The origin of Ciba

Ciba is also called rice cake and Baba in some places. Made of glutinous rice, it is a popular food in some areas of southern China. In many parts of southern China, people are used to making jiaozi before the Spring Festival and eating jiaozi during and after the Spring Festival.

According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Wu Zixu, a courtier of the State of Chu, went to Wu to avenge his father and wanted to use Wu's soldiers to crusade against Chu. He came to the State of Wu, helped He Lv, the king of Wu, to become a minister active in the State of Wu. Soon, he realized his ambition, led Wu Bing to attack the capital of Kyoto, Chu, and dug up the tomb of the king of Chu, flogging his body to avenge himself. Since then, Wu Zixu has been granted land. On one occasion, the King of Wu ordered him to lead people to build the famous "Helv City" to prevent invasion. After the completion of the city, the prince of Wu was overjoyed. Only Wu Zixu is unhappy. He knows that he has a lot of grievances, and he is afraid that it will be difficult for someone to tolerate him in the future. After returning to the camp, he said to his cronies, "Forgetting Wang Xi will not come to a good end. After my death, if the country is in trouble and the people are hungry and cold, you can dig three feet under Xiangmen (one of the eight gates in Suzhou) to find food to satisfy your hunger. " Fu Cha, the son of He Lu, refused Wu Zixu's advice many times after he succeeded to the throne, but actually listened to rumors, which led to Wu Zixu's suicide. As Wu Zixu expected, shortly after his death, Gou Jian of Yue took the opportunity to send troops to attack Wu and surrounded the capital of Wu. At that time, it was the end of the year, it was freezing, the people in the city were hungry and cold, and the country and people were really in danger. At this critical moment, people think of Wu Zixu's entrustment before his death, and secretly tear down the city walls to dig the ground. People are surprised to find that the foundations of cities are all bricks and stones pressed with cooked glutinous rice. It turns out that this is the grain reserve stored as the cornerstone of the city wall after a large amount of glutinous rice is steamed and pressed into bricks in Wu Zixu. People can't help but sigh, Wu Zixu is so prescient! Everyone picked up the glutinous rice bricks, smashed them, cooked them again and ate them separately. Later, in Chutian area, people would make glutinous rice into Ciba every year as a "city brick" to show their respect for Wu Zixu. Today, Ciba is still a must-have food for people all over South China before the Spring Festival every year. In some places, Ciba is made into large and small circles, symbolizing harvest, celebration and reunion. Some places are also called rice cakes, and this name also represents good luck. People often say: "rice cake, rice cake, long life." The rice cakes in Daoxiang Village, Guanqian Street, Suzhou are the best. There are lard rice cakes, brown sugar rice cakes and white sugar rice cakes. The glutinous rice flour used to make rice cakes is thin and sweet, and its color is white and bright. The rice cake can be cooked and fried, and it tastes sweet and fragrant. There are four varieties of lard rice cakes: rose, osmanthus and jujube paste, which are characterized by bright color, fat beauty and glutinous rice fragrance, and can be eaten for a long time. People in China eat rice cakes from the south and the north, and Suzhou rice cakes are very popular special products in the south.

Raw materials: glutinous rice 10 kg (some places are mixed with ordinary rice, yellow rice, waxy corn, etc. ).

How to make it: In some southern areas, making Ciba is also called "making Ciba". Every winter to a month before, every household begins to grind glutinous rice, prepare dry wood and prepare to make Ciba. In many places, making Ciba is regarded as a cooperative activity, which is also an auspicious thing. The elders in the village will arrange the date, arrange the order and help each other. It must be made before the winter solstice. It is said that during the winter solstice, the made Ciba will float with the water and can be preserved until the next spring without deterioration. When making, clean the prepared glutinous rice, soak it in clear water for 24 hours, then drain it, steam it in a steamer, then put it in a wooden bucket and beat it repeatedly with a wooden stick and stir it into mud, then make it into a round cake with a diameter of 20 cm and a thickness of about 3 cm, cool it to harden it, then soak it in clear water and store it. When eating, you can cut steamed, fried, roasted, cooked, fried and simmered into strips. Its taste is delicate and sweet. Making Ciba pays attention to the quality, water quality and production season of glutinous rice. Generally, it is better to do it in winter. Ciba in Huarong, Ezhou, Hubei Province is the best.

Features: soft and delicate, sweet and delicious, easy to eat, it is the best product for entertaining guests and giving gifts to relatives and friends.