Anren Doulazi

Anren Doulazi

　　Before talking about this dish, I’d like to say one thing:

　　I could go on living without it. But without it, I really wouldn’t be happy. The same goes for people, things, events, and emotions. Life should be an experience we cherish, not days we just get through. Treasure all the people who truly care about you.

　　Alright, let’s get back to this dish before we completely go off-topic. Anren Doulazi is one of the most classic and famous dishes in Anren County, Hunan Province. Whenever locals hear about this dish, they can’t stop praising it and giving it a thumbs-up. This dish is spicy yet fragrant, and fragrant yet spicy. It stimulates the appetite and pairs perfectly with rice—it’s an essential dish for summer meals, home cooking, or even travel. The locals have grown so accustomed to it that they often feel: “No Doulazi at noon leaves you unsatisfied; no Doulazi at night leaves you uneasy.” Now, let’s first talk about the tools and seasonings used to make Doulazi.

　　1. One jiaoba (charred rice crust): Choose high-quality jiaoba from Anren, especially those from Anping and Chengping, which are more authentic.

　　2. One douchu (shaking pestle): Usually sold together with the jiaoba.

　　3. 500 grams of chili peppers: Preferably local Anren chili peppers. If unavailable elsewhere, you can substitute with long, thin green chilies—the uglier, the better.

　　4. Soybean oil: One small spoon of authentic Anren soybean oil.

　　5. One songhua pidan (pine-flower preserved egg): A high-quality preserved egg—just peel it.

　　6. 100 grams of scallions: Washed and cut into 1 cm segments for later use.

　　7. 15 grams of oil, 8 grams of salt, 2 grams of MSG.

　　There are several ways to prepare Doulazi, such as the oil-fried method, steamed method, or firewood-roasted method, etc. Today, we’ll focus on the oil-fried method.

　　Method: First, heat the pan until it’s red-hot, then add oil and heat it up. Turn the heat down, add the chili peppers, and stir-fry while constantly shaking the pan. Fry until the chilies turn light brown. Take out the chilies and put them in the jiaoba to shake and crush them. Then add salt, MSG, soybean oil, preserved egg, and scallions, and stir well.