Traditional Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Yichun

Traditional Steamed Pork with Rice Flour from Yichun

　　Cultural Background

　　There was a devoted couple living a simple yet content life. The husband was determined to study hard, burying himself in books, while the wife was hardworking, kind, gentle, and considerate. A few years later, the husband set off for the imperial capital to take the civil service examination. Before he left, his wife spent three full days and nights spinning thread and weaving cloth, then sold the fabric to buy meat. That very night, she fried rice, ground it into powder, and made the hometown-style steamed pork with rice flour to send her husband on his way. But the husband went to the capital to take the exams, passed with flying colors, took up an official post elsewhere, and didn’t return home for several years. The wife missed her husband dearly and repeatedly asked others to deliver letters urging him to come back home for a visit, but none of the messages moved his heart to return. Later, the wife often thought back to the scene before her husband’s departure, so she stopped sending letters through others and instead had someone deliver a bowl of her hometown-style steamed pork with rice flour.

　　Characteristics

　　It features a bright red color, tender and falling-apart meat, soft and glutinous rice flour, a pleasant spicy aroma, and a delicious taste.