Beihai Food① "米乙"

"米乙" (Beihai dialect (Cantonese): A [an] i [it]) is a traditional food of Beihai that is made from wheat flour, rice flour, glutinous rice, etc.

虾仔米乙 (Ha jai A i)

Ha jai A i is a fried food, and it got its name because there are fresh Ha jai (虾仔)^[1] in it. It is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and has a flavor of shrimp. And because of the cheap price, it has become Beihainese people's (北海人) favorite accompaniment to drinks.

Ha jai A i is usually seen in and around markets, especially in Zhuhai Xilu (珠海西路). The most famous stall in that street is "李姨虾饼店", and it is said that the shop has been on a show on CCTV.

PS: A freshly fried, hot one would be best.

Sui A i (水米乙)

Sui A i is made from rice flour and usually has 4 or 5 layers. It is white and has a smooth, soft taste. It would also be a good idea to add soy sauce, vinegar and some spices like garlic. Sui A i is a food that Beihainese people often have for breakfast, and it can be chilled in summer, warmed in winter.

It is said that Sui A i is derived from the Ghost Festival (鬼节) celebrated by the Hakka people (客家人) living in the Beihai area. The Hakka people call it "Goi A i" (盖米乙) and they can make ten layers. It is believed that the more layers you make the longer the spirits stay because they would return home and have a Goi A i layer by layer on that day.

Sui A i is commonly seen in street stalls or markets. And the "Yeshi" (叶氏) in Nankang Town (南康镇) is the most famous. There is a stall in Nankang New Market (南康新市场), and a few restaurants in downtown.

◇   Chaau Sui A i (炒水米乙) is the most popular recipe for Sui A i in Beihai. Add scallions, garlic, Laochou (老抽, a kind of soy sauce) and stir-fry several times. And then serve with a sauce made of sugar and vinegar, or garlic chili sauce.

◇   Gung gun jing Goi A i (公馆蒸盖米乙) is a Sui A i that is unique to Gongguan Town (公馆镇). It has 5 or 6 layers and the top is covered with a layer of pork, shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, celery, bamboo shoots, etc. It is 60-80 cm in diameter and the thickness of a layer is 2-3 mm, larger and thicker than pizza.

Bui jai A i (杯仔米乙)

Bui jai A i is so named because it is made by steaming Mijiang (米浆)^[2] in a small bowl. It is a favorite breakfast food of Beihainese people due to its smooth and fresh taste.

There are two kinds of Bui jai A i: the sweet one and the salty one. As brown sugar is added, the sweet one is yellow and has a sweet taste, and it is covered with Shuyou (熟油, heated oil) or sesame oil by a brush before serving. The salty one is white and a little salty, and it is served with the oil and a sauce made from garlic/garlic oil, soy sauce, vinegar, or garlic chili sauce.

Bui jai A i is commonly seen in street stalls or markets.

Yip ma A i (叶蔴米乙)

Yip ma A i is made from glutinous rice and ramie leaves. It got its name because Beihainese people call ramie "Yip ma" (叶蔴). Yip ma A i usually contains a sweetened filling made with sesame seeds, so it is also called "Ji ma A i" (芝麻米乙). It is wrapped in a ramie leaf (pineapple leaves or banana leaves can also be used), and it is usually served in pairs. You can divide them by hand and wrap one in the leaf, and you'll find that it has a subtle fragrance of ramie leaves and a sweet taste.

In the old days, Yip ma A i could be seen only on holidays. But now it is commonly seen in street stalls or markets, and there are many varieties and various tastes. Not only sesame filling, there is also peanut filling, Yesi (椰丝, shredded coconut) filling, mung bean filling, etc. And there are also yellow ones that uses pumpkin juice instead of ramie leaves, white ones, red ones, etc.

◇   Sau yip A i (稍叶米乙): There is nothing on the inside, and it looks like a leaf. As brown sugar is added, it has a sweet taste. And fried ones also taste good.

