Wuqi Buckwheat

Wuqi Buckwheat

　　Buckwheat is one of the traditional grain crops in Wuqi County, cultivated as early as the 5th or 6th century BC. It has been a beloved autumn crop for generations of Wuqi people. Buckwheat ranks first among all crops planted in Wuqi County and is also the county’s main honey source crop. There are two cultivated varieties of buckwheat in Wuqi County: sweet buckwheat and bitter buckwheat, with sweet buckwheat accounting for over 90% of the cultivation. The buckwheat from Wuqi has a high flour extraction rate, low green husk rate, and excellent quality. It contains 11.9% protein, 2.4% fat, 72% carbohydrates, and vitamins higher than those found in wheat and rice. Long-term consumption can help treat hypertension, control diabetes, aid digestion, reduce stagnation, lower body temperature, and detoxify. Buckwheat-based noodles are white, slender, smooth, and delicious. Wuqi buckwheat has gradually gained fame both domestically and internationally and has become one of the major export commodities. (Wuqi)

　　Those who know Wuqi all agree that its buckwheat is top-notch; those who have tasted Wuqi buckwheat noodles praise their fragrance; anyone visiting Wuqi hopes to try the local buckwheat noodles; and when leaving, they often take home several bags of refined buckwheat flour and a few boxes of buckwheat vinegar.

　　In fact, buckwheat is not unique to Wuqi. It is also grown in many other parts of China and countries like Japan. However, the buckwheat elsewhere doesn’t grow as tall as in Wuqi, yields are not as good, and the noodle quality is certainly inferior. I haven’t looked deeply into why this is, but it’s probably the idea that each place nourishes its own people.

　　Buckwheat is an extraordinary grain crop. Without exaggeration, it embodies great beauty and virtue all in one.

　　Buckwheat is hardy and undemanding in its living conditions. It thrives in poor soil—just a bit of earth is enough for it to take root. It adapts easily; a little sunlight makes it flourish. It is brave, landing in the autumn wind and bearing fruit despite frost, completing its entire life cycle in just three months. It is kind, always taking root in harsh places and standing up for people in their toughest times. It is beautiful—no other crop can compare to it, let alone surpass it.

　　The life of buckwheat can be described as “coming and going in a hurry.” It is sown after wheat harvest and harvested before frost, making it a fast-growing crop. Just three or four days after planting, the seedlings push through the soil. The stems are deep purple, and the leaves are emerald green—absolutely lovely. In just a few more days, it begins to tiller, sprout leaves, and bloom, quickly covering the ground.

　　Buckwheat flowers come in two colors: snow white and pink. The white resembles magnolia, the pink like peach blossoms. When red and white mingle, the result is incomparable—a true wonder of beauty and life.

　　First, its beauty is grand. There are two reasons: one, it blooms in late autumn, flourishing amid the bleakness and desolation with remarkable generosity; two, it blooms in large patches and stretches across hills and ridges, displaying immense splendor.

　　Secondly, its beauty is enchantingly graceful, like poetry and painting. In autumn, especially on foggy mornings, the buckwheat flowers in the mist are breathtakingly beautiful, intoxicating, and awe-inspiring. The scene after sunrise is even more ethereal and dreamlike. As the sun shines, the mist begins to rise, curling up from the valley and drifting into the sky. The mist turns into colorful clouds, filling the sky. At this point, it’s hard to tell where the clouds end and the buckwheat flowers begin—the heavens and earth merge seamlessly, creating a fairyland-like atmosphere.

　　Buckwheat flowers are not only pleasing to the eye but also fragrant. When they bloom, the distinctive aroma can be smelled as soon as you enter Wuqi. The scent varies with distance. From afar, it’s a subtle fragrance; up close, it’s rich and heady. Step into a buckwheat field, and it’s indescribable—you’ll feel that not only the buckwheat but also the mountains, waters, and even yourself are fragrant.

