Qiang-style Stirred Tuan

Qiang-style Stirred Tuan

　　Boil water in a pot, then gradually sprinkle in very fine cornmeal flour—preferably freshly harvested golden-yellow corn from that year—and stir constantly with bamboo chopsticks. Keep the stove flame high until it thickens into a paste. Then cover it with a layer of fresh, clean banana leaves or greens, followed by the pot lid, and steam over low heat for 20–30 minutes. Serve in a large bowl. Meanwhile, prepare an oil-based soup by cooking sour wild rape greens. Season the soup with oil, salt, and other condiments as you would for a typical broth. (Sour wild rape greens are made by washing the stems and leaves of wild rape, briefly blanching them in boiling water, then removing and pressing them tightly in a wooden or ceramic basin while still hot to seal out air. Left overnight, they develop a tangy flavor. These can be stir-fried or cooked in soup. They have a slightly sour taste yet are deliciously refreshing with a unique aroma, and have long been favored by the Qiang people.) According to modern medical research, this purplish-red-stemmed wild rape not only contains abundant vitamins, amino acids, and mineral nutrients, but also a special form of iron that helps maintain normal blood production function and can treat chronic hematopoietic dysfunction anemia. This is why Qiang people living in the mountains who regularly consume these greens all have rosy complexions and strong, healthy bodies. Additionally, prepare a seasoning mix using cooked chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn powder, sesame oil, ginger juice, fine salt, scallion threads, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, and MSG, served in small dishes. When eating, each person gets a small bowl of sour wild rape soup and a dish of seasoning, while the whole table shares one large bowl of stirred tuan. While eating, use chopsticks to pick up small pieces of the tuan, dip them in the seasoning, then eat them, alternating between bites of tuan and sips of the vegetable soup. The dish is characterized by its numbing, spicy, hot, sour, and fragrant flavors, all in a light and nutritious package suitable for all ages.

　　According to modern medical research, this purplish-red-stemmed wild leafy green is not only rich in various vitamins, amino acids, and mineral nutrients, but also contains a special form of iron that helps maintain normal blood-forming functions in the human body and can treat chronic hematopoietic dysfunction anemia. As a result, the Qiang people living in the mountains who consume this wild greens over the long term all have rosy complexions and strong, healthy physiques. Additionally, seasonings such as cooked oil chili, ground Sichuan pepper, sesame oil, ginger juice, refined salt, scallion shreds, ground white pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, and monosodium glutamate are prepared and served in small dishes. When eating, each person is served a small bowl of sour wild greens soup and a dish of seasonings, while the whole table shares one large bowl of jiāotuán (a type of stir-mixed dough pudding). Diners use chopsticks to pick up small pieces of the hot jiāotuán, dip them into the seasoning dish, then eat them, savoring both the jiāotuán and the vegetable soup. The dish is characterized by being numbing, spicy, hot, sour, fragrant, and light in flavor, highly nutritious, and suitable for all ages.