been soaked for a longer time because they produce a unique fermented aroma. A small jar of papaya shreds can cater to the tastes of different diners.
The method looks simple, but it requires sufficient experience. The proportion of seasonings and the degree of drying of the papaya shreds will affect the final taste and texture.
When they returned, except for a few pieces of clothing and family photos, the remaining space in their luggage was reserved for papaya shreds.
Su Miao specially found a few large boxes to neatly stack the cans in, and also padded them with some straw to provide protection and cushioning during transportation.
Lin Yongmao was very pleased with her attentiveness and told her that if she had the chance in the future, she must sell more of their shredded papaya to the other side.
When they left, the whole family cried. Although they have been comforting their relatives, now that the country is open, there will be more and more opportunities to travel in the future. Maybe they can even go to the other side to take a look.
But everyone knows that such reunion opportunities are extremely rare, and no one knows when they will see each other again, especially since they are all over 60 years old, and Old Mrs. Lin is even in her 80s. No one can say for sure whether they will meet again.
Lin Yongmao knelt in front of his mother's bed for a long time and was unable to get up. Finally, when he was about to miss the train, his family pulled him onto the train together.
Supported by her family, Old Mrs. Lin walked out of the yard and looked for a long time in the direction where her children and grandchildren left.
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