Mom's Flavor
This article comes from the WeChat public account: Who is the Most Chinese
In our dwindling years
Father gave mostly the ambition of world domination, while mother gave mostly warm and rustic morning and evening meals
From the time I was young
In the kitchen, there was always a busy figure
Every day, he was busy preparing meals for the whole family
Her dishes didn't use complicated methods, but even a simple scrambled egg could be paired with a bowl of rice, satisfying the whole family
Her cooking skills weren't particularly outstanding, using only the simplest ingredients and cooking methods
Sometimes, she even burned them in a hurry
But these ordinary flavors, without fanfare, wove our lives together
This is Mom's flavor
A flavor that is unique in the world
Only one person can make it, and only children can recognize it
No matter traveling south and north, or striving in the east and west, it makes us yearn and pursue it
Mom's flavor is like Mom's love, deeply imprinted in our memories
Let us always remember it
When I was young, no matter who got married, we would send red eggs to relatives and friends
In that era of material scarcity, eggs were the most precious delicacy
In my memory, Mom often had a cold and was sitting in the yard to take medicine, at that time she always used a long iron spoon to cook an egg
Mom's scrambled egg was always a delight
The sizzling egg white with a golden yolk, like the rising sun
This filled my childhood with fragrance and sunshine
But I most love Mom's braised eggs
With a glossy brown skin, savory and slightly sweet, fragrant and smooth
It has a warm and rustic flavor, without luxury or romance
But it gives ordinary days new meaning
In the impoverished countryside, braised eggs were the kindest flavor
A few pieces of savory flavor can evoke the tenderness of the days
That tenderness is a quiet happiness, and a solid and stable stability
On New Year's Eve, outside the window, the silver snow fell silently, the room was bright and warm
The whole family gathered together, chopping and kneading
Putting all the thoughts and blessings into the thin dough
Mom had specific requirements for the dumplings she made on New Year's Eve, even when folding them, there was no room for sloppiness
The folded dumplings first arranged in the middle, then one by one outwards, layer by layer, neatly arranged
Mom said this is 'circle of fortune'
When cooking this pot of dumplings, Mom would never let anyone else touch it
She had to cook it herself
Because she wanted to leave the three dumplings in the middle of the lid to her married daughter-in-law
These dumplings are called 'concern dumplings'
They are left by the sister-in-law who got married
These dumplings are to be eaten by the daughter-in-law who returns home for the first time
They say 'daughters-in-law are not easily kept', but mothers in the world, probably always want to hold their daughters close
Remembering the good things at home
The taste of the palate remembers the way home
Pulling us back to our hometown
Besides the heartfelt longing, there's also the lingering taste
In a small farmhouse, the scent of steamed buns and sweet dumplings lingered
This is the most distinctive flavor in my memory
Because it's the smell of smoke
When I was young, our family used a charcoal stove, a small stove chamber, with a large iron pot cooking our meals for four seasons
As dusk fell, the red fire of the stove reflected Mom's face, and the smoke rose in the air, mixed with the smell of charcoal and wheat
Many years later, when I think back to that smell, it's such a homesickness
Taste is memory, it clearly remembers Mom's flavor, and clearly remembers the flavor of hometown
Having traveled thousands of miles, eaten delicacies, the most unforgettable is Mom's flavor
Mom's flavor is full of affection, it's so simple and low-key, immersed in our palate
No matter how times change, Mom's flavor is like a river irrigating fields, clear and flowing, we walk along the stream in the village, feeling relaxed and at ease
Mom's flavor is like the rising smoke from the hometown, a tranquil and distant scent, guiding our steps in a calm and unhurried direction
Never lost the direction of moving forward
Photography | CHAN
Mothers in the world, different cooking skills, but the memories left in our palates are the same
Everyone has a deep and enduring love for Mom's flavor
During the Spring Festival holiday, do you taste Mom's flavor? Please leave a comment and share
Do you love which bite the most?
Editor | Youxi
-Reference materials-
Mei Yiyi's 'Mom's Flavor'
'Happiness is to eat a meal at home'
-Special thanks for photography-
@CHAN and other network pictures
| CHAN
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@CHAN
