How Is Miao Black Rice “Forged”?
Source:Shaoyang International CultureWriter:WuXiang AiZhe WangWeTime:2014-07-08Clicks：次
“I have lived in Dayuan Village for several decades. Every year we have to cook black rice.” said a retired teacher named Yang Rongsheng, who lives in Dayuan Village, Suining County. Whenever black rice is talked about, he has so much to say as if without ending.
On the early morning of the day before April 8, the Girls’ Festival, Teacher Yang traveled three li of a hill path from his home in the village to pick some leaves to make juice for cooking black rice. There are five kinds of leaves to be used, the most common being blueberry leaves, spice vine leaves and maple leaves.
“This kind of leave is now named after its shape that looks like the duck’s tongue. It is given the name ‘Yashechai’ as a written Chinese word based on my research. In fact its past name was ‘Yashichai’ spelled according to the local people’s pronunciation (literally meaning the duck’s waste tree).” Teacher Yang explained to us. Every time black rice was mentioned, he could not stop talking.
“Of the leaves necessary to cook black rice, blueberry leaves make up 90%, which is the most important, and the other four 10%. But wild blueberry is becoming more and more scarce.” Teacher Yang said that he planned to plant some nearby his village. “If we don’t plant, we will have to cook black rice with black ink in a few years.”
The leaves were cut together with branches. Yang picked the leaves off the branches skillfully and put them in a stone mortar. Then he pressed, nocked and smashed them using a wooden pestle of about two meters length.
Though the work required much physical strength, it meant a piece of cake to Yang who saw it as a custom. “This stone mortar is also used to make glutinous rice cake.” Yang chatted with a smiling face to people nearby while smashing the leaves.
When this work was finished, Teacher Yang wrapped the smashed leaves with a piece of thin gauze and then pressed the package to let the juice out. The juice was green at first, and then became light brown after a little while. “Sour and sweet, that’s the very taste.” Yang dipped his finger into the juice and then put it in his mouth, happily smiling.
At this moment, Yang suddenly spoke out a classic conjuring sentence “Now it’s time to witness wonders.” He poured the juice into the sticky rice. A moment later the light brown juice dyed the rice dark brown. “After around twelve hours of immersion the rice will become black. Then It’s ready to be boiled.”
The twelve hour was a long wait. “The black rice can obtain its right taste only if it is cooked in a wooden steamer.” said Yang as he opened the cover. He poked a long bamboo stick into the rice to make several holes to let steam out. The moment the steamer was opened, a gust of steam got out spreading fragrance everywhere in the room, which invited everyone’s appetite.
The Girls’ Festival, a most important festival, is observed on lunar April 8 every year in memory of Yang Liniang, an ancient heroine in Feishan Valley. With her brother imprisoned because of his rebellion against the merciless government, Li often suffered from hunger. One day she had an idea. She picked blueberry leaves from hills to make juice with which to dye rice black.. She took the black rice to her brother in prison. It was Lunar April 8. The prison guards saw the black rice and had no intention to rob it. After eating the rice her elder brother obtained boundless strength. He broke the iron chains on him, and then brother and sister fought their way out of prison. Ever since, on the day every year, Miao families fetch their married daughters back home to eat black rice. On this occasion, Miao people gather together to hold a solemn ceremony memorizing their forefathers. They celebrate their festival by eating black rice, drinking rice wine, singing and dancing.
“This morning I have sold out half bucket of black rice.” said Teacher Yang Rongsheng delightedly. “Generally I have to carry my black rice to a faraway place to sell it. Today visitors come to my village to buy it.” Like the Girls’ Festival, black rice is not only kept as a cultural element within Yang clan of Miao people. It has spread out as a common favorite food of all Suining people.
(translated by Yi Daoqun)
On the early morning of the day before April 8, the Girls’ Festival, Teacher Yang traveled three li of a hill path from his home in the village to pick some leaves to make juice for cooking black rice. There are five kinds of leaves to be used, the most common being blueberry leaves, spice vine leaves and maple leaves.
“This kind of leave is now named after its shape that looks like the duck’s tongue. It is given the name ‘Yashechai’ as a written Chinese word based on my research. In fact its past name was ‘Yashichai’ spelled according to the local people’s pronunciation (literally meaning the duck’s waste tree).” Teacher Yang explained to us. Every time black rice was mentioned, he could not stop talking.
“Of the leaves necessary to cook black rice, blueberry leaves make up 90%, which is the most important, and the other four 10%. But wild blueberry is becoming more and more scarce.” Teacher Yang said that he planned to plant some nearby his village. “If we don’t plant, we will have to cook black rice with black ink in a few years.”
The leaves were cut together with branches. Yang picked the leaves off the branches skillfully and put them in a stone mortar. Then he pressed, nocked and smashed them using a wooden pestle of about two meters length.
Though the work required much physical strength, it meant a piece of cake to Yang who saw it as a custom. “This stone mortar is also used to make glutinous rice cake.” Yang chatted with a smiling face to people nearby while smashing the leaves.
When this work was finished, Teacher Yang wrapped the smashed leaves with a piece of thin gauze and then pressed the package to let the juice out. The juice was green at first, and then became light brown after a little while. “Sour and sweet, that’s the very taste.” Yang dipped his finger into the juice and then put it in his mouth, happily smiling.
At this moment, Yang suddenly spoke out a classic conjuring sentence “Now it’s time to witness wonders.” He poured the juice into the sticky rice. A moment later the light brown juice dyed the rice dark brown. “After around twelve hours of immersion the rice will become black. Then It’s ready to be boiled.”
The twelve hour was a long wait. “The black rice can obtain its right taste only if it is cooked in a wooden steamer.” said Yang as he opened the cover. He poked a long bamboo stick into the rice to make several holes to let steam out. The moment the steamer was opened, a gust of steam got out spreading fragrance everywhere in the room, which invited everyone’s appetite.
The Girls’ Festival, a most important festival, is observed on lunar April 8 every year in memory of Yang Liniang, an ancient heroine in Feishan Valley. With her brother imprisoned because of his rebellion against the merciless government, Li often suffered from hunger. One day she had an idea. She picked blueberry leaves from hills to make juice with which to dye rice black.. She took the black rice to her brother in prison. It was Lunar April 8. The prison guards saw the black rice and had no intention to rob it. After eating the rice her elder brother obtained boundless strength. He broke the iron chains on him, and then brother and sister fought their way out of prison. Ever since, on the day every year, Miao families fetch their married daughters back home to eat black rice. On this occasion, Miao people gather together to hold a solemn ceremony memorizing their forefathers. They celebrate their festival by eating black rice, drinking rice wine, singing and dancing.
“This morning I have sold out half bucket of black rice.” said Teacher Yang Rongsheng delightedly. “Generally I have to carry my black rice to a faraway place to sell it. Today visitors come to my village to buy it.” Like the Girls’ Festival, black rice is not only kept as a cultural element within Yang clan of Miao people. It has spread out as a common favorite food of all Suining people.
(translated by Yi Daoqun)