Phoenix Shefan (Communal Rice)

Phoenix Shefan

　　　Phoenix Shefan is a true culinary delight. After the beginning of spring, when grass grows and flowers bloom, locals prepare this dish to honor their ancestors and deities. They gather tender shecai (a type of wild herb) from the fields, pound it in a stone mortar, rinse away its bitterness and sourness with clean water, then dry it in a pan. After mixing it with wild green onions and stir-frying it in green oil, they create a savory herb mix called "shaca"; then they blend locally produced fragrant glutinous rice with diced cured winter pork and cook them together. When the rice is half-cooked, they mix in the shaca and simmer it for a while longer — and the Shefan is complete.

　　　　The Shefan boasts the sweet aroma of glutinous rice, the smoky flavor of cured pork, and the fresh fragrance of shecai. As soon as the pot is opened, the rich scent wafts out, instantly whetting the appetite and making mouths water.

　　It is made by steaming and boiling glutinous rice, indica rice, wild artemisia, wild green onions, cured pork, lard, vegetable oil, and peanuts. It can be eaten freshly cooked or stir-fried later. Shefan only gets more fragrant the more it is fried.