liuzhou

Like slice of toast with your breakfast? You could use your phone translation app to ask for toast in a restaurant. You won’t get it though unless you are in a hotel breakfast room or restaurant catering to foreigners. All the translation apps translate toast as 土司 (tǔ sī). This, as you can see, is a sound-alike loanword from the English toast. Except it doesn’t mean toast at all. It is what linguists call ‘a false friend’. Sort of like when French learners guess ‘travail’ means ‘travel’, when it means ‘work’. It simple means 'sliced bread'. Some joker saw sliced bread and assumed it was that mysterious thing he’d heard of but never seen – toast. Misnamed it and it stuck. So, that's what you’ll get. Dreadful, low-quality blotting paper slices of CWP ‘bread’. Often sweet, too. 土司 (tǔ sī) - 'toast'? Here’s a tip. Instead of asking for 土司 (tǔ sī), try asking for 烤面包 (kǎo miàn bāo) . This is a more accurate translation and translates as ‘broiled / grilled bread’. However they will in 99% of cases take some of the blotting paper and broil that then serve it cold.

I’ve said this before and I’ll likely say it again because it bugs me. If you are coming to China for any reason and are partial to the occasional sandwich, unless you are in Beijing or Shanghai, you will be out of luck. Most Chinese don’t know what bread is, They think they do but are very mistaken. What passes for bread here is 99% of the time cake. Bread shaped cake. Breadalike. China’s breads are almost all steamed rather than baked. So I’d like to introduce you to some of what I can buy anywhere but never do (and a few exceptions). I’ll start with 馒头 (mán tou), probably the most common. This is a steamed roll made from the same dough as 包子 (bāo zi), bao buns, but unfilled and often sweetened with sugar. Occasionally, they are coloured using vegetable (or artificial) dyes. depending on what colouring agent is used, these may or mat not taste any different from the plain ones. Images from Meituan online shopping app,

It only worked with this type of battery as you needed to lick both terminals together. It was done to test if the battery still had a charge or not. If it was fully charged you got an uncomfortable 9-volt shock; if dead, nothing. Your saliva completed the circuit. It wasn't that unpleasant but I sure wouldn't want to be eating 9-volt chips.

But boiling water never exceeds 100℃ at sea level or whatever temperature appertains a different altitudes. In any one place, there is no difference in temperature between a boil and a hard boil.

Kalbi is Korean for ribs (갈비- kalbi) ; it refers to a dish in which Asian pear is used to tenderise the ribs. It isn't the name of the pears.

I know some of you have come across or even used dried shrimp in Chinese or other Asian dishes, but these are even better. Dried tiny fish and dried shrimp from Hunan. I tend just to fry them with a bit of of chilli flakes and eat them cold as a beer food snack. However they can be and usually are added to stir fries or other dishes as potent umami boosters. The fish are approx 4.5 cm / 1¾ inches long and the shrimp 2.5 cm / ¾ inch.

I haven't used it myself, but it is common here in south China and SE Asia. However, not with steaks (which aren't a feature of most of the cuisines). I have elaborated on the Asian pears and their role in marinades in this topic.

Mention in another topic of the use of “Asian Pears” being used to marinate meats got me thinking. The term is a bit silly. There are many varieties of pear in Asia. They’ve been cultivated in China since 2000 BCE. However, in English the term refers to only two of the at least 74 types. These two are native to China. Pyrus pyrifolia, known in China as 沙梨 (shā lí, literally ‘sand pear’) is the more common one. These are native to southern China and northern Vietnam, and Laos, where I am but also now grown in many places, especially Japan and Korea. They do not have the classic pear shape, but are more apple-like in appearance. In fact, one of the many English names for the fruit include ’apple pear’. The large fragrant pears are usually served just as a table fruit, sliced and raw. They are much juicier than most pears. They are prone to bruising so are usually carefully wrapped for transit. They also keep well in the fridge for several weeks. These are the pears most commonly used as in marinades for beef, especially Korea where they are known as 배 (bae). They are considered essential by many in the Korean dish 불고기 (puɭɡoɡi), bulgogi. An enzyme in the pears are a natural tenderiser. Ground pears are also used as a natural sweetener. The pears are also pickled here in China. Pickled Sand Pears The other pear described as ‘Asian pear’ is Pyrus × bretschneideri, 鸭梨 (yā lí, literally ‘duck pear’). A common name English name is ‘Chinese white pear’. The Chinese name comes from the pears seeming to resemble mandarin ducks; I don't see it, myself. These are native to north China. Definitely pear-shaped, they are crisp and less sweet than most pears. Duck Pear These are eaten as a table fruit. I don’t think they are used for marinating meats.

Where in Ireland were you? I've never met anyone in Ireland who didn't know what it was and I've been there hundreds of times. That said, it is more of a home made dish than something you'd find in a restaurant. I often make it (and champ) here in China.

I came across these today. 苏子 (sū zǐ), Perilla frutescens, Perilla seeds. According to the distributor I keep telling them "If your fish smells 'fishy', change your fishmonger. It's not fresh!", but they don't believe me.

