Cangbali

Cangbali

　　Cangbali is an ancient rural snack from Leiyang.

　　Its long history is due to its invention by Emperor Yan, also known as Shennong. Legend has it that while Shennong was developing the plow in Leiyang and saw people suffering from hunger, he took the opportunity to taste various plants. By a stream, he collected a type of sticky grass with slightly white undersides, greenish stems, and adhesive properties. He tried pounding it in a stone mortar, shaping it into balls, and steaming them. Upon tasting, not only was it non-toxic, but it also helped relieve hunger. He then encouraged people to gather the grass and steam it for food. Later, he mixed rice flour into it to make Cangbali, discovering that the taste became especially delicious. Once, a tribal chief from the north passed through Nankoumen in eastern Leiyang and was extremely hungry. Shennong offered him the Cangbali made from grass and rice flour, which the chief praised highly. When asked what this delicious food was called, Shennong pondered for a moment. Seeing an elderly woman using the Cangbali to worship heaven, inspiration struck, and he said, “Isn’t this grass a seed sown by the heavens? Let’s call it Cangbali.” The snack quickly spread locally. By the Ming Dynasty, there were even small vendors in Leiyang who sold Cangbali to make a living.

　　It is said that during the three difficult years of the 1960s, many rural families in Leiyang relied on Cangbali to get through tough times. Some households, unable to afford rice, mixed bran with the grass to make bran Cangbali. Though the taste was acceptable, it often caused severe constipation and could even be life-threatening. Today, with improved material conditions, such tragedies have become history. Yet, Cangbali remains a nostalgic and beloved snack. In recent years, it can even be found at some farmers' markets in Leiyang city and is very popular among locals.

　　It seems that this natural, pollution-free green food will never be abandoned by the times.