Baak ji A i (白籽米乙)

Baak ji A i is a festive food for Dongzhi Festival (冬至) that is made from glutinous rice. It contains a sweetened filling made with sesame seeds or peanuts, and it has a soft, sweet taste. That would also be a good idea to leave it for a few days to harden and then fry it.

At present, Baak ji A i is commonly found in markets. And there are red ones that is made from the aril (seed membranes) of gac.

Gac

Daai lung A i (大笼米乙)

Daai lung A i is the Niangao of Beihai which is made from glutinous rice, brown sugar, jujubes, sesame seeds, etc. It is so named because it is always put in a big bamboo basket. Daai lung A i is shaped like a brown disk, and it is about 30 cm in diameter, 5 cm thick and weighs over 6 catties. It has a chewy, sweet taste and is very nutritious, good for health. Now Daai lung A i can be seen in markets or supermarkets before and after the Spring Festival (春节). And there are two kinds, handmade and machine-made, and of course handmade ones would taste better.

Because Daai lung A i is symbolic of reunion (团圆) and abundant harvest of grains (五谷丰登), it is essential to the festivities in rural areas. The people there usually begin making on the 20th day of Layue (腊月, the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar) and make tens or hundreds of catties. Not only for family consumption or ancestral rites, but also give their relatives and friends as presents. For example, when a son-in-law visits the home of his wife's parents (拜年) on the second day of the first lunar month, Daai lung A i is a must.

PS: Local people prefer fried ones.

Faat A i (发米乙)

Faat A i is made by fermenting Mijiang (米浆)^[2], and it is white, soft and sweet. There are two kinds, the big one and the small one. The big one is similar in size to Daai lung A i and is used in the ceremony which people pay respects to their ancestors (祭祖) during the Qingming Festival (清明节). The small one is a snack in daily life and can be seen in markets or bakeries, and there are some other colors besides white.

◇   Faat gou A i (发糕米乙) is another kind of Faat A i. It is made from glutinous rice and has a smooth, sweet taste.

Gai si tang A i (鸡屎藤米乙)

Gai si tang A i is made from rice flour and the powder made by grinding the leaves of Jishiteng (鸡屎藤, locals call it "Gai si tang"), a bad-smelling plant of the family Rubiaceae, and it is a special food for Shangsi Festival (上巳节, the third day of the third month of the Chinese calendar). It is usually cut into long sticks and made into tong sui (糖水, a sweet soup served as a dessert), and it also can be made into other shapes.

The people of Beihai eat Gai si tang A i during the Shangsi Festival because it is said that Gai si tang A i has the effect of "清热解毒" and can be used to treat roundworms. Therefore, it can only be seen in street stalls or markets before and after the Shangsi Festival. And there is a custom that people tie the wild shrubs called "Sanchafu" (三叉斧) and Jishiteng on the door. It is said to ward off evil spirits (辟邪).

◇   "Gai si tang yau cheung yau nya" (鸡屎藤又长又韧) is a Beihai proverb that means sentences or words are tedious, not fresh, not interesting.

Jishiteng

Suk mai A i (粟米米乙)

Suk mai A i is a yellow food made of foxtail millet. It has a soft, chewy taste, and it is mostly served with a sauce made of sugar and sesame seeds. Suk mai A i can be found in street stalls, and those vendors also usually sell zongzi (粽子).

PS: Suk mai A i is need to be cut into pieces with scissors, so that it is easy to eat. If you have never eaten a Suk mai A i before, you had better make sure the stall keeper does that.

Faan sam A i (饭心米乙)

Faan sam A i is a traditional food that is made by the Hakka people (客家人) of Hepu (合浦) during the Spring Festival. It is stuffed with steamed glutinous rice (optionally cooked with shrimp or crab) and wrapped in ramie leaves, so it has the fragrance of ramie leaves, glutinous rice and a fresh taste. Now Faan sam A i is something of a rarity, and it can only be seen in a very traditional Hakka family.

1. Ha jai (虾仔) is a native shrimp of Beihai that is less than half of an adult's little finger.

2. Mijiang (米浆) is a thick liquid that is made of ground rice.