Xingyi Erkui Baba

Xingyi Erkui Baba

　　　　Xingyi Erkui Baba from Guizhou features a vibrant color, does not produce thick soup when cooked, has a soft texture, and boasts a rich, mellow rice aroma. It is widely sold in many towns across Guizhou and is deeply loved by the public. Xingyi is abundant in "aromatic rice," and Xingyi Erkui Baba is made from this special aromatic rice.

　　Making Xingyi Erkui Baba is simple, but steaming it requires skill. First, the “aromatic rice” is cleaned and soaked in water for ten hours, then steamed for the first round in a bamboo steamer. This initial steaming must be fully done. After that, it is cooled thoroughly in a winnowing basket, broken apart with water, and steamed a second time. Then it is pounded in a mortar until there are no rice cores left. It is taken out and shaped into flat, round, hammer-like pieces, each weighing about half a pound. The leftover rice bits can be packed into small molds to make mold-shaped baba. Pounding must be done with precision; otherwise, the pieces may crack. After pounding, they are placed in a winnowing basket to dry, then wiped with wax oil and covered for two to three days. They are then soaked in cold water, with the water changed once a week, allowing them to be preserved and eaten until March of the following year without changes in flavor or color.

　　Xingyi Erkui Baba can be prepared in various ways—it can be sliced or shredded and then boiled, stir-fried, steamed, or deep-fried. It can also be cut into one-centimeter-thick slices and roasted over fire, served with fermented black bean chili sauce or fruit jam for a unique taste. If there are leftovers by March of the next year, they can be sliced or shredded, dried, and stored. When ready to eat, they can be fried in cooking oil to become crispy, crunchy, and delicious.