菜刀 – The Cleaver

cài dāo

Lǎo Zhāng shì gè chúshī, tā yǒu yī tào yòng le shí nián de chúfáng yòngjù. Zuì jiù de shì nà kuài hòushí de zhēn bǎn, shàngmiàn bùmǎn dāo hén, xiàng yī zhāng dìtú. Tā měitiān dōu huì yòng nà bǎ fēnglì de càidāo zài zhēn bǎn shàng qiē cài, càidāo hé zhēn bǎn pèngzhuàng de shēngyīn, shì tā zuì shúxī de jiézòu.

Jīntiān tā yào zuò hóngshāo ròu. Tā xiān yòng càidāo bǎ wǔhuā ròu qiē chéng fāngkuài, fàng zài zhēn bǎn shàng bèiyòng. Ránhòu tā diǎnrán méiqì, bǎ chǎoguō shāo rè, dào yóu. Tā yòng guōchǎn zài chǎoguō lǐ fānchǎo ròu kuài, ròu kuài zài rè yóu lǐ zīzī zuòxiǎng. Jiēzhe tā jiārù jiàngyóu hé táng, guōchǎn zài chǎoguō lǐ kuàisù fāndòng, ràng měi kuài ròu dōu guǒ shàng yánsè. Zuìhòu tā bǎ chǎoguō hǎo de ròu dào jìn tāngguō, jiārù shuǐ hé xiāngliào.

Tāngguō zài lúzi shàng mànmàn dùn zhe, mào chū báisè de zhēngqì. Lǎo Zhāng kàn zhe tāngguō, yòu kàn kàn pángbiān gānjìng de zhēn bǎn hé càidāo. Tā ná qǐ guōchǎn, qīngqīng jiǎodòng tāngguō lǐ de ròu. Èrshí nián le, tā huàn guò hěnduō zhēn bǎn hé càidāo, dàn zhǐyǒu zhè bǎ guōchǎn hé chǎoguō péi tā zuì jiǔ. Tāngguō lǐ de ròu xiāng piāo mǎn chúfáng, Lǎo Zhāng xiào le. Tā zhīdào, zuì hǎo de wèidào, dōu cáng zài zhèxiē jiǎndān de chújù lǐ.

The Cleaver

Old Zhang is a chef. He has a set of kitchen utensils that he has used for ten years. The oldest is the thick chopping board, covered with knife marks like a map. Every day he uses the sharp cleaver to cut vegetables on the chopping board; the sound of the cleaver hitting the board is his most familiar rhythm.

Today he is going to make braised pork. He first uses the cleaver to cut the pork belly into cubes and sets them aside on the chopping board. Then he lights the gas, heats the wok, and pours in oil. He uses the spatula to stir-fry the meat cubes in the wok, sizzling in the hot oil. Next he adds soy sauce and sugar, quickly flipping the meat with the spatula so each piece is coated. Finally he pours the stir-fried meat into the soup pot, adds water and spices.

The soup pot slowly simmers on the stove, emitting white steam. Old Zhang looks at the soup pot, then at the clean chopping board and cleaver beside it. He picks up the spatula and gently stirs the meat in the soup pot. Twenty years have passed; he has changed many chopping boards and cleavers, but only this spatula and wok have accompanied him the longest. The aroma of meat fills the kitchen. Old Zhang smiles. He knows that the best flavors are hidden in these simple utensils.

音频

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