Mai Rice, dry food for the soldiers of the government.

This wheat rice is a military dry food, not a special snack in Shaanxi in later generations. Zhang Chao often ate wheat rice in later generations, steamed with various vegetables and dried flour. The best one is made of locust flowers and wild vegetables, and the commonly used one is made of celery.

When the locust flowers are fragrant in May, we make locust flowers and wheat rice, and when the elm chips are rich, we make a plate of elm chips and wheat rice very sweet. Even when there are many vegetables in summer, eggplant, parsley, etc. can be used to make wheat rice.

However, the wheat rice that my father mentioned was the dry food carried by the soldiers when they went to war. The military government stipulated that when they went to war, the soldiers should bring their own nine dou of wheat rice and two dou of rice.

This wheat rice is purely literal meaning, wheat rice steamed from wheat.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the most important grain planting in the north was millet, and wheat during this period was far less than that of corn. When tax collection, rice specifically refers to corn, while wheat is classified as mixed grains, and rice is called rice.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, especially when the troops in Guanzhong went to fight, the military rations were often mainly wheat and rice. Wheat rice was the simplest method of steaming and cooking, and sometimes wheat rice not only refers to rice steamed by wheat, but also rice steamed by corn.

This kind of wheat rice that is simply steamed is quite rough and difficult to swallow. When steaming, it will be cooked half-cooked first, then taken out to flush, and then steamed again after cooling. Such double-steamed rice will be very loose and will not be clumped and bonded. The rice grains also look large, but they will definitely taste like chewing wax.

There are even historical records that during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, when Qi and Liang fought, the Liang army formed by the southerners suffered a poor morale and a sharp decline in combat power. Later, the secret to the Liang army's defeat into victory was very simple. The rice and stewed duck meat immediately restored the morale of the Liang army, and the morale of the army was greatly boosted, and the defeat into victory was turned into victory in one fell swoop.

Why not grind the wheat into flour?

First, grinding noodles is more troublesome, and second, wheat rice is not only easy to process, but also easy to store processed wheat rice.

This kind of wheat rice used to make dry food is also very special. After the wheat is shelled, steamed directly, steamed half-cooked to cool water, then steamed again, and then dried after steaming. In this way, the wheat rice can be stored for a long time and the method of eating is simple. You can eat it by boiling water and soaking it directly. But the taste is very bad.

A mansion soldier had to bring his own steamed nine dou of wheat rice when he went to war, and also brought two dou of rice.

These foods are not the food for the troops to go to war, but they only have dry foods they have brought. Only after the army has all gathered can the court provide food supply.

"Dad, this maize rice is so bad. I'll prepare some other one for you."

"Bulks and buns are not good. They can't even take up space and keep them for too long. After they are cold, they are like a stone. It's not easy to eat them. It's more convenient to eat wheat rice. Even on the march, boil some water and soak it."

Moreover, steamed buns are obviously much more expensive than wheat rice. The most important thing in the army is cost-effectiveness, the cheaper the better.

"Don't worry, I'll prepare some dry foods for you that are easy to preserve but not easy to break, are also easy to eat, and are delicious."

"And there is such dry food?"

"Well, the cost is not high."

Zhang Chao's mind has long seen many dry foods with high cost performance, such as fried rice, fried noodles, and Guokui, which are thousands of times better than this wheat rice.

The making of fried rice is also very simple: steaming, stir-frying and grinding.

Soak the millet in water without removing the shell, steam it in a pot, then stir-fry it in a wok, cool it, and grind it off, and then it becomes a yellow but not burnt, the rice is hard but not hard, and the crystal clear and bright fried rice.

This fried rice can be stored for a long time without being moldy and spoiled, and is also portable. When you want to eat it, add some water and soak it. If there is no hot water, you can soak it directly in cold water, which is very convenient.

However, the empty mouth was not enough, so Zhang Chao directly asked Shuanzi to get a bag of millet. This was the millet that had not been shelled yet. Pour it into water to wash it, then soak it, then cook it in a pot and stir-fry it, one by one.

Finally, when a pot of fried rice from Huang Jingjing exuded an attractive fragrance in front of my father, my father sniffed in surprise.

“This looks good.”

"You try."

My father grabbed a handful and put it in his mouth, and it made a crisp sound.

"tasty."

"The fried rice is already steamed and dried, so you can eat it directly. If you don't have time to cook during the march and war, you can grab a handful of food and eat it immediately. Of course, if you can make a fire and boil water when camping or when you have time, then put on a tin bowl and soak it in boiling water, and it will immediately become a hot and delicious hot food."

Zhang Chao said, put some fried grain in the bowl, then poured boiling water into the bowl. Hot water injected, steam rose, and the fried rice quickly expanded, and the fragrance spread more and more.

"If you can add another piece of vinegar cloth into it, it will be all."

Zhang Chao rolled his eyes and said, "What does it mean to add a piece of vinegar cloth?" He also knew that a seasoning used in the army was very simple. He soaked the cloth repeatedly with salt and vinegar, and then dried it, and then obtained a special coloring material, vinegar cloth.

When each soldier sent a piece of vinegar cloth, he cut a piece of cloth and threw it into boiling water. Then, when he was eating, he cut a piece of cloth and threw it into boiling water. Then vinegar and salt were found.

When Zhang Chao thought about it, he felt that this jealous cloth was very jealous.

It turned out that the Tang Dynasty regarded this vinegar cloth as an instant noodles seasoning bag. Zhang Chao remembered a vicious curse in later generations. I wish you never have a seasoning bag when you eat instant noodles.

"Dad, let's just stir-fry the rice and then add some salt and stir-fry it. There is no need for vinegar cloth at all."

