Naked and natural - a taste of the past

Editor's Note: China is divided into as many culinary regions as there are different ethnic groups. Its geographical diversity and kaleidoscopic cultural profiles contribute to the unending banquet of flavors.

Before I met my husband, I had never even heard of this grain. He, however, had spent the better part of his youth planting naked oats in Inner Mongolia as part of the program in those days to "learn from farmers, soldiers and factory workers".

He survived those turbulent years, but his preference for rough grains and potatoes still remains half a century later. I often tell him he has the palate of an inner Mongolian farmer, but it is also for this reason that he is as healthy as a horse in his late 60s.

 

Steamed naked oat rolls. Photos by Bao Donghai / For China Daily

Avenu sinensis, or the naked oat, is an ancient grain native to China and has been cultivated in the country for thousands of years. Naked oats were also eaten elsewhere in the world - in Cornwall in the United Kingdom and in Sweden - but are now largely out of fashion there.

The grain is still cultivated there but used mainly for brewing beer, especially the dark ales.

China is currently the only country that still cultivates naked oats, or you mai, in significant quantities for food, especially in the northwestern regions such as Inner Mongolia, Sha'anxi, Shanxi and the northern tip of Hebei.

It is a forgiving grain that does not need fertile soil, is hardy enough to tolerate cold weather and is relatively quick-growing. There is no need for fertilizers.

In the harsh climate of Inner Mongolia, the oats are sown in June when the ground is finally warm enough. The grain is ready for harvesting in September, before the first frosts arrive.

It is so named because the oats are huskless and easily separated from the stalks. What they do have are fine hairs on the grain which, at chaffing time, can cause quite an itch. My husband says this was a job he hated, because every worker in the field had to be carefully wrapped up from head to toe to prevent the fine hairs from irritating the skin.

Once harvested, the naked oats need to be roasted before being ground into flour. The fragrant meal is then made into noodles, rolled into something resembling gnocchi and steamed.

Because they contain very little gluten, naked oat noodles cannot be cooked in water like wheat noodles. They would simply disintegrate.

On a recent visit to Hohhot, we ate some delicious naked oats noodles, you mian, that were coated in mashed potatoes. This was a classic example of folk wisdom. Since the noodles do not absorb much flavor in the steaming process, heavily seasoned mashed potatoes coat the noodles with savory spices.

Steamed naked oat gnocchi is eaten in a hearty meat broth, usually made with lamb.

In Beijing, there is a chain of restaurants named after the naked oats, and here you can enjoy all the rustic flavors of this ancient grain.

It is especially appealing to those on a healthy vegan or paleo diet because it is a very nutritious grain. For every 50g, there are only 180 calories, with almost no fat, 20 percent iron, some calcium and about 10 percent carbohydrate.

For my husband, it brings back memories of a more innocent time and, to this day, a treat for him is not meat but a meal of naked oats and potatoes.

Perhaps these were the only crops available then, but there are countless ways of cooking naked oats and potatoes together.

The simplest method is to put dampened naked oatmeal into a noodle press and create long strands for steaming. Once done, the strands are coated in a seasoned mashed potato sauce.

The ground oats are also made into a dough with slightly salted water and rolled out into short cylinders and placed upright in a bamboo steamer. They are then served with a heavily seasoned meat and potatoes stew.

Another way is to add the naked oatmeal directly to potatoes to form a dough. The potatoes must be very hot, because the heat will help cook and incorporate the naked oats. The dough is then pinched into little pieces and steamed. The traditional accompaniment is a hot bowl of mutton broth.

Finally, naked oat "fishes" are also often eaten. Bits of dough are rubbed in the palms to form tapered lengths, which are steamed or floated in a thickened broth of meat and more potatoes. These have to be quickly cooked before they disintegrate.

Fast food, refined foods and processed products are now very much a part of our lives and we have forgotten the flavors of the past. Sometimes, we should stop going forward at warp speed and allow our taste buds to return to the simplest and most natural foods.

paulined@chinadaily.com.cn

Pair with lamb, potatoes

Naked Oat Steamed Noodles

Two cups naked oatmeal

1 1/2 cup warm water plus 1 teaspoon salt

1 large floury potato, cooked in plenty of water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

A few Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground

Salt, white pepper

Mix naked oatmeal with enough slightly salted water to make a firm dough. You may need more or less water depending on the humidity. Place dough into a noodle press and press directly onto a large bamboo steamer lined with muslin.

You can also use a colander with large holes.

While noodles are steaming, mash the potatoes with a little oil and the ground spices. Add enough water to make a thin mash and season with salt and white pepper.

When the noodles are ready, quickly mix through the potatoes. Serve hot or cold.

Mutton and Potato Broth with Naked Oat Gnocchi

500g lamb chops

Two sprigs spring onions

2-3 slices ginger

2-3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Salt to taste

Blanch the lamb chops in boiling water. In a clean pot, place two liters water, lamb chops, knotted spring onions and ginger slices. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the potato chunks and turn heat up to a boil. Then, lower and simmer another 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and broth is reduced and flavorful.

Naked Oats and Potato Gnocchi

Two cups naked oatmeal

2 potatoes

Salt and pepper

Toast the oatmeal till lightly fragrant. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft. Quickly peel, and add the oatmeal to potato while it is still piping hot.

Knead into a dough and pinch off small pieces to roll into gnocchi.

You can roll the gnocchi against the tines of a fork to create ridges, or simply place your thumb into the center of the dough and press down and pull in one direction. Either way, the dough should curl up.

Steam the gnocchi for five minutes on high heat and serve with the mutton soup.

Note: If you cannot find naked oats where you are, you can try these recipes with toasted oats ground into flour in the food processor.