When it comes to Tongguan, people first think of "one mountain, one river, one pass and one steamed bun". The mountain is the "Father Mountain" Qinling Mountains, the river is the "mother river" the Yellow River, the pass is Tongguan, the ancient pass, and the steamed bun is Tongguan Roujiamo.
Tongguan Roujiamo
Whether you are a first-time visitor to Tongguan or a traveler returning home after a long trip, you must try Tongguan Roujiamo as soon as possible to activate your taste buds and feel its unique and mellow taste.
One、
Tongguan Roujiamo is a delicacy nurtured by a long farming civilization. It is a delicacy with distinctive regional characteristics in the Yellow River culture. It is also a product of the cultural integration and development of the Silk Road and the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations.
The "Hu Cake" brought back by Ban Chao from the Western Regions became very popular in the Tang Dynasty. The great poet Bai Juyi praised the deliciousness of "Hu Cake" with "the sesame cake is similar to Kyoto, and the noodles are crispy and fragrant." "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" also records: "Emperor Ling likes Hu cakes." Tongguan's crispy and crumbly Thousand Layer Cake is a reference to the "Hu Cake", improved and perfected, and the color, fragrance and flavor are more attractive.
The history of meat is even longer. The "Banpo Villagers" in the Neolithic Age had domesticated pigs; during the Warring States Period, South Korea began to make braised pork, which was called "cold meat" at that time. Braised pork was later introduced to Xianyang, and was improved using the secret recipe of Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, to make it healthier and more delicious.
The combination of thousand-layer cake and braised pork originated from Li Shimin when he was stationed in Tongguan. By chance, he ate the two together and praised them profusely: "Wonderful, I didn't know there was such a delicious food in the world." Tongguan Roujiamo was born from this. Birth. Because it is resistant to hunger and easy to carry, it has become a "fast food" for the military.
The high-quality wheat in Guanzhong and the "black pigs" raised in large quantities provide sufficient high-quality ingredients for Roujiamo. In the process of national integration and mutual learning among civilizations, the techniques for making Roujiamo have been continuously improved, the materials used have become more sophisticated, and the taste has become richer, creating the unique and prestigious Tongguan Roujiamo. Tongguan Roujiamo is the inheritance and development of local cuisine by generations of craftsmen. It is the embodiment of the spirit of Tongguan people's courage to innovate and explore.
Mouth-watering Braised Pork
In 2011, Tongguan Roujiamo was included in the "Shaanxi Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List" and became an "intangible cultural heritage on the tip of the tongue"; in 2023, Tongguan was awarded the honorary title of "Roujiamo Special Food Landmark City" by the China Cuisine Association ; In the same year, Tongguan Roujiamo was selected into the "Xinhua News Agency National Brand Project" to comprehensively enhance the brand value, economic value and cultural value with the help of Xinhua News Agency's rich media resources, powerful communication channels and high-end think tanks.
Two、
"Standing on the Tongguan plateau, looking at the Yellow River that turns in a zigzag shape... The junction of three provinces and the intersection of three rivers have witnessed the vicissitudes of history, the ups and downs. You stand there, holding a 'Tongguan Roujiamo' in your hand, The pancakes are crispy, crispy and fragrant, the lean meat is soft and tender, and the fat meat is fragrant but not greasy..." In the Oriental Selection live broadcast room, Dong Yuhui introduced the Tongguan Roujiamo, a delicacy from his hometown.
The production process of Tongguan Roujiamo has been improved several times. Use strong wheat flour, add warm water, alkaline noodles and lard and stir. After "3 kneading, 5 rolling, 2-meter stretching, and 30 rolling layers", the dough is sent to the oven, where it will be uniform in color and expanded. Take it out when it's yellow, the outside will be golden and crispy, with clear strands; the inside will be layered, the skin will be crispy and the inside will be tender.
The braised pork is even more exquisite. The "Guanzhong Black Pig" meat, which has received the National Geographical Indication of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is soaked and stewed with bay leaves, nutmeg, grass fruits, etc. After it comes out of the pot, the meat is full of flavor, the fat meat is chewy but not greasy, and the lean meat is chewy and lean but not greasy.
Chef making meat buns
The most delicious way to eat Tongguan Roujiamo is to sandwich cool braised pork with freshly baked Thousand Layer Shaobing, commonly known as "hot steamed bun with cold meat". The fat seeps into the steamed bun, and the hot and cold, soft and crispy, meaty and wheat aroma are perfectly blended together, mobilizing the sense of smell, taste and touch at the same time, forming the "Tongguan impression" on the tip of the tongue.
