Eating the right food at the right time remains the dietary custom of the Suzhounese. In spring, marinated meat is a dish that locals must eat.
Every spring in the old Suzhou city, sellers on the street would come out with baskets of goods, chanting, “Marinated meat to sell! Meaty louvers to sell!” When hearing this, local people will rush out with containers to buy a few pieces of marinated meat or a few meaty louvers to share with their families. Some experienced buyers also told the seller to add more juice from the marinated meat because it is a delicious “rice-killer” when stirred into plain rice.
The most distinct characteristic of marinated meat is its color, crimson and bright like cherry. The color comes from an ingredient called “red yeast”, which is also an important herb in Chinese medicine. With such a fermented herb mixed and stewed with other sauces and spices, the red color will come out in the marinade. Therefore, it can be said that the red yeast is the most crucial ingredient for Suzhounese to make marinated meat, which is regarded as the soul of the dish.
There is also a particular rule when dishing the cooked marinated meat. After a layer of green salad is placed in the middle of the white porcelain plate, nine pieces of marinated meat are laid neatly on the top, which leaves an impression of the spring with the red of peach blossoms and green of willow.
