温州就两字：好吃

魏水华

如果只拿两个字概括温州的美食，“好吃”或许当仁不让。

温州有什么？麦饼、瘦肉丸、灯盏糕、鸭舌、猪脏粉、鱼丸、鱼饼、炊饭、炒粉干……

扑面而来的海洋特性

温州多山、靠海。扑面而来的海鲜，是这座城市最鲜明的饮食标签。

有个夸张的说法是，每年东海捕捞上来的大黄鱼，有70%是温州人吃掉的。此外，温州人餐桌上还有无数泥螺、蛏子、带鱼、血蚶、梭子蟹、鮸（miǎn）鱼，它们共同构成了温州的标准味道。

虽然传闻的可靠性待考，但温州确实是中华农耕文明范围内少见的、具有强烈海洋性与航海传统的地区。

建城于瓯江入海口三角洲上的温州，有着优良的居住环境。但高低不平的江南丘陵，阻隔了古代温州前往杭嘉湖平原的陆路;瓯江作为独立水系，与外界相连也有其不利之处。相对便捷、安全的出入方式，就是沿着海岸线航行。

从地理格局上来说，温州没有农耕地区阡陌交通、鸡犬相闻的特点。相反，它更像自古以来习惯于在地中海上航行的欧洲大陆。

事实上，从温州开始，延续到更南方的福建沿海、广东潮汕，正是中国最具海洋性格的地区。除了爱吃海鲜之外，这里的饮食习惯兼容并蓄，有极高的包容度。宁绍地区的糟醉、金华地区的腌酱、福建北部的汤羹乃至闽南广东地区的烧腊，都能在温州菜里找到踪迹。

从更大的城市性格来看，地缘因素还直接導致了温州人外向的性格。他们没有传统农耕地区尊人重土、固守祖业的风气，而是擅长出远门、开拓“新大陆”。

如今遍布欧洲列国的温州餐馆，就是一个最典型的例子。温州菜，是欧洲人接触最多、接受度最高的中餐，也是中国人眼里与欧洲菜系融合得最好的中餐。

宋以前的古风古语

成也海洋，败也海洋。

大部分温州人谈起出门经商的经历，都会以“从前苦，没饭吃才出去闯”来开头。

但翻阅史籍，宋朝以前的温州，其实是文脉鼎盛，富甲东南之地。特别是南宋时期，定都杭州的政权，为了对丘陵阻隔的福建、广东实施有效统治，大力拓展海上航路。作为杭州湾南下福建、广东最优质的中转站和良港，温州的重要性因而凸显。

南下行政的贵族和官员驻跸于温州，来自南方、打算去首都杭州谋生的“杭漂”也在温州停留。人才的频繁出入，为这里带来了发达的文脉。南宋一代，温州涌现出的名人数量几乎是前朝的总和：“永嘉学派”“永嘉四灵”“南戏四部”在这一阶段先后横空出世，它们不是个例，而是区域内现象级的文化喷发。

这种状态一直延续到蒙元后期，淮南朱元璋举兵造反，依然懂得礼聘温州才子刘伯温担任谋士——虽然与杭嘉湖平原相隔几百公里，但当时的温州，似乎天然属于水软风清、才俊江南的一部分。

讽刺的是，温州人刘伯温虽然帮朱元璋打下江山，却并没有给家乡带来更好的命运。随着明朝开启海禁政策，温州的一时鼎盛瞬间化为乌有：片帆不得下海，别说打渔了，连进出都变得极其麻烦。

原本的交通枢纽，成了被遗忘的角落。经济和政治地位，甚至一度落后于地理上更接近杭嘉湖平原的金华、衢州。

明初到清末漫长的近600年，是温州遗失的6个世纪。但失之东隅、收之桑榆。虽然经济文化停滞不前，但温州却像时间胶囊一样，文化中至今保留了许多宋以前的古风。

比如温州人爱吃原汁原味的蒸菜，当地把“蒸”称为“炊”。炊饭、炊糕，是很多温州人的心头好——是不是觉得很眼熟，武大郎也把蒸馒头称为“炊饼”，这是为了避宋仁宗赵桢的名讳。

