What is the "soul" of a Hainan chicken rice in the eyes of Hainan people, and why is it so popular in Hainan?

The embryonic form of Hainan chicken rice originated from the combination of "oil rice ball+boiled chicken", an ancient sacrificial ceremony in Hainan. Since the Qing Dynasty, Hainan residents have dipped it in chicken water, chicken oil and rice during the Spring Festival, and then made fried rice into round rice balls to worship their ancestors and convey the meaning of "reunion and happiness" to future generations. After the worship, people will enjoy extra rice balls and boiled chicken.

This way of eating boiled chicken with rice slowly continued. What Hainan people eat most often is a kind of Wenchang chicken fed with coconut residue, banyan seeds and cassava, which has the appearance characteristics of "three small and two short". Wenchang chicken is an excellent meat variety, which is used for "white-cut meat" and has a special taste in the traditional form of "chicken rice" in Hainan, also known as Wenchang chicken.

/kloc-At the end of 0/9, the chicken rice in the wave of "going to Southeast Asia" spread to Southeast Asia. In places where there are many Hainan immigrants in the Malay Peninsula, such as Penang, Malacca and Singapore, there are many vendors selling chicken rice with baskets or bamboo baskets along the street, often a basket of chicken and a basket of fried rice. The eating method of "chicken rice" often makes diners in a foreign land feel homesick, so the name "Hainan chicken rice", which is rare in the country of origin, has gradually become popular abroad. Malacca's "chicken rice seeds" follow the unique flavor of Malacca's chicken rice, which is a way for Hainan to worship ancestors and make rice balls. Rice and chicken oil are boiled together with chicken water, and then kneaded into oily spherical rice balls. With boiled chicken, it tastes fragrant, moist and firm.

Hainan chicken rice, like many folk foods, has its own characteristics, but the standard of "delicious" is always the same. Nowadays, most fattening chickens are used to cook chicken rice. The meat is thick and juicy and can be sold in a short time, but the taste of chicken is slightly lower than the salary, so it needs the help of spices. Onion and ginger oil, put the leaves in the chicken belly, put a little salt on the chicken skin, soak the whole chicken in hot water for a while, and then pick it up repeatedly until the chicken is almost cooked; Take out the cooked chicken and throw it into ice water immediately. The gel melted under the chicken skin will condense into a thin layer of colloidal jelly when it is cold, and the chicken skin will shrink and become brittle.