The Hulutou

葫芦头是西安特有的传统风味小吃。葫芦头源于宋代的“煎白肠”，是当时的一种市井小吃。它的基本原料是猪大肠和猪肚，吃时顾客先把馍掰成碎块儿，厨师再把猪肠、猪肚和鸡肉、海参、鱿鱼等排列在碎馍块儿上，用煮沸的骨头原汤泡三或四次，然后加入猪油和青菜等。吃时佐以糖蒜、辣酱等。

1929年以前，西安最驰名的是何乐义经营的猪大肠。因大肠形似葫芦，故名“葫芦头”。现在，这种小吃已由猪大肠发展到包括海味在内的多种品种。

关于“葫芦头”的产生有一个广为流传的传说。相传，唐代著名医学家孙思邈将烹制猪肠、猪肚的方法传授给长安一家饮食店的店主，并将一个药葫芦赠给店主调味。店主按照孙思邈的指点改进制作方法，长安“葫芦头”从此得名，千年流传。

“葫芦头”的制作方法为：将猪大肠、猪肚用盐、醋分别翻转搓揉，去掉油腻和腥味，用清水漂洗，直至猪肠、猪肚色白发亮、无腥臊味为止。再在热锅上焙烤，在距大肠端30厘米处切断，即为葫芦头。然后放入清水中煮4个小时，之后加入精盐，过10分钟后捞出肠、肚，置于筛内晾干、待用。

配制葫芦头的肉汤是用猪骨、猪方肉及调料包（花椒、八角、桂皮、草果）一起熬成的。取肉汤2份和1份清水，用旺火烧开，将掰成白果大小的饦饦馍放在碗中，再将大肠、熟肚各3片，熟肉、鸡肉各2片，以及鱿鱼、海参各2片齐整地排放在饦饦馍块上，用滚开的汤浇上3～4次，使馍块浸透汤汁。然后加入料酒和用花椒等熬成的调料水、味精、香菜和蒜苗丝等，漂上熟猪油，最后再浇上一层滚开的汤汁，配以糖蒜、泡菜、辣酱即成。

葫芦头作为风味小吃具有吸引人的特点：汤酽味醇，鲜香适口，是一种富含高饱和脂肪酸、高碳水化合物的食品。如加入海味，可增加蛋白质的含量，味道也更加鲜美。

大家慢慢品尝吧！

西安之旅到这里就全部结束了，这些天来大家一定累了，不过旅程还是顺利和开心的。我现在送大家回宾馆。欢迎大家以后再来西安，希望下次还能为大家服务，谢谢大家！

The Hulutou（the Broth with Intestine and Tripe）is a local delicacy in Xi'an.It was developed from the“Fried White Intestine”found in the markets of the Song Dynasty.Its raw materials is pork intestine.Before it is served，the customer needs to break a pancake into small pieces，then the chef soaks them in a boiling bone soup three or four times with pork intestine，pork tripe，chicken，sea cucumber and squid.Afterward，lard and greens are added to it.It is often served with preserved garlic and chili jam.

Before 1929，the most famous snack shop selling the Hulutou in Xi'an was run by He Leyi.As the large intestine of a pig looks very much like a gourd，that is how the name of the Hulu－tou is derived. Now，it has developed into many varieties as to include seafood and other kinds of delicacies.

There is a legend about the origin of the Hulutou.It said that this culinary method was passed down from Sun Simiao，the famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty，to the owner of a restaurant in Chang'an with a bottle of medicine for flavoring. After the owner of the restaurant improved the delicacy according to what Sun Si－miao told him，the delicacy has since become known as the Hulutou.

The basic way to make it is：first use salt and vinegar to clean the large intestine by turning its inside out to remove the grease and smell through scraping and kneading，and then wash it in water till the intestine becomes white and bright with no smell at all.After that it should be baked dry on a hot pan and cut 30 centimeters from the end.This is what we call the Hulutou.Then it should be boiled for 4 hours，adding fine salt and boiled for another 10 minutes.Then it should be cooled and dried，ready for its final use.

The broth is made from pig's bones，pork and seasoning（including Chinese prickly ash，star anise，cassia bark and cardamom）by boiling them in a pot and then mixing two portions of broth and one of clear water.When done pour into a bowl contai ning a beady－like cake prepared in advance.This is covered with the large intestine and stomach，plus 2 pieces of boiled pork and chicken or even 2 pieces of cuttlefish and sea cucumber.Keep pouring for 3－4 times to make the cake saturated with the broth.Fi nally add some cooking wine，seasoning water（prepared with Chinese prickly ash，star anise and cassia bark），gourmet powder，coriander and slices of young garlic－shoots and lastly pouring the boiling hot broth over it again.

Now you can enjoy it together with sweet preserved garlic，pickled vegetable and pepper sauce，etc.

The special feature of this snack is that the broth is thick and tastes good.It is a kind of snack full of EPA and DHA acids as well as high in carbon dioxide.If seafood is added，it will be even better and contain more protein.

Now I hope you have a nice diner！

Your trip to Xi'an is coming to the end.Everybody must be a little tired.Now I will send you back to your hotel.If you come to Xi'an again I hope I can serve you next time.Thank you so much！

快乐旅途

一眼就看中

Only One Eye to Settle on

姑娘找到媒人，说：“你欺骗了我。他的一只眼是假眼，你以前为什么不告诉我？”

“怎么没告诉你？”媒人也不甘示弱，“你们第一回见面后，我就说，他一眼就看中你了。”

The girl found the go－between and said，“You cheated me！One of his eyes is not true. Why didn't you tell me this before？”

“I have told you，”said the go－between with justice on his side.“When you met first，I told you that he settled on you with one eye.”