比如温州人擅长生腌，“江蟹生”的做法和宋代风靡一时的“洗手蟹”一模一样：把鲜活肥美的梭子蟹洗净去腮，大卸八块，浇上胡椒、酱油、醋、白糖、姜、酒，洗完手的功夫就能吃，简单朴素，古意盎然。

再比如温州话里把青蟹称为“蝤蛑（you meng）”，这正是古汉语里海蟹的名字。在苏东坡的诗《丁公默送蝤蛑》里，提到了“半壳含黄宜点酒，两螯斫雪劝加餐”，意思是蟹黄下酒，蟹螯里雪白的肉下饭，这与今天的温州菜“双味蝤蛑”里的清蒸膏蟹、锅贴蟹饼异曲同工。

如果说日本料理中的精致，反映了唐宋时代中国文化的强势输出，以及日本人基于本土风俗物产的改良，那么温州饮食里的精致，则是真正原汁原味地凝固了“崖山”（编辑注：崖山是陆秀夫背着南宋最后一个小皇帝跳海自尽的地方，代指宋王朝的败亡）之前的中国面貌。

在美食里看过去与将来

明清的600年，对温州来说，也不是一无所获。

海路封锁、陆路阻隔，天高皇帝远的地缘格局，让温州人基本处于放养的状态：很多人南下福建、广东，甚至成为了下南洋的华侨。参加倭寇当海盗的，也不在少数。

在这种放任自流的大环境下，市井文化开始蓬勃生长。于是在温州小吃里，江湖气体现得淋漓尽致，以灯盏糕为例，其实就是面糊、豆粉和米浆混在一起，包进萝卜丝、猪肉末、鸡蛋等为馅料，下大油锅高温油炸而成的一个个灯盏形的馅饼。

馅料选择丰俭由人，面糊的配比也各有不同，是真正的一百家有一百种不同的味道。油炸的做法粗犷简单，但最能凸显面皮的酥脆和内馅的香软，往往一家做灯盏糕的小铺，能让半条街弥漫香味。

猪脏粉，用料主要是猪肠与鸭血，从前都是上不了台面的杂碎。但在温州人眼里，它是本地人一个礼拜不吃就心慌的餐桌圣物，能兼任正餐、点心和宵夜。

猪肠要用黄豆酱卤透，咸香耐嚼;鸭血则切成四四方方的片儿，轻弹软嫩。再加上一把粗米粉、一撮大蒜叶、一勺卤汤，操作简便、滋味悠长，是典型的街头扛把子。

炒粉干，吃的全是功夫，与其说炒，不如说是“焙”。纯用籼米制作的温州米粉，没有晶莹洁白的外表，也没有久煮不烂的韧劲，优点是绵柔入味。

先拌入酱油、猪油，让米粉充分吸收滋味。再以小火慢慢焙干米粉中的水分，过程中不停翻拌，并加入鸡蛋、卷心菜、胡萝卜丝、鱿鱼丝、对虾等本地常见的配菜，最终让米粉受热均匀，获得焦香酥脆的口感，并与配菜融为一体。用料所费无多，但花在其中的心思与时间不少。

炊飯，其实就是肉汤拌饭。在吃不上肉的艰苦岁月里，这是温州人安抚肚子的利器。坐在早餐摊里喊“老板，咸饭甜浆”，是最能证明温州人身份的话语。汤水泡饭味道本不甚佳，温州人聪明地加入了碎油条点睛，酥爽的口感丰富了饭的层次。

这种油条和平常吃的有所不同，一定要“双泡”，也就是炸好出锅后，晾几分钟，再复炸一次，这样就会褪去韧劲，变得如花生米一般生脆生脆，容易弄碎，入饭口感也会特别好——虽然是简单的家常食材，但工序复杂、做法讲究、口味层次丰富，这就是粗中有细的市井文化的缩影。

改革开放后的温州焕发新生，迅速从边远小城晋级成为中国最具时代意义的民营经济之都，这与当地人的聪明才干有关，更与历史上擅长远航的海洋文化有关。

但温州人似乎从不以做生意、赚大钱而自豪，在他们眼里，再能呼风唤雨的温商，都不如苏步青、南怀瑾、谷超豪、叶永烈、林斤澜等“有文化的老乡”值得尊敬。

每年过年，温州人在团圆的饭桌上常常这样教导自家孩子：“好好读书，长大了不要像我们这样做生意，最好去考个公务员，或者做学问。”

