Hanzhong Hot Wheat Gluten Skin

Hanzhong Hot Wheat Gluten Skin

　　    Hanzhong wheat gluten skin originated during the Qin and Han dynasties. Legend has it that when Liu Bang was made king in Hanzhong, he ordered Xiao He to build the Shanhé Weir, which led to consecutive years of bumper harvests. To improve their lives, farmers diluted flour with water, steamed it into thin pancakes, sliced them into strips, and served them cold. The taste was delightful. One day, Liu Bang visited commoners in plain clothes, and the hospitable farmers served him the cold steamed pancake strips. As he ate, Liu Bang praised the dish and asked its name. The farmers didn’t know what to call it, so Liu Bang laughed at the method of preparation and casually said, “This is steamed pancake.” Later, people switched to using stacked bamboo steamers that could steam several pieces at once, producing larger and thinner sheets. When sliced into fine strips, they were tender yet chewy, soft but not breaking, resembling strips of leather—thus the name was changed to “wheat gluten skin.”

　　    Speaking of wheat gluten skin, there’s also a popular story in Hanzhong about the “Wheat Gluten Skin Prefect.” During the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era, a man from Hanzhong named Zhang served as a county magistrate in Ruyang, Henan. One year, an imperial inspector was sent to Ruyang for an inspection. Magistrate Zhang hadn’t prepared a banquet, so he simply served the inspector his hometown’s wheat gluten skin. The inspector, who had been feasting all along and found his appetite dulled by greasy food, was overjoyed upon tasting the wheat gluten skin. He asked about the cooking method, and Magistrate Zhang explained everything. Soon after the inspector returned to the capital, Magistrate Zhang was promoted to Prefect of Luoyang. People speculated that it was likely the inspector’s delight with the wheat gluten skin that earned Zhang the promotion through a flattering report to the emperor. When news reached Hanzhong, locals jokingly called it the “Wheat Gluten Skin Prefect.” Sadly, Beijingers still can’t steam wheat gluten skin properly to this day—perhaps the inspector completely forgot the method, and even if he wanted it, he couldn’t make it.

　　Features

　　　　    Wheat gluten skin is hailed as the top of Hanzhong’s “four famous snacks.” It’s made by soaking rice (originally flour) in water for four hours, then grinding (or beating) it into a rice slurry, steaming it into thin pancakes, cooling them in a ventilated place, brushing with rapeseed oil, slicing into fine strips, and seasoning with salt, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, ginger juice, mashed garlic, and red chili oil. Mixed well, it’s ready to eat. It can also be paired with shredded radish or bean sprouts, giving it a red-and-white or green-and-white appearance with spinach. The taste is mildly spicy and salty, with a sour and fragrant flavor. Since ancient times, Hanzhong locals have used wheat gluten skin to entertain relatives and friends. The Hanzhong Basin has a humid climate, abundant water sources, fertile land, and rich produce, especially known for its rice cultivation, earning the title “Land of Fish and Rice.” Hanzhong rice wheat gluten skin is made from locally grown high-quality rice. The day before, the rice is washed, soaked, and ground into a slurry—not too thick or thin, but ideally a thin paste. Then, using a specially made tin-plated round flat-bottomed pan, the slurry is poured in and briefly blanched in boiling water until cooked. The pan is lifted, briefly dipped in cold water, and with a chopstick tip, the edge is twirled and the pan inverted to reveal a snow-white, soft piece of wheat gluten skin. A bit of cooked oil is brushed on, and the skin is folded and sliced into finger-width noodles. The skin is tender yet resilient, soft and smooth, with an excellent texture. Of course, wheat gluten skin is best accompanied by sides—usually shredded cucumber or blanched bean sprouts, cowpeas, or other crisp vegetables, complementing each other perfectly. Seasonings are also essential: soy sauce, vinegar, mashed garlic, MSG, chili, mustard, sesame paste, and more. Especially the chili—it’s the most flavorful condiment. Without red chili oil, the dish loses its soul. Wheat gluten skin is enjoyed year-round, in all seasons. Hotels and restaurants always serve it as a must-have side dish, often the most popular and first to disappear. Even those too ill to eat crave a bowl of rice wheat gluten skin to whet their appetite. Later, people switched to using stacked bamboo steamers that could steam several pieces at once, producing larger and thinner sheets. Sliced into fine strips, they were tender yet chewy, soft but not breaking, resembling noodles—thus renamed “wheat gluten skin.” (Here, the “wheat” in wheat gluten skin refers to rice-based, not wheat-flour-based.) However, Hanzhong’s wheat gluten skin craftsmanship has become increasingly refined. Today, the process has shifted from diluting flour to grinding rice into slurry. Ingredients and seasonings are even more carefully selected. Eating wheat gluten skin in winter keeps you warm, in summer cools you down, in spring refreshes you, and in autumn removes dampness. Truly, it’s a year-round, rare, natural, green, and pollution-free food. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: “Rice nourishes the spleen, wheat nourishes the heart. A healthy spleen makes one gentle; a healthy heart makes one honest.”

　　    Hanzhong wheat gluten skin is also called liangpi (cold skin). Depending on the ingredients used, it goes by different names: those made with (non-glutinous) rice are called rice skin or liangpi, while those made with flour (wheat) are called gluten wheat skin. By flavor, it’s divided into Hanzhong-style and Qinzhen-style. Hanzhong wheat gluten skin is more tender, smoother, and tastier than Qinzhen-style. Slightly aged flour is better quality than freshly milled flour, hence the folk saying “prefer aged wheat, prefer fresh rice.” Therefore, fresh rice should be used.

　　Making Method

　　　　    1. Mix rice flour with water to make a rice slurry, then add rice of moderate softness;

　　    2. Mash the rice with a spoon and soak it in the rice slurry overnight;

　　    3. Pour the mixture into a container, blend at high speed for a few minutes, then strain through a filter;

　　    4. Press any remaining rice residue in the filter into the slurry with a spoon;

　　    5. Steam as you would liangpi to finish.

　　    But note the following:

　　    1. Hanzhong rice skin should be steamed slightly thicker and cut wider to be authentic;

　　    2. Glutinous rice flour refers to what’s commonly called sweet rice flour, usually shelved with glutinous rice flour in Chinese stores. Don’t use American rice flour—it tastes off and has tiny granules;

　　    3. The liangpi must be completely cooled before peeling, or it will stick;

　　    4. Adding rice is to soften the liangpi—using only rice flour results in a too-hard texture. The water amount is just a guideline; adjust to taste. For firmer skin, use less water; for softer, use more. But don’t adjust too drastically. Remember this.