Hedgehog Grass Chicken

Hedgehog Grass Chicken

　　Hedgehog Grass Chicken is one of the top ten delicacies of Yunan County in Guangdong Province and one of the four famous dishes of Dawan Town (a township under Yunan County), hence it is also known as "Dawan Hedgehog Grass Chicken." It features a unique preparation method, delicious taste, and strong local flavor and characteristics, along with certain medicinal properties. It is made using hedgehog grass as packaging and ingredients such as rice. Once prepared, it is cooked in an iron pot with water until ready to eat. Legend has it that "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" has a history of over a thousand years.

　　There are no historical records documenting the invention of "Hedgehog Grass Chicken." However, in the Dawan Town area, there is a folk legend that goes like this: Long, long ago, in a village in Dawan Town, there was a year when the rice harvest failed, leaving villagers living in poverty. On the afternoon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, families with slightly better living standards would slaughter chickens or ducks, while those barely getting by might have eggs to eat. But in one household, the mother was out working in the fields with her child, who was not yet seven years old. Around 5 p.m., the child, knowing it was Mid-Autumn Festival, asked what they’d be having for dinner. The family was so poor there wasn’t even dust on the walls—there was absolutely no meat or decent food. Thinking about how disappointing it would be to say they had nothing, the mother, wanting to cheer up her child, lied and said, “We’re having chicken.” The child believed it and was overjoyed. But saying it was easy—where would the chicken come from? With a furrowed brow, she came up with a clever idea. The resourceful woman picked some hedgehog grass, and after returning home, wove it into the shape of a chicken. She then filled it with rice and boiled it in water to make a meal. And just like that, "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" was born. [1]

　　2. Preparation Method After its creation, the preparation method of "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" gradually became more refined, mainly consisting of four steps: First, make the "chicken." Harvest the leaves of the hedgehog grass, first trim off the spikes on the edges with a knife, then cut them into equally wide strips with a sharp tool. Wash them before using them to weave the "Hedgehog Grass Chicken." Second, prepare the ingredients. The main ingredients include rice and glutinous rice, along with other additions. In times of extreme food scarcity, plain rice or glutinous rice alone would typically be used. Later, as living conditions improved and dietary habits evolved, the base of rice or glutinous rice was supplemented with ingredients such as mung beans, red beans, peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, meat, salt, and others. Third, fill the mixture. Stuff the prepared mixture into the "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" shell made of woven hedgehog grass, but don’t overfill it, as it will expand during boiling. Fourth, cook it. Place the stuffed "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" into a large iron pot, add water until it covers the "chicken," then bring to a boil. Once boiling, flip the "chicken" upside down a few times until it is fully cooked and ready to eat. Its preparation and cooking methods share similarities with zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), but the flavor is distinct. [1]

　　3. Medicinal Value Hedgehog grass is a type of herbaceous plant covered in spikes. Since ancient times, people have been accustomed to using this grass to enclose vegetable gardens to prevent poultry such as chickens and ducks from trampling the crops. In fact, the uses of hedgehog grass go far beyond that. According to medical texts, hedgehog grass has a cooling nature, clears heat, and detoxifies, primarily treating skin conditions such as scabies. As a result, "Hedgehog Grass Chicken," made from hedgehog grass, has medicinal value for clearing heat and detoxifying, especially effective for treating scabies in children, making it an ideal food that combines both nutrition and therapy. [1]

　　4. Evolution Over Time Over the years, the ingredients and ways of eating "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" have changed significantly. Historical records show that during the Qing Dynasty, most locals were very poor. Making "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" for festivals was a last-resort option for those who couldn't afford real meat. The ingredients were very simple, usually only rice or glutinous rice, with perhaps some beans added. By the early Republican period, the dish began to incorporate meats such as pork and became an indispensable festive food. By the 1970s, "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" was a well-known dish across the region, featuring a wide variety of ingredients. Glutinous rice served as the main component, complemented by mung beans, sesame seeds, pork, cured meats, fish, dried fish, and other tasty items. It became a high-end dish used to entertain guests. After China’s reform and opening-up, as living standards rose and diets diversified, "Hedgehog Grass Chicken" was no longer an everyday festival or guest dish, but rather a rare and refined gift. Due to the sophisticated ingredients and craftsmanship involved—and the relatively high production costs—it has become uncommon to taste "Hedgehog Grass Chicken." People who wish to eat it must often place a special order in advance. Nowadays, people mostly consume it for its medicinal benefits.