【Winter Bowls】Fried Glutinous Millet Cakes

初雪落下，山西的冬日便有了轮廓。寒风吹彻街巷，却总有一种香气能破开冷空气的帷幕——那是滚油翻腾的金黄油糕。一口咬下，酥脆的外壳碎裂声里，滚烫的软糯甜香瞬间涌出，顷刻间便融化了冬日的所有棱角。

With the first snowfall, winter in Shanxi is etched in crisp lines. Cold winds sweep through its streets and lanes, yet a certain warmth persists—a fragrance that cuts through the chill: golden fried cakes sizzling in oil, their sweet, soft heat melting winter’s edges in a single bite.

在山西，油糕特别选用了蒸熟的黄米面(由黍子磨粉而成），用巧手揉捏成团，包裹进或甜或咸的馅心，滑入滚油，在沸腾中迅速换上一身金灿灿的盔甲。出锅时，外皮酥脆到极致，手指轻碰就簌簌掉渣，可内里却依然保持着黄米面特有的软韧与黏糯。这一脆一糯、一刚一柔的反差，正是油糕让人魂牵梦萦的奥义。

In Shanxi, the making of these fried cakes begins with a special steamed broomcorn millet flour—ground from local millet grains—that is kneaded by deft hands into pliable dough. Wrapped around sweet or savory fillings, each piece slips into bubbling oil, where it swiftly cloaks itself in a glistening, golden armor. Fresh from the wok, the crust is exquisitely crisp, crumbling at the slightest touch, while inside, it remains soft, chewy, and tender—true to the nature of millet flour. This very contrast—the crisp versus the yielding, the firm versus the soft—holds the secret to why these cakes linger so hauntingly in one’s memory.

油糕虽出身朴素，却有一副“百变面孔”。甜口的红豆沙、枣泥馅，是年节里最受宠的甜蜜担当；若填入时蔬素馅，又摇身变为咸香暖胃的菜糕。更有那技艺精巧的泡泡油糕，以猪油与滚水和面，入油后神奇地膨松开来，表面绽开无数晶莹透亮的薄泡，酥松如蝉翼，入口即化，唯留一缕甜香在齿间萦绕。还有一种被称为“黄金万两”的黄米枣糕，炸得通体金黄，外皮酥脆，当年晋商远行前必要吃上一块，求的是生意如黄金流动的好彩头，暖的是奔赴前程的胆气与雄心。

Though humble in origin, these fried cakes boast a “versatile face.” Sweet fillings like red bean or date paste are the beloved stars of festive seasons; when stuffed with seasonal vegetables or savory fillings, they transform into warming, savory vegetable cakes. Then there are the skillfully made bubble cakes, where lard and boiling water are kneaded into the dough, causing them to puff up magically in the oil, their surfaces blossoming with countless translucent, thin bubbles, crispy as cicada wings, melting on the tongue and leaving only a lingering sweetness. Another variety, called “Ten Thousand Taels of Gold,” is a millet and date cake fried to a golden hue with a crispy crust. In the past, Shanxi merchants would always eat one before long journeys, seeking the auspicious wish for business to flow like gold, warming their courage and ambition as they set out.

这金黄酥脆的一口，是爆裂开的温暖。刚出锅的油糕上桌，热气裹挟着香气扑面而来。咬下去，脆响在耳边，甜糯在舌尖，一股扎实的热流顺着喉咙直抵心底，三晋冬日所有的冷意仿佛都在这一刻被逼退、融化。它不是宴席上精雕细琢的珍馐，却是山西人生命里无法割舍的温暖印记。

This golden, crispy bite is warmth that bursts forth. Freshly fried cakes brought to the table arrive with a wave of heat and aroma. Bite down: the crisp sound echoes in the ears, the sweet softness spreads on the tongue, and a solid current of warmth travels down the throat straight to the heart, as if all the cold of a Shanxi winter is forced to retreat and dissolve in that moment. It is not an exquisitely crafted delicacy for banquets, but an indelible, warm imprint in the lives of Shanxi people.

每逢年节，油糕是餐桌上的吉祥“硬菜”，寓意步步高升、生活甜美；清晨的早点摊上，它是捧在手心、赶走惺忪睡意的第一份踏实；就连乡间的庙会集市，炸油糕的摊子也总是人气最旺，香气能飘出半条街，引得男女老少围在油锅边翘首以盼，等待那一锅金黄的喜悦出炉。

During holidays, these fried cakes are an auspicious “main dish” on the dining table, symbolizing rising fortunes and a sweet life. At morning breakfast stalls, they are the first solid comfort held in hands, dispelling drowsiness. Even at rural temple fairs and markets, the fried cake stall is always the most popular, its aroma wafting halfway down the street, drawing crowds of young and old eagerly gathered around the oil wok, waiting for that pot of golden joy to be ready.

这颗圆滚滚、热腾腾的油糕里，包裹着黄土高原上最朴素的生计智慧，也翻滚着山西人对生活炽热而绵长的爱。风雪再大，只要油锅里还有翻滚的金黄，心头便有了着落，冬日也就有了抵御一切寒凉的、甜糯滚烫的底气。

Within these round, steaming hot cakes lies the simplest wisdom of livelihood from the Loess Plateau, as well as the fervent and enduring love Shanxi people hold for life. No matter how fierce the wind and snow, as long as there is golden dough tumbling in the oil wok, the heart finds its anchor, and winter gains a sweet, sticky, scalding confidence to withstand all cold.

（图源网络侵删）

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来源：中华网综合整理

Source: Comprehensive collation by sx.china.com