Tongguan Roujiamo is not only a delicacy, but also an expression of the hospitality of Tongguan people. It is the taste of hometown that Tongguan tourists miss most.
Three、
Walking in the streets and alleys of Tongguan, you can see "Rouga Mo" shops everywhere. Tongguan people who are good at innovation have made a variety of "Sanqin set meals": Roujiamo + duck slices soup, Roujiamo + rice noodles, Roujiamo + spicy noodles, Roujiamo + Liangpi + Bingfeng... catered to Different people's tastes promote the integrated development of the industry.
In the 1990s, after seeing the praise of tourists for Roujiamo, Tongguan people realized that "if you want to win, you have to go out into the world." Many people opened stores in Weinan, Xi'an and other places.
In the process of development, Tongguan Roujiamo not only maintains its original characteristics, but also adapts to local eating habits and innovates. It can be filled with eggs, various meat and vegetables, hot and cold, and it can be said that "one steamed bun covers the world". It crosses the streets, alleys, and enters the city with its unique charm. In just over ten years, the Tongguan Roujiamo signboard can be seen in almost all large, medium and small cities across the country, and stores are crowded with customers.
Soon, Tongguan people who were not satisfied with the domestic market turned their attention overseas, "not to make Chinese hamburgers, but to make the world's roujiamo", so that the taste of Tongguan could be spread all over the world, and foreigners would like "the taste of China on the tip of the tongue". Taste "Chinese culture on the tip of your tongue".
However, it is not easy to "pry open" overseas markets. Liu Jixiang, Wang Huafeng and other Tongguan people who were the first to dare to eat crabs realized after careful research and thinking that in order to develop and expand the Roujiamo industry, they must adopt branding, The road to scale and standardization.
Through purchasing equipment and repeatedly conducting technical research, Shengtong Catering Company was established in 2012, and Tongguan Roujiamo entered the era of fast food and industrialization. Later, through quick freezing technology and cold chain logistics, the original taste was retained and production efficiency was improved. In 2018, the first European physical store opened in Budapest. In the same year, Tongsuxiang Food Industry Co., Ltd. entered the United States. This was not only the first export business of Tongguan Roujiamo, but also achieved a "zero" breakthrough in the export of quick-frozen cakes in Shaanxi Province.
Workers make meat buns on the production line
Once the breakthrough is opened, the expansion of overseas markets will be overwhelming. Entering North America and Europe... the development pace of "Tongguan Roujiamo" is getting more and more solid, and the scale is getting bigger and bigger. There are entrepreneurs who promote roujiamo, researchers who explore history, inheritors who learn skills, and literary and artistic workers who promote culture...
Tongguan Roujiamo is very popular in domestic and foreign markets, filling people's wallets; it has been introduced into literary and artistic works such as poetry, songs, and films, enriching the people's spiritual life; appearing in new media such as short videos, it has enhanced Notability and influence.
From a little-known local snack to a golden brand with more than 10,000 stores, promoting county economic development; from a few practitioners and a few shops to 13 companies with 33 production lines. Tongguan Roujiamo has become a gourmet business card in 17 countries and regions on five continents.
Tongguan Roujiamo was selected into the Xinhua News Agency National Brand Project Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony
Today, Tongguan Roujiamo has developed from a "military fast food" to a communicator of civilization. While conveying the "taste" of Shaanxi, it also builds a bridge for communication between Shaanxi and the world. But how to promote the high-quality development of Tongguan Roujiamo industry, the author believes that we can start from four aspects:
Advance industrialization. Increase efforts in attracting investment to build a special industry cluster for Roujiamo; carry out talent training, increase support for entrepreneurship, and cultivate a group of talents who understand technology and management; guide enterprises to upgrade industrial structures, optimize process flows, and improve the level of industrialization and market Competitiveness.
Standardized construction. Standardize the processing, packaging, service and other processes, and establish Tongguan standards for Roujiamo; establish an anti-counterfeiting traceability system to realize source traceability and information query, and improve product safety and recognition; unify store image, service process, product specifications, and promote chain stores Optimize and upgrade.
Brand building. Make full use of integrated media, Internet and other platforms to enhance reputation; increase corporate property rights protection and safeguard legitimate rights and interests; guide and encourage the Tongguan Roujiamo Association to play its role in industry leadership and brand maintenance, and promote the healthy development of the industry.
Integrated development. Create a high-quality raw material supply base to promote agricultural development; develop special souvenirs and tourism products to promote the development of the tourism industry; rely on the Tongguan Roujiamo industry to strive to make Tongguan delicacies the second "golden industry" of Tongguan.