Ninghai Brain Rice

Ninghai Brain Rice

　　Ninghai Brain Rice is a specialty snack from Ninghai Subdistrict, Muping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province. Created in 1927, it is famous throughout Jiaodong for its refined craftsmanship and delightful flavor, leading to the local saying: “Wendeng buns, Fushan noodles, and Brain Rice from Ninghai Zhou.”

　　Ninghai Zhou refers to today’s Muping District, which has historically been home to many famous local dishes such as Brain Rice, Yixiangzhai Old Stone Roast Pork, Rabbit Hole Dumplings, Wang Family Meals, and Cui Family Buns. Among these, Brain Rice stands out as the most distinctive.

　　Ninghai Brain Rice originated in 1927. As it was produced as a small-scale household side business without a fixed shopfront, vendors operated in mobile stalls. During the Republican era, stalls were mainly located near the county government office. Sellers at the time included Yu Ruixiang, Li Laoqiu, and others. After the liberation of Muping, Brain Rice could still be found in the county town. It ceased operations in 1953 and has not resumed since.

　　The main ingredients of Brain Rice are millet and soybeans. The preparation involves washing the millet, soaking it until softened, then grinding it into a millet slurry on a water mill. The slurry is wrapped in fine cloth and squeezed to extract the liquid, which is then simmered over low heat in a pot until it becomes very thick. This thickened mixture is set aside. The soybeans are also ground into a soy milk, which is coagulated with brine to make tofu pudding. The skin that forms on top of the tofu pudding is removed and stir-fried with chopped red-rooted spinach in oil. When serving, half a bowl is filled with the tofu pudding (about half the bowl), then topped with the millet porridge, a sprinkle of the spinach and tofu skin, and mixed with pickled vegetable bits and chili sauce. The Brain Rice has a smooth, tender texture, is refreshing and delicious, and has a savory flavor with a slight kick of spice.

　　Brain Rice is classified as a snack. Its name comes from being a combined dish of traditional tofu pudding and millet porridge. The millet used for the porridge must be from the current year’s harvest, known for its rich oil content, soft texture, and fragrant taste. Since the amino acid composition in millet protein is unbalanced—being high in leucine, tryptophan, and methionine but low in lysine—combining it with beans significantly enhances its nutritional value.