Old Town Spicy Soup

Old Town Spicy Soup

　　Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong was traveling to the south of the Yangtze River, he passed through this place and felt hungry. Coincidentally, there was an old lady by the roadside cooking chicken soup. The emperor sat by the road and had a bowl, finding it very fragrant. The soup also contained wheat kernels, though the emperor didn’t know they were actually undigested grains left in the chicken’s stomach due to inadequate cleaning. So, he asked the old lady, “What kind of soup is this?” The old lady, being advanced in age and hard of hearing, didn’t catch the question clearly and repeated, “What soup?” The emperor then mistakenly thought the soup was called “What Soup.” Over time, the name stuck, and in Suixi, people now call it “What Soup.” Because of its savory and spicy flavor, some also refer to it as Spicy Soup.

　　The spicy soup of the old town is made by boiling a hen and round bones along with a spice bag containing 12 ingredients. In addition to adding scallions and wheat kernels during the cooking process, a large amount of ginger is also used, giving the soup a slightly spicy taste—this spiciness is quite savory. The cleaned gluten is soaked and softened in warm water until its originally sponge-like surface becomes smooth and tender. It is then pinched into small pieces and dropped into the pot while stirring clockwise with chopsticks. The gluten is spun into flaky pieces, similar to egg threads but slightly thicker. There is a specific method for making the gluten for the spicy soup: put flour in a basin and mix it with about 1 kilogram of water to form a soft dough. Dip your hands in water and knead the dough vigorously; let it rest for a few minutes, then knead it again until elastic. Then gradually add water and gently press and knead until the mixture becomes thick, at which point you switch to clean water and continue washing. Repeat this several times until all the starch is washed out from the dough. Then gather the gluten together, remove it, and soak it in a basin of clean water. The remaining starch water from washing the gluten is added to the soup, and this mixture ensures even the wheat kernels won’t settle at the bottom. Finally, add shredded eel, salt, MSG, and an appropriate amount of white pepper (black pepper can also be used, but it may darken the color of the soup). A touch of sesame oil is added to the soup, enhancing its deliciousness even more.