liuzhou

The snails are usually stewed and, here, very spicy. You could use a crabmeat pick, but toothpicks are more commonly used. Most Chinese restaurants have toothpick dispensers on each table, whether they sell snails or not. Conches are technically larger sea snails, although popular nomenclature distinguishes.

Part of my French heritage on my mother's side, means that I grew up regularly eating terrestrial gastropod molluscs, specifically escargot, snails. Love 'em. When I moved to Liuzhou, I didn’t know about the city’s deep affinity to snails. But was delighted to find out. The city’s signature dish, Luosifen is snail flavoured noodles. But I’ve never see terrestrial snails here. The rice noodle dish is made with aquatic snails, Margarya melanioides, a type in the family Viviparidae, the river snails. These are known as 螺蛳 (luó sī), hence 螺蛳粉 (luó sī fěn). They are widely consumed, not only as an ingredient in luosifen but several other dishes. The intact snails and their de-shelled meat are both sold in supermarkets. 螺蛳 螺蛳肉 - luosi meat Another snail we see is Oncomelania hupensis guangxiensis, a species of very small tropical freshwater snail, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family, Pomatiopsidae. These are a local subspecies in a family native to east Asia. These are completely overshadowed by 螺蛳 (luó sī) and are rarely seen; in fact when they are, they are always mislabelled – They are correctly 钉螺 (dīng luó), literally ‘nail snails’, due to their pointed nature. They are also prone to the schistosomiasis blood fluke parasite, and the paragonimus lung fluke parasites. The Chinese name for snail fever (bilharzia or schistosomiasis), disease caused by schistosome parasitic flatworm is 罗汉 病 (luó hàn bìng), literally ‘arhat sickness’, attributable to the Buddhist monks who fed on them. I avoid them. Parasite infested monks and snails! Then we have sea snails (海螺 - hǎi luó). Again, there are multiple species. I have no idea which these are. Usually only found in seafood restaurants and seldom in supermarkets or wet markets. It’s actually easier to buy the empty shells than the meaty ones. Those are used in the decorative arts. Sea Snails 🐌

I think there are two types of such ennui, although the two can sometimes coincide. a) Cooking ennui. Sometimes I just can't be arsed with the shopping, cleaning, chopping, stirring etc. When that strikes, I just go out or order meals in. b) Eating ennui. Obviously more dangerous. Sometimes, although hungry, I just can't be bothered with the whole eating exercise. This is especially annoying, after I have spent hours preparing and cooking an eight dish meal for friends and then just feel totally uninterested in eating it myself. It's easy for this to last a few days. I usually ease myself back by making a simple, slightly spicy lentil soup. Or just have cheese with bread or crackers.

Happily, the bottled Doritos hasn't made it to China. Yet.

I'm sure. It isn't that they're unavailable here. Sadly, they are. It's just I don't eat this kind of industrial crap, especially when it is made from the evil pestilence that is cØrn.

I'm in no position to comment on this as I've never tasted Doritos in my life, but I remember reading this a couple of years ago. Interesting back story. Didn't make me want to run out and buy either the edible or potable kind, though.

Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining ‘ceramic’ and ‘nontoxic’ | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian

Guardian cartoon

Well, I live in Dumplingland, They are as un-exceptional as the sun rising in the morning. But I love most of them.

Some local bright spark has upgraded the cloche concept. He has cut off the tops of three of these 12 litre water bottles for drinking water dispensers and tied them together. Genius.

小笼包 (xiǎo lóng bāo), literally small basket dumplings, with a soy and vinegar dip.

The other part is called a plate.

And mine - a cheap one. The cloche; not my head!

I’m beside myself! Scored this this morning. Here is my translation of the description provided. Lean Cured Meat, A Speciality Of Hunan, Smoked Meat, Homemade Smoked Salted Meat From Local Farmers, Pork Tenderloin, And Dried Cured Meat From Hunan, Not From Sichuan Apart from liking a bit of Hunan charcuterie, I’ve never tried smoked meat made from farmers. I never fancied Sichuan farmer’s though. Those boys are obviously inferior meat. Now re-vacuum-packed into more manageable portions.

I mentioned these briefly in passing back in the depths of this topic but for some reason, I hadn't bought one for a long time, until yesterday. It is 香瓜 (xiāng guā), meaning fragrant melon. It is a type of Cucumis melo, although that family contains many types of melon including honeydew and cantaloupe. These are more specifically Cucumis melo Makuwa Group , which still contains several cultivars, but all similar in taste and general size, although varying in shape and colour: green as here but also yellow and white skinned. Sometimes, called Oriental Melons. The are believed to be native to Eastern India and then came to China via the Silk Road. From China, they were introduced to Japan and Korea, where they remain extremely popular. In Japanese, they are 真桑瓜 or まくわうり (makuwa uri); in Korean, 참외 (chamoe). They are rather less sweet than most melons you may be used to: somewhere between melon and cucumber. The skin is also edible. This one weighs 417 g / 14.08 oz.