Brain Pulp Roll

Brain Pulp Roll

　　Among local traditional snacks, there are spring rolls, egg rolls, vegetable rolls, and so on. But in Xiangtan, Hunan, there is a local snack with a rather unique name — the Brain Pulp Roll. In fact, the Brain Pulp Roll is not made from any kind of animal brain. Instead, it is made by mincing pork after removing the skin and tendons into a paste, which is then frozen and rolled into shape. The resulting appearance of the ingredients resembles brain pulp, which is why it is named the Brain Pulp Roll. The Brain Pulp Roll is a famous local delicacy in Xiangtan with a long history.

　　　　According to the *Xiangtan County Annals*, as early as the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, it had already gained fame throughout the region. Wang Renqiu, a renowned scholar of the late Qing Dynasty, was particularly fond of this flour-based snack and once wrote the line, “Xie plucks the strings, Yang plays the flute — the auspicious Hua roll.” Xie and Yang were both famous folk artists in Xiangtan; one was known for his melodious string music, the other for his soaring and resonant flute playing. The “Auspicious Hua Roll” is another name for the Brain Pulp Roll. In the late Qing Dynasty, a man surnamed Shi in Xiangtan opened a food shop called “Xianghua Zhai.” The Brain Pulp Roll was a family heirloom dessert of his. After opening the shop, business boomed, with customers filling the seats every day. Shi’s brother-in-law, Zhang, seeing the success and profits of his sister’s family business, decided to open his own eatery, naming it “Yanghua Zhai.” Because the signboards looked similar, customers mistook it for a branch of “Xianghua Zhai.” Moreover, the taste of the Brain Pulp Rolls at this new shop was just as delicious as those at “Xianghua Zhai,” and the service was warm and attentive. Customers were even treated to a complimentary bowl of pepper soup. For a time, the place was bustling with customers, and business gradually surpassed that of “Xianghua Zhai.” Seeing his business decline, the owner of “Xianghua Zhai” sued Zhang’s new shop at the county government, accusing them of impersonating his brand name and ruining his livelihood. The case was escalated to the provincial government, where Zhang’s family argued that the characters “Xiang” (祥) and “Yang” (样) were different in both sound and form. As a result, the Shi family lost the lawsuit and never recovered, while the Zhang family grew more determined. Eventually, “Yanghua Zhai” replaced “Xianghua Zhai.”