"That's true." My father blew the fried rice porridge in the bowl in a big mouthful of steam. When the fried rice was a little cooler, he immediately scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth.

"tasty."

Dad seems to have only this adjective, but his one-eye is shining, indicating that this is indeed his true inner evaluation.

Zhang Chao asked Qiuyue and Dongqing to take his big spoon and ask the two girls to continue making fried rice according to their previous method. Then he called Lian Niang over and said, "Help me make a dry food bag."

"The long cylindrical shape can be used to carry it on the back, which is convenient for marching and fighting, and can hold ten kilograms of dry food in size."

Such dry food bags are the Red Army's dry food bags. Zhang Chao thinks this dry food bag is good and easy to carry, and does not affect the marching and training. The key is that it is easy to use. When you are hungry, you can directly untie it and grab it and eat it.

When my father went to war, he carried a few kilograms of dry food on his body, and put the rest of the dry food on the mule, and put some of them on the war horses, so that he would not have to worry about being hungry.

My father was sitting there drinking fried rice porridge, and after eating a bowl, he was still slamming his mouth, looking endless aftertaste.

After eating a bowl, my father couldn't help but make another bowl, and then he called Uncle Zhao and others to eat together.

"Oh, why didn't anyone know how to do this before? Oh my God, what kind of thing did the rice we ate before? Compared with this, it's even worse than pig food." Uncle Zhao is also an old soldier. He is used to eating rice. Now, when he eats fried rice, he can't help but slap the table.

Uncle Wang nodded repeatedly, "I really didn't expect that after stir-frying it for a while, it turned out to be so delicious. The rice was completely unswallowed, and the delicious ones almost bit off the tongue."

Zhang Chao smiled with satisfaction, "In fact, it can be improved, such as stir-frying after stir-frying, add some salt and stir-frying, which is more flavorful, and you can also add some oil to stir-frying."

Compared with fried noodles, fried rice is cheaper and simpler.

Of course, fried noodles can be simpler.

Don’t add walnuts, sesame seeds, etc., just fry them just so they are slightly yellow. You can also add some oil and stir-fry well. When eating, it is not mainly brewing.

Zhang Chao thinks that fried rice is more convenient, affordable and delicious.

"Bring some bacon, sausage and ham is the best. Don't worry about bad things, and you can eat them raw." Zhang Chao was very worried about his father's trip.

But my father patted his stomach with satisfaction, "It's enough to have this fried rice."

Uncle Zhao and Wang also hurriedly said, "Fried rice is enough, it is easy to make, but it is easy to carry and store, and it is delicious."

Fried rice is similar to wheat rice, with the ingredients being wheat and millet, but the wheat rice is steamed and dried. However, the fried rice is steamed in the shell, then stir-frying, and then shelling. The cooking method has been changed, but the results are very different.

The rice is rough and hard to swallow, and has no taste, while the fried rice is fragrant and crispy. It can be eaten dry and soaked, and it tastes delicious no matter how you eat it.

Zhang Chao also recommended Guokui, perforated sesame cakes, etc. to his father, but his father and others looked down on him. Now they only think that fried rice is great.

OK, since my dad likes fried rice so much, then make fried rice.

The military government stipulates that each person should prepare nine dou of wheat rice and two dou of rice. Zhang Chao directly asked Qiuyue and two girls to make twelve dou of fried rice for his father.

Thinking about the fact that the soldiers of this era were also hard-working. Not only did they bring their own equipment, but when they went out to fight, they even had to bring their own food on the road. They brought their own eleven dou at a time, which cost more than 100 kilograms.

No wonder the military government requires each gang to be given six mules without mules. This mansion soldier would be exhausted on the road just by picking up his own 100 kilograms of food.

But after having mounts and mules, they had to prepare feed for the livestock. Therefore, when the Tang army went to war, they mobilized the troops to go to war, and they also had to mobilize strong men to do transportation for civilians.

Alas, it's really hard to fight a war.

After receiving the news, Qi Niang couldn't help but shed tears. She saw that she was about to get married in two months, but her father had to go to the battle at this time. It was difficult to come back this year, "It's so cold, why did you go to the battle at this time?"

"Military information is like fire and military orders are like mountains, so how can you choose a life?" The father comforted Qi Niang who was rushing to come.

"It's so painful to go out to fight with such coldness. It's so cold."

"There is a jacket you sewed for me."

Zhang Chao was also quite moved when he saw this scene. Although he was a couple halfway through the road, his feelings were sincere.

"Dad, let's buy a few furs. Hebei is very cold and can't be frozen."

As he was talking, a sound of footsteps came from outside.

A familiar voice rang out.

"What's so delicious? Zhang Sanlang, what are you making again?"

As soon as he heard this sound, Zhang Chao knew that Cheng Yaojin was coming.

"Uncle Cheng, what wind has blown you?"

"Boy, don't interrupt me. You haven't told me yet, what are you making delicious food? My old Cheng has the most skillful nose. You can't fool me. You must have made some delicious new tricks. Come here as it is."

"Uncle Cheng, you have such a good nose. I just made some fried rice. Do you want to compensate for the fresh ones?"

"Fried rice, what's the thing? Come and try it out for me. It's so delicious, it must be delicious!" Cheng Yaojin said impatiently.

Daily book recommendation: Telling about Water Margin to Lin Chong, telling about Pan Jinlian to Wu Song, sleeping with the Princess of the Song Dynasty, telling Zhao Ji that he would freeze to death in the Five Kingdoms City, all the highlights are in "The Storyteller of the Song Dynasty"
Chapter completed!