Yumi Potato Pancakes (Yangyu Caca) from Jia County

Yumi Potato Pancakes (Yangyu Caca) from Jia County

　　Yangyu Caca, also known as Yangyu Kela, is a rustic dish from northern Shaanxi. In times of food scarcity, locals in this potato-rich region used yangyu caca as a staple dish. "Yangyu" is another name for potato. The dish gets its name because it is made by grating potatoes into thin slices about an inch long using a special tool called a "caca" (a scraping tool). In the local area of northern Shaanxi, there are two main ways to eat yangyu caca: one is to serve the steamed caca with a sauce made from mashed garlic, MSG, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and scallion oil, mixed with locally made tomato paste; the other is to stir-fry the completely cooled caca like fried rice, combining it with vegetables and reheating it before serving.

　　"Yangyu" means potato. To prepare this dish, potatoes are grated into thin slices about an inch long using a "caca," then mixed with Sichuan peppercorns, shredded scallions, ginger powder, salt, and other seasonings, along with flour, and steamed until cooked. When ready to serve, it is placed in a large bowl and seasoned with mashed garlic, chili powder, sauce, vinegar, scallion oil, or sesame oil. It tastes even better when quickly stir-fried in a hot pan.