Hong'an Pearl Flower Vegetable

Hong'an Pearl Flower Vegetable

　　A local specialty dish of Hong'an. The pearl flower is a wild vegetable that grows in the northern mountainous region of Hong'an County and is documented in the Ming Dynasty book *Huang'an Chu Cheng* (authored by Geng Dingxiang, Minister of Revenue). Around the Qingming Festival, when the pearl flowers are in bud and the tender leaves are ready, they are harvested together, blanched in boiling water until yellowed, then dried in the sun for later use. When eaten, they are soaked in warm water to soften, then rinsed with clean water, and stir-fried with meat. They taste even better when steamed with cured meat. The dish is known for its mild flavor, fragrant aroma, and satisfying texture.

　　The main production area of pearl flower vegetable is Tiantai Mountain in Hong'an County, covering a growing area of over 1,800 acres at altitudes between 800 and 1,000 meters. The annual yield is approximately 21,000 jin (dried weight). The pearl flowers are processed locally into pearl flower vegetables and marketed, primarily sold nearby. In Hong'an County, there are also thirty local specialty stores selling pearl flower vegetables. The product is generally sold as a regional specialty to major cities such as Beijing.

　　The production of pearl flower vegetables has a history of over a hundred years, but it truly gained fame during the Great Revolution. In November 1927, the famous Huangma Uprising broke out. After the failure of the revolution, the Fourth Red Army retreated to Tiantai Mountain. With no food on the mountain, the Red Army soldiers relied on a small amount of sweet potatoes for sustenance, but the supply was insufficient. On the mountain, they discovered a type of small shrub that grew abundantly, with many tender leaves and spring blossoms. In winter, they ate the branches and leaves, and in spring, they tried picking some of the flowers. At first, they weren’t sure if the flowers were edible, but after eating them for a while, they found them not only non-toxic but also quite tasty. The soldiers felt energized after eating them and went on to fight bravely in battle. Since then, these flowers became well-known in the mountains. Later, the soldiers began calling the flowers "pearl flowers," and the dish made from them came to be known as "pearl flower vegetable." During the Liberation War, Chairman Mao, while leading guerrilla warfare in the Dabie Mountains, also had his soldiers eat the pearl flowers from Tiantai Mountain.

　　The tender pearl flower blossoms are usually soaked in warm water for more than 20 minutes, then filtered and dried to become dried vegetables. They can be stir-fried directly or used to make dishes like red-braised pork with pearl flower or steamed pork with pearl flower. Restaurants serve dishes such as braised pork with pearl flower, steamed pearl flower, and stir-fried pearl flower.