Chunfasheng Hulutou

Chunfasheng Hulutou

　　A famous local snack from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. The basic preparation method involves cleaning pork intestines and stomach by rubbing them separately with salt and vinegar to remove grease and odor, then rinsing them in clean water until they become white and shiny, with no remaining smell. Next, they are roasted on a hot pan and cut 30 centimeters away from the large intestine, resulting in what is called hulutou. These are then boiled in a pot of clear water for four hours before adding refined salt. After ten minutes, the intestines and stomach are removed and placed on a sieve to dry for later use. The meat broth is made by simmering pork bones, pork belly, and a spice bag (containing Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and tsao-ko) for several hours. To prepare the dish, take two parts of the meat broth and one part of clear water, bring to a rolling boil, and place a piece of tuotuo flatbread (broken into the size of ginkgo nuts) in a bowl. Arrange three slices each of large intestine and cooked stomach, two slices each of cooked pork and chicken (plus two slices of squid and sea cucumber), neatly on top of the bread pieces. Pour boiling soup over the ingredients 3–4 times to fully saturate the bread with broth. Then add cooking wine, seasoning water (made from simmered Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon), MSG, chopped coriander, and shredded garlic sprouts. Drizzle with rendered lard, pour on more boiling soup, and serve with minced garlic, pickled vegetables, and chili sauce. Its characteristics include a rich, savory broth and a delicious taste. It is a food high in saturated fats, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. Adding seafood can increase the protein content. (Xi’an)