He Guo Guo

He Guo Guo

　　He Guo Guo

　　　　In the Lingshi dialect, it is called Ge Guo Guo. Similar to juice noodle soup but slightly thicker, it is a simple, easy-to-make, and convenient staple food, especially during tough times in the past when it became one of the main foods for farmers to save on grain. He Guo Guo varies in taste depending on the ingredients used, allowing everyone to adjust it according to their own preferences. In the past, when living standards were lower, the ingredients and preparation methods of He Guo Guo were also relatively simple. Commonly available vegetables such as cabbage, radish, pumpkin, spinach, leek, and zucchini were boiled in a pot, then mixed with some mixed grain flour (a blend of corn, sorghum, and beans ground into powder), which was either scraped into the pot using a grater or pressed in using a noodle press. Once cooked, salt, vinegar, sesame oil, scallions, ginger, and cilantro were added, and it was ready to eat, served with the soup and thickened mixture.

　　　　As living standards improved, a wide variety of vegetables and flours became readily available. He Guo Guo has since evolved into a dish people deliberately enjoy to vary their palate, with more diverse cooking methods. People select their favorite vegetables, stir-fry them semi-cooked with various seasonings, then add an appropriate amount of boiling water. They then prepare their preferred type of flour (white flour, bean flour, mixed grain flour, or combinations like two or three types of flour) by either kneading it, scraping it into the pot using a grater, pressing it in with a noodle press, making it into cut noodles, pulled noodles, diagonal noodles, or even hand-pulled noodles, knife-cut noodles, or willow-leaf noodles. It can also be made into various shapes such as river noodles, pinched dough balls, or mashed lumps. These are then cooked in the pot, and according to personal taste, ingredients like vermicelli, kelp, scallion greens, minced ginger, cilantro, sesame oil, MSG, and diced tofu can be added, along with a few eggs. This results in a nutritious and flavorful He Guo Guo. Although it may not compare to delicacies from land and sea, it is still considered a delicious and satisfying dish.