　　The buckwheat fruit in Wuqi is even more beautiful, truly a masterpiece. The color of the buckwheat fruit is jet black on the outside and milky white on the inside, creating a striking contrast. This is the first marvel. The shape of the fruit features an outer shell composed of three triangles forming a triangular prism with sharp edges, resembling an arrow ready to be shot. The inner flesh is also a triangle but round, smooth, and harmonious. Truly, it’s firm on the outside and soft on the inside, a perfect balance of yin and yang—the second marvel. Wuqi buckwheat noodles are delightful, with a variety of styles: buckwheat yiqiao, buckwheat gutuo, buckwheat chongzi, buckwheat liangfen, and buckwheat vinegar, among others. Their wonderful taste is beyond words, reaching an almost transcendent level—best expressed through folk songs: “Buckwheat gutuo in mutton broth, inseparable in life and death,” “Thirty-three grains of buckwheat with ninety-nine ridges, little sister is yours, brother.” A food that not only tastes good but also inspires songs and poetry—this is the third marvel. Wuqi buckwheat is not only delicious but also highly nutritious. Scientific analysis shows it contains 11.9% protein, 2.4% fat, 72% carbohydrates, and vitamins higher than those in wheat and rice. Even more remarkably, it is an excellent food for diabetics and has significant therapeutic effects—this is the fourth marvel. Wuqi buckwheat is a treasure trove: its straw is phosphorus-rich, making it excellent fuel and livestock feed. Buckwheat husks used as pillow stuffing have cooling, fever-reducing, and mind-refreshing properties—this is the fifth marvel.

　　Whether it’s the people of Wuqi who have been influenced by buckwheat or the buckwheat that has shaped the people of Wuqi, the two share many virtues, evident in countless ways. Let’s not talk about anything else—just the aspects related to buckwheat.

　　Like buckwheat, the people of Wuqi are resilient. The land here is infertile, the frost-free period short. In other places, crops can be harvested twice a year, but here, some crops can’t even mature once. Therefore, buckwheat cultivation is especially widespread. Harvesting buckwheat in Wuqi is as busy—and joyful—as wheat harvesting in the Guanzhong region. During that time, on the mountains and in the villages, fields and courtyards, inside and outside cave dwellings, buckwheat is everywhere, and everyone is busy with buckwheat, turning the whole area into a buckwheat world. On the hillsides, people harvest buckwheat; on mountain paths, people transport it; in the fields, people thresh it; in the courtyards, people grind it; and inside the caves, it’s even livelier—some roll out the noodles, some chop them, some make gutuo, some press yiqiao, some stir up liangfen, and some make buckwheat noodles. Of course, there are also those who do nothing—mostly the elderly, children, and a few visitors waiting to eat the buckwheat noodles.

　　The men of Wuqi are bold, hardworking, and open-minded. They are skilled at growing buckwheat and savvy in trading it. They transport cartload after cartload of buckwheat across the country and around the world; they bring back trendy goods by the truckload to Wuqi and deliver them to every household. In previous years, each Wuqi household could harvest two to three thousand pounds of buckwheat annually, and the county’s buckwheat exports never fell below 10 million kilograms per year.

　　The women of Wuqi are not only as beautiful as buckwheat flowers but also experts at making buckwheat foods. The chopped noodles are as fine and even as hanging noodles; the gutuo are as small and round as bullets; the liangfen is as firm and shiny as crystal. They cook well and are warm and sincere to people. Whether you’re a stranger or an acquaintance, an official or a commoner, once you step into their home, you’ll be warmly welcomed. In the blink of an eye, a plate of buckwheat noodles will be served. To ensure you enjoy your meal, they also have the habit of urging you to eat more. Before you know it, a chopstick-full of noodles or a spoonful of gutuo will land in your bowl, leaving you both touched and flustered, unsure of what to say.

　　Buckwheat noodles are the pride of the people of Wuqi. When folk songs are sung, the fame of Wuqi buckwheat spreads far and wide. Outsiders hearing about Wuqi will first ask about the buckwheat. In snack shops in Yan’an and Xi’an, anyone coming to eat buckwheat noodles will first ask if the shop is run by someone from Wuqi and if the buckwheat is from Wuqi. Because in their eyes, no buckwheat compares to that of Wuqi, and no one makes noodles as delicious as the people of Wuqi.

　　Buckwheat noodles have become Wuqi’s calling card. When visiting friends or relatives in the countryside, you bring them; when hosting guests or entertaining visitors in the village, you serve them; when guests leave and need a local specialty, you give them. In truth, Wuqi has other things, but only buckwheat noodles are the true specialty of Wuqi.

　　As a native of Wuqi, I am proud of my hometown and its buckwheat. I sincerely invite friends from all over to visit Wuqi, taste the fragrance of its buckwheat noodles, and experience the sincerity of its people.