Mashed Fresh Snails

Mashed Fresh Snails

　　“Mashed Fresh,” officially called “Mashed Fresh Snails,” is made from snail meat and minced leeks, with a small amount of “stinky water” added. It is cooked into a paste-like consistency using flour mixed with water. The dish is fragrant, delicious, and can be eaten as either a side or a main meal—suitable for all ages.

　　The origin of this dish also has a rather legendary backstory. In Zhuce Town, Liyang, there is a place called Meilong Town, where there is a restaurant called “Fengxianju,” run by the proprietress Fengxian. This Fengxian was extraordinarily beautiful, and some diners came not just for the food but to see her. One day, an official-looking man arrived at “Fengxianju” with an entourage. As soon as he saw Fengxian, he began to act inappropriately and flirt with her. Fengxian, remaining calm, asked, “Sir, have you come to eat, or to eat people?” As she cooked, she became angrier and angrier. While making a snack called “mashed fry,” she scooped a spoonful of the stinky brine used to pickle salted vegetables and added it to the mash, intending to teach the lecherous man a lesson. Unexpectedly, when the “stinky mash” was served, the man took a bite and exclaimed, “Delicious!” He said it smelled bad but tasted wonderful. He quickly finished the entire plate.

　　Before long, an imperial edict suddenly arrived summoning Fengxian to the palace to become a royal chef. It turned out that the “lecherous official” was none other than the romantic Emperor Tang Minghuang (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang)! He had been traveling incognito through Meilong Town, heard of Fengxian’s beauty, unexpectedly tasted her delicious cooking, and specially issued an imperial decree to summon her. Realizing that serving the emperor was as dangerous as living with a tiger, Fengxian quietly left with her skills and went far away. Though the beauty was gone, the dish remained. In 2010, this unassuming snack was recognized as a “Chinese Famous Snack”!

　　Today, this dish has also become a local “intangible cultural heritage.” Its inheritor, Wang Xinhua, nicknamed the “Food Obsessive,” opened a restaurant called “Hometown Cuisine” by the shores of Tianmu Lake, attracting visitors from all over with his signature dishes.