Hefeng Pearl Powder

Hefeng Pearl Powder

　　HeFeng Pearl Powder from Yudu is made from rice and is a unique local product, mainly produced in towns such as Hefeng. First, high-quality late-season rice is soaked for 12 hours, then ground into a slurry—the finer, the better. A piece of white cloth is placed over plant ash, and the slurry is filtered through it. Once the water has drained, the powder mass is left to dry in the sun and then sieved. The sieving technique is quite particular: one person uses a large-hole rice sieve to sift the powder into a lower sieve with smaller holes, while the person holding the fine sieve keeps rotating it. The powder gradually gathers and grows in the sieve like a rolling snowball. When the particles reach the size of mung beans, they are transferred to another rice sieve for further sifting. The grains that remain in this sieve are the newly formed pearl powder. These are then spread on a white cloth and gently fluffed apart with a goose feather to dry in the sun—thus completing the pearl powder. To eat, first bring clean water to a boil, then slowly sprinkle in the pearl powder while stirring with chopsticks. Once the pearls sink to the bottom of the pot, scoop them into a basin of cold water to soak. As they expand and become semi-transparent, each pearl-like grain turns crystal clear—hence the name. They are then removed and added to soups made with chicken, duck, fish, or meat, along with seasonings, and are ready to eat. Its characteristics are delicious, smooth texture, rich nutrition, adorable pearl-like appearance, and it is a purely natural food.

　　Legend has it that long ago, it was invented by a clever woman. She ground rice into a powdery form, then shaped it into small round balls resembling pearls, hence naming it Pearl Powder.