Luo Shan Organic Village, Parched Rice Cake in “Ji Ming Garden”

羅山村除了學習如何做泥火山豆腐外，還可以到溫伯伯的「雞鳴園」去體驗炒米香。炒米香和爆米香不一樣，爆米香是利用壓力讓米爆開，這裡的米香是用鍋子炒的，全程手工製作且簡單易學。

We not only learned how to make mud volcano tofu, but also experienced how to make parched rice cake in Mr. Wen’s “Ji Ming Garden” in Luo Shan Village, Hualien County. Parched rice and popped rice are different. Popped rice is burst by air pressure. Parched rice is made by stir-fry in a pot. It is quite easy to learn the process.

「炒米香」是發源於廣東陸農縣，從光緒年間流傳到現在。以往每年春節，農家會自製炒米香，給來訪客人及家人當甜點食用，或閒聊時配擂茶用。早期農村家境貧困且人口多，炒米香是經濟又實惠的好點心。

Parched rice cake is originated from Guangdong Lunong County, China, since the Guangxu Dynasty. The farmers make parched rice cake as the dessert or tea snack for the family members and visitors during Lunar New Year. Parched rice cake was an affordable snack for the farmers in the early years due to poverty and large family.

炒米香的第一個步驟是，在鍋內加入鹽或沙熱炒，讓鍋子持續加熱。熱鍋後，再加入適量的米均勻拌炒。一拌炒，米的香味就開始飄逸，相當誘人。

The first step is to stir-fry salt or sand in a pot and continue heating the pot. Then the rice is added. The fragrance of the rice starts to come out during stir-fry. It smells so good!

將炒好的米撈起，再繼續炒下一批米。

Pick up the ones already done, and continue to stir-fry more rice.

當然不能光看不做，溫伯伯示範完後，就是大夥的體驗時間了。沒想到，炒米挺容易的，三兩下就炒好了。

We not only watched Mr. Wen’s demonstration, but also made it ourselves. Unexpectedly, making parched rice cake was quite easy and only took us a few seconds.

炒好後的米香用網篩將鹽及過小的米香篩除。那些炒不完全的小米香，其實就是喝玄米茶時放入的玄米。

註：喜歡吃冰品的朋友，可以在一球球的抹茶冰淇淋上，撒一點玄米，超好吃哦！

Filtered the rice and removed the salt and very tiny rice. This tiny rice is actually the Xuan Rice, which is added in the Xuan Rice tea.

PS: For the ice cream lovers, you can spread a little bit Xuan Rice on top. It is super good!

米香全數炒好後，倒入另一鍋，準備進行第二階段了。

After the stir-fried rice is flitted and put them in a large pot, we start to prepare the second step.

加入用麥芽糖及橘子皮調和的糖漿，混和攪伴均勻。

Add the syrup made with maltose and orange peel in the rice, and stir evenly.

將攪伴好的米香放入木模中，鋪平。

Put the stir parched rice into the wood mold and spread evenly.

接著，壓平及切塊。

Pressed and sliced them into pieces.

這樣就大功告成啦！可以好好大快朵頤了！

All processes were complete! We can enjoy ourselves now!

金黃色的米香配上淡淡的橘子麥芽糖漿，嚼起來香Q酥脆、齒頰留香，滋味真是好！炒米香很簡單，但配方才是重點，不過溫伯伯的私房秘方不能對外，想要做出好吃的米香，得親自到羅山村向溫伯伯討教囉！

The golden parched rice cake with the syrup tastes very crispy and delicious. Although it is very easy in making parched rice cake, the ingredients of making the syrup is Mr. Wen’s secrete. You will have the come to Luo Shan village to ask and taste it yourself.

[雞鳴園體驗農家](Ji Ming Garden Experience Farm)

地址/Address：花蓮縣富里鄉羅山村12鄰74號 (Hualien County, FuLi Township, Lou Shan Village 12 Lin, #74)

電話/TEL：03-8821348、0912-224166 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[後記]

講到炒米香，讓我想起在中國四川八美的藏區旅行時，看到當地人用相當傳統的方式來爆米花，當時覺得十分新鮮有趣，後來才知原來台灣早期爆米花也是這樣製作的，分享給大家！

(Addendum)

This reminded me about my trip in the Tibetan area in Sichuan, Bamei, China. I saw the traditional method in making popcorns from local people. It was quite interesting. Then I found out that it was the same method as in the early years of Taiwan too. Let me share this with you.

爆米花的工具很簡單，一個高壓鍋、柴火及麻袋，小販就可以在街邊做起生意了。將曬乾的玉米粒放入鍋中，將高壓鍋鎖緊，然後邊加溫邊轉動，讓玉米可以平均受熱。

With a pressure cooker, firewood, and sacks, the street vendor could start its business on the street. After the dry popcorns were added in the cooker, the cooker lid needed to be locked. Rotating the cooker, the popcorn could be heated evenly.

直到鍋內的壓力達到一定時，把瞬間打開鍋蓋，「碰」的一聲，一陣白煙後，白花花的爆米花就完成了。雖然當時我站在對街且已做好心理準備，但聲響實在太大了，還是讓我嚇了一大跳，引得路邊的人全都笑了出來。

After the pressure reached to certain level, the lid of the cooker was opened. With “Bang!”, a loud noise with the burst of the white smoke, white popcorns were made. Although I have myself prepared for the loud noise, and stood across the street from the popcorns, I was still shocked by it. People on the street were laughing.

香味四溢的爆米香實在太誘人了，小朋友開心的撿起掉在地上的爆米花吃了起了。

The fragrant smell of the popcorns was just too tempting. Children started to pick up the popcorn on the ground and eat them. Read More