What is candied fruit?

Sweet candied fruit, also known as "láo zāo", is a traditional fermented food, which is mainly made from rice and glutinous rice through fermentation.

Sweet candied fruit is very popular in many areas of China, and it is a kind of food with cultural characteristics. The following will introduce the production, characteristics and position of candied fruit in China's food culture in detail.

1. Production technology: The production of candied fruit mainly includes the following steps:

Selecting and soaking: selecting high-quality rice and glutinous rice, washing and soaking to make rice grains fully absorb water.

Cooking: cook the soaked rice until it is cooked, and then air dry the steamed rice.

Brewing and fermentation: mix the cooled rice with glutinous rice, add glutinous rice maltose, and then put it in a container for sealed fermentation. Fermentation time is usually several days to several weeks.

Mature harvest: after fermentation, the starch in rice and glutinous rice is converted into sugar, forming waxy and sweet taste. Fermented candied fruit can be eaten or processed into various delicacies.

2. Features and taste: The biggest feature of fermented grains is sweet and delicious, with a certain flavor of fermented grains and soft texture. Due to the formation of sugar in the fermentation process, the taste of sweet fermented grains is more intense. It can not only be eaten directly, but also be added with other ingredients to make various snacks and cakes, such as fermented glutinous rice and glutinous rice balls, which enriches the pastry culture in China.

3. The position of food culture: Sweet fermented grains have a profound position in China's food culture. It is not only a traditional food, but also represents people's pursuit of a better life and their wishes for a bumper harvest and happiness. In some places, candied fruit is also associated with festivals, folk customs, weddings and funerals, and has become an important part of people's lives.

The way of making and eating candied fruit in different regions may be different, but the similarity lies in that it represents the traditional food culture and lifestyle, and carries people's yearning for delicacy and happiness. As one of the rich and colorful food heritages in China, candied fruit provides people with the opportunity to taste the tradition, and also shows the diversity and unique charm of China's food culture.