源于唐宋时期的文脉，似乎从未断绝。复杂的城市性格，背后是温州跌宕起伏的地理和历史，也证明了“好吃”两字，从来都不是凭空而生。每一种好滋味的延续、流变，都有其独特的际遇和相互关联的因果。

美食里，真的能看到我们的过去、现在与将来。

Why Wenzhou Cuisine Is So Good

By Wei Shuihua

Wenzhou， a thriving city known for its entrepreneurs and private business sector in southern Zhejiang， is also celebrated for its mouthwatering cuisine. It takes a long menu to list the dishes local people favor.

Seafood

The regional cuisine is mainly characterized by seafood. Some people go so far as to boast that 70% of the large yellow croakers netted out of East China Sea are consumed in Wenzhou. Gourmets in Wenzhou eat up a large quantity of shellfish ever year. It is said that though a region of traditional Chinese farming， Wenzhou has a lifestyle heavily conditioned by the sea. In ancient times， Wenzhou was landlocked. Undulating mountains in southern Zhejiang blocked the coastal region from the plains in the north of the province. Oujiang， a river zigzagging across the region， isnt connected with rivers in the north. It goes alone into the sea. The only way out was in the sea. People in ancient Wenzhou connected with the other parts of the country through a number of sea routes that paralleled closely to the coastline. The regional cuisine reflects the historical and cultural characteristics of Wenzhou. Over the past centuries， the local cuisine has included many delicacies from other cuisines and has absorbed many influences from the outside world. In Europe， many Chinese restaurants are operated by chefs from Wenzhou. It is said that many people consider the Wenzhou cuisine is the Chinese cuisine that blends with European cuisines most perfectly.

Turning Point in History

Wenzhou didnt turn to sea until the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. Before the Mongols came southward， Wenzhou was a traditional farming culture. In particular， the Southern Song whose capital was in present-day Hangzhou witnessed Wenzhou thrive as a key port that connected with port cities in Fujian and Guangdong provinces as the dynasty was able to exercise its power in Fujian and Guangdong. During the Southern Song， scholars mushroomed in Wenzhou， more than all added up in previous dynasties. The turning point in the history of Wenzhou occurred in the Ming Dynasty as the central government closed the door to the outside world. All the sea routes to and from the outside world were officially cut off. Wenzhou withered economically. However， some ancient cook recipes from the pre-Ming centuries remained in the time capsule. Take Pickled Swimming Crab for example. The delicacy is prepared in the ancient way as popular as in the Song Dynasty. Swimming crabs， after cleaning， are cut into chops and then seasoned with pepper， soy sauce， vinegar， sugar， ginger and wine for a short while before they are served. Take blue crab for another example. The way the roe and meat of blue crabs are cooked and enjoyed today in Wenzhou reminds people of a poem by Su Dongpo， presumably the greatest poet of the Song Dynasty， about blue crabs.

For about 600 years of the Ming and the Qing， Wenzhou was more or less overlooked by the central government. The local people did whatever possible to make a living. Many went to Fujian and Guangdong for a job. Many migrated to Southeast Asia. Some became bandits.

Many recipes favored by local people date back to the 600 years when the rule of the central government over Wenzhou was relatively loose. In particular， many delicacies in Wenzhou were enjoyed by grassroots people in the urban Wenzhou in ancient times. Lantern Cake is a deep-fried flour and bean cake stuffed with egg， minced pork and sliced turnips. Stuffing can vary. The cake is popular. Half a street can be permeated by the aroma of the lantern cake if there is a roadside stand deep-frying such a cake. Another delicacy popular in Wenzhou is a soup of chitterlings and duck blood. Ingredients of stir-fried rice noodle vary from seafood to vegetables. Chefs compete against each other to provide the best set of ingredients to attract folk epicures. Rice and pork soup used to enjoy popularity at breakfast restaurants in Wenzhou. Many local residents often have an additional ingredient to the rice soup：
a dough stick deep-fried twice and then cut into one-inch-long parts. The crisp stick parts are then softened in the milk before they are consumed.