Jingzhou candied fruit has a long history, which is a wonderful production by women. Jingzhou candied fruit is to cut immature grapefruit green fruit into pieces, carve dragons, phoenixes, fish, shrimps, flowers, birds, insects and leaves with The Lancet, and some patterns such as "Magpie playing with plum", "triumphant", "Swallow pecking at mud", "Dragon playing with beads", "the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon" and "Fish playing with water", and then swim in the water. It tastes crisp, sweet and delicious, not only delicious, but also has the medicinal value of moistening lung and promoting fluid production. Carved candied fruit includes not only grapefruit green fruit, but also wax gourd, cucumber, melon, tomato, bitter gourd, red bean, sword bean, melon bobbin and eggplant. Melons are cut into rectangles, water chestnuts, four sharp corners and other patterns. Bitter gourd carved by water-; Cowpea is twisted into a three-ear knot and a new button knot; Knife beans specialize in weaving orchids; Tomatoes specialize in begonia flowers; Eggplant specializes in making Hosta; Melon balls are made into immortal pillars. The above candied fruit is a good gift.
In March 2009, Jingzhou City, Hunan Province was included in the second batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage projects. This traditional handicraft closely related to the lives of local Miao and Dong people will be better protected and passed down.
Long history: Mika.
Carved candied fruit is not only a unique national food, but also a beautiful and unique handicraft, and it is a folk art treasure that combines food culture and national culture perfectly. It originated in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, developed at the end of the Five Dynasties and was handed down from generation to generation, becoming the royal product of Jingzhou folk court. Jingzhou carving and candied fruit techniques are distributed in Quyang Town and its surrounding areas of Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County in southwest Hunan.
Carved candied fruit is the crystallization of the wisdom of Miao and Dong people in Jingzhou. Smart Miao and Dong ancestors knew that if there were too many fruits on the pomelo tree, the pomelo fruit wouldn't grow up, so they picked extra young fruits-called "beating fruit". Unfortunately, the young fruits were lost, so they were carved into exquisite patterns by ingenious eldest sister-in-law girls to describe the beautiful images and interests in life.
Legend has it that one year in ancient times, it rained heavily for three days and nights in a row, and the flood flooded Jingzhou City, and all the men, women and children in the city gathered on the north slope to take refuge. People are running out of food, so they have to live on wild tea and roots on the hillside. At this time, a Dong daughter-in-law named Keliti found an immature grapefruit under a tree. She took a bite and felt bitter. Colette wondered what it would taste like if this grapefruit slice was mixed with some honey. So she dipped it in honey. Grapefruit slices are full of honey, which makes them sweet and smells like grapefruit. Later, Colette's candied fruit came out. Later, ingenious Dong girls sliced grapefruit and carved various patterns to make candied fruit. After that, it was gradually improved and passed down from generation to generation, becoming a must in Jingzhou.
Unique technology: wonderful craft
The tools and materials needed to make carved candied fruit include various types of willow sharp knives, kitchen knives, iron pots, alum, porcelain plates (pots), high-quality sugar and various fruits. It is a traditional snack and ornamental product made from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of various melons, fruits and vegetables, which are carefully carved by The Lancet, and then processed by a specific process. Carved candied fruit is also called "Wanhua tea", among which grapefruit fruit is resistant to storage and is called "canned natural fruit", and the candied fruit carved with green pomelo is a must. In addition, melon, cucumber, watermelon, tomato, bitter gourd, red bean, sword bean, melon bobbin and eggplant were used as raw materials, and the melon was cut into rectangular, water chestnut and four-pointed patterns. Bitter gourd carved by water-; Cowpea is twisted into a three-ear knot and a new button knot; Knife beans specialize in weaving orchids; Tomatoes specialize in begonia flowers; Eggplant specializes in making Hosta; Melon balls are made into immortal pillars. The color, shape and taste of candied fruit are different with different raw materials.
Before eating, people will be attracted by the exquisite and interesting patterns of carved candied fruit, which will double their appetite and make their taste unique and refreshing. Its crisp, sweet and delicious taste comes from grapefruit slices and high quality sugar. Eat directly, bite in the mouth "boom boom boom" sound, can also be brewed with boiling water, especially popular with the elderly and children; The local common eating method is to put the candied fruit into a cup, brew it with boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, and sometimes add some candied dates and scented tea. After brewing, the candied fruit is crystal clear, sweet and fragrant, and the tea is sweet, which is a healthy green food. Daughters-in-law will use ancestral blue-and-white porcelain jars to preserve candied fruit. On holidays or when distinguished guests come, they will take out a few flowers and make cups of sweet candied tea for their guests. Drinking such sweet tea and tasting such carved food, guests will inevitably praise their daughter-in-law for her good workmanship.
Humanistic connotation: price is better than gold and jade
Carving candied flowers is an artistic creation activity full of ingenuity. Auntie, old sister-in-law, clever women and girls cut grapefruit into even slices, and then used wicker knives to display their talents on grapefruit slices. They seem to be admirable talented artists, holding slices in their hands, putting them on, cutting them off and taking them off, only to see The Lancet turn them over and the pomelo slices fall off. In the blink of an eye, a chrysanthemum or a fish and shrimp was carved. The whole process is crisp and neat, skillful, with smooth lines, delicate knife work and vivid image. There are many styles of carved candied fruit: dragon playing with pearls, proud as peacocks, mandarin ducks playing in water, magpies and plums, eagles spreading their wings, swallows embracing spring, crab soldiers and shrimps, bees flying and butterfly dancing, concentric knots, double happiness pictures and blessing gates, all of which are dazzling in beauty.
Carved candied fruit has been spread for more than 2000 years, which has played a certain role in promoting the development of China folk art, especially sculpture art. It comes from the people and is a portrayal of people's life. It is a unique expression of national cultural psychology and cultural accumulation in different times. It has a unique artistic form and rich cultural connotation of Miao and Dong. From the connotation to the external performance, it reflects the historical and cultural traditions, aesthetic pursuit and unique national spirit of the Miao and Dong people, and achieves the artistic effect of vivid expression and appealing to both refined and popular tastes. The production technology of carved candied fruit is complex, which is the crystallization of Jingzhou people's long-term wisdom and is irreplaceable by modern technology. It fully demonstrates the creativity and skill level of the Miao and Dong nationalities, and has positive witness significance for the formation and development of China's ethnic multiculturalism.