Lingshi Gulei

Lingshi Gulei

　　Lingshi Gulei is a specialty of Lingshi County in Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. Gulei is one of the most representative local delicacies of Lingshi—crumbly, tender, delicious, and highly nutritious.

　　On the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (November 29, 1900), Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu were on their westward journey to Xi'an and passed through Lingshi. At the residence of the He family, a prestigious official household in Liangdu, they tried Gulei and Hehe Rice and were so delighted that they couldn't stop praising them. Before leaving, Cixi instructed Li Lianying to record all the ingredients and the complete cooking process to take back to the palace. Legend has it that after returning to Beijing, Cixi often asked her chefs to prepare Lingshi Gulei and Hehe Rice for her. Since then, the story of Cixi’s fondness for Lingshi Gulei and Hehe Rice has been widely circulated among the people.

　　The origins of Gulei’s preparation method are unclear, but the traditional craftsmanship has been preserved to this day with some new developments. In the past, it was made from coarse grains such as red flour, mixed grain flour, and cornmeal, but today it is mostly made with white flour or a small mixture of cornmeal or rice flour. There are two types of Gulei: vegetable Gulei and meat Gulei. Vegetable Gulei is more common and comes in many varieties, including wild vegetable versions made with flowers like black locust blossoms, elm seeds, broom corn millet, and alfalfa. There are also vegetable versions made with potatoes, cabbage, radishes (red and white), green beans, Chinese cabbage, scallions, and pickled vegetables. The flavor varies depending on the type of vegetables used. But no matter the variety, the basic preparation method is similar. The prepared vegetables are either chopped finely with a knife or grated into shreds, then mixed with an appropriate amount of water and seasonings, followed by a suitable amount of flour stirred in thoroughly. Once the vegetable shreds or pieces are evenly coated with flour and form into small particles or strips, they are steamed until cooked and ready to eat. For even better flavor, they can be stir-fried with scallions, garlic, and oil before serving. The preparation of meat Gulei differs slightly: pork is first cut into small cubes about the size of soybeans, coated with a mixture of egg and flour powder, and then deep-fried. The fried pork cubes are then wrapped in a layer of white flour, steamed, and finally stir-fried again with scallions, garlic, and seasonings. The result is a richly aromatic and mouthwatering delicacy.