1982s中国重庆烧白1982s Chongqing, China Shaobai

“烧白”是重庆话对这道菜的叫法。烧白源自明末清初时，当时的湖广填四川运动来到四川的客家移民把中国客家的一道梅菜扣肉带到了四川，慢慢演变成了四川菜烧白。在中国民国时期，烧白已在川渝地区的家庭已普遍存在（明清时期烧白多用于祭祀食品）。“烧白”中的“烧”字指的是中国古法“㸆制”（长时间蒸㸆致酥软），“白”指所用的五花肉称为白肉。重庆烧白制作是选用带皮五花肉，要层次分明、肥瘦相间的五花肉通过焯煮，煮好后用老抽给皮上糖色，下油锅酥炸，捞出，冷水浸泡，切片，平铺在碗底。用葱、姜、干辣椒、花椒粉、酱油、糖等调料炒制四川芽菜，炒香后平放在碗里肉片上，放入蒸锅长时间蒸制，至到肉质酥软，芽菜味充分渗入肉里，肉香充满整个芽菜就好。口感咸香软糯，入口即化，为重庆菜的经典。

"Shaobai" is the name given to this dish in the Chongqing dialect. Shaobai originated during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, Hakka immigrants who arrived in Sichuan during the Huguang-Hakka migration brought a Hakka dish called Meicai Kourou (steamed pork with preserved mustard greens) to Sichuan, which gradually evolved into the Sichuan dish Shaobai. During the Republic of China era, Shaobai had already become widespread in households across the Sichuan and Chongqing regions (during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shaobai was mostly used as food for sacrificial offerings). The character "Shao" in "Shaobai" refers to the ancient Chinese method of "Kaozhi" (long-term steaming until soft), while "Bai" refers to the pork belly used, which is known as white meat. The preparation of Chongqing Shaobai involves selecting pork belly with the skin on. The pork belly, which should have distinct layers of alternating fat and lean meat, is blanched. After boiling, the skin is colored with dark soy sauce for caramelization, deep-fried in a wok until crisp, removed, soaked in cold water, sliced, and laid flat at the bottom of a bowl. Sichuan Yacai (pickled mustard greens) is stir-fried with seasonings such as green onions, ginger, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorn powder, soy sauce, and sugar. Once stir-fried until fragrant, it is spread evenly over the meat slices in the bowl. The bowl is then placed in a steamer for a long period of steaming until the meat becomes tender and soft, the flavor of the Yacai fully penetrates the meat, and the fragrance of the meat permeates the Yacai. The texture is savory, fragrant, soft, and glutinous, melting in the mouth, making it a classic of Chongqing cuisine.