Dinner tonight was taken in a local Xi’an restaurant. First up a 青椒受肉夹馍 (qīng jiāo shòu ròu jiā mó ), green chilli pepper and lean pork sandwich. I usually make these myself, but using beef the way I was taught in Xi’an, a city with a large non-pork-eating population of Muslims. However, these were perfectly acceptable. Then some 凉皮 (liáng pí, literally ‘cold skin’). Liangpi is both the name of the dish and the noodles used. These are made by taking wheat four and making a simple dough with water. This is then washed several times, but the washing water isn’t discarded. It is carefully collected and left to sit overnight. Next day the starch washed out of the wheat has sunk to the bottom and is extracted, then remade into new dough. This is steamed in thin pancakes and sliced into noodles. Liangpi An important ingredient in the dish is wheat gluten which is steamed and served over the noodles with chilli oil, black vinegar, coriander leaf, bean sprouts and cucumber. Gluten The dish is always served cold, even in Xi’an’s often bitter winters.

What's a small glass of wine. Never heard of such a thing!

Yakety Yak Don’t look back Another protein I’ve never seen in markets or supermarkets is Bos grunniens. I have however eaten it often, both in restaurants and at home. In fact there is a restaurant which specialises in it only 500 metres / ⅓ of a mile from my door It is easily available online. Image: pconline,com,cn I’m talking about yak. I find most people associate yak with Tibet but their native habitat is much wider even extending to the Mongolias in the far north. In Tibetan, the source of the English name, it is འབྲི་གཡག (gyag); in Mongolian, сарлаг (sarlag) in Cyrillic but ᠸᠠᠨ ᠦᠬᠡᠷ᠃ traditional script; and in Chinese, 牦牛 (máo niú). It is an essential part of life in the Himalayas supplying its labour, supplying fur for clothing etc, and supplying milk and meat. Their dung is dried and used as fuel on the treeless mountains. Yak meat The staple drink in Tibet is butter tea བོད་ཇ། (bod ja), made by mixing tea, yak butter, water, and salt. Pu-erh black tea is considered best. Of course, first they have to make the butter, གཡག་མར། (gyagmar). Yak milk is higher in butterfat than that from regular cattle, resulting in a richer butter. I often buy yak butter which has a soft cheesy texture Yak Butter The meat can be used in any way one can use beef. I’ve had it in hotpots, grilled, stir fried and braised. Braised Yak Yak Jerky Yak Sausages

Yes. The Chinese government imports pork, mainly from the EU, with Spain being the main source. Total imports amounted to $4,6 billion worth in 2024. This is to top up China's own massive production. The USA was also a major supplier but recent events have scuppered that with e\large existing orders being cancelled. They hold large pork reserves which are used to keep prices stable, releasing reserves to lower prices when they rise or withholding them when the price stabilises, It is also held to maintain supplies. This aspect became important during the swine fever epidemic a few years ago. How much is held is a state secret. Prices did rise during the epidemic but not by much and have since fallen back.

I had a nightmare then woke up and found it was real!

Lepus sinensis - PD China also has hares. Around this part of China these are Chinese hares, Lepus sinensis, only found in a small area of southern China (including Guangxi), a small northern part of our neighbour, Vietnam and Taiwan. In Chinese thinking, hares are just big rabbits, despite them being a different (although) related species. So, hares are known as 野兔 (yě tù), literally ‘field rabbits’ on the few times they bother to distinguish. One of my most memorable meals in China was a dish of hare from the nearby county of Lipu. I doubt you’ve heard of the place, but you almost certainly have some of its main export in your homes. It is the clothes hanger central of the world but is mostly rural. Lipu is also well known in China for its prized taro. Anyway the dish I ate was made by my late sister-in-law who was a wonderful cook. It was spicy, almost curry-like and although the hare was a little gamey, not offensively so and tender. I couldn’t get enough. I have never seen hare in any market or supermarket and it is not available on either the local delivery app or the main national online shopping portal. It seems the only way to get to hold of it is to find a local hunter! I'll have to go hunting for a hunter!

Plagiarism in cookbooks has been going on since cookbooks were invented. The 5th century cook book usually known as Apicus was full of earlier recipes. Some recipes even included ingredients that had gone extinct since the originals were written. The famous Victorian Mrs Beeton's cookbook (1861) was crammed with recipes from earlier writers. Nothing new.

Unfortunately, The names ‘Camembert’ and ‘Brie’ are not protected. Only the specific name ‘Camembert de Normandie’ is. In the case of Brie, only ‘Brie de Meaux‘ and ‘Brie de Melun’ are. So anyone, anywhere can call their cheeses Brie or Camembert in the same way that cheddar cheese is made around the world not only in Cheddar in England where it originated. So, the likes of Mexican Camembert is not really fake in legal terms, but morally dubious. Most countries at least make an attempt to stick to the original recipe when making off-piste versions in other counties. The Mexican goat Camembert sounds terrible and I'm a goat's cheese lover.

I'm confused too. I've never encountered a Brie or Camembert that was gratable, yet you say it's common. How old are these cheeses?

Hmmm. Pork belly is the most popular cut here.

Not a great deal, but there is nothing the Chinese like more than gnawing on bones and sucking out the brains. It's the same thing as them loving to gnaw on chicken's or duck's feet (although they don't have brains!) Duck heads are popular, too.

When I lived in London in the 1980s, the local supermarkets all stocked frozen 兔肉 (tù ròu), Oryctolagus cuniculus meat, imported from China. Since then the picture has changed somewhat. The rising population in China and the increased popularity of the meat means that China is now the world’s largest importer of the creatures. In 2025, China is expected to import over 100,000 metric tons of rabbit meat. 🐰 Rabbit is still exported in limited quantities but far outweighed by the amount of imports. The meat is widely available, but most popular in Sichuan province, where they have devised many recipes to highlight it. The most famous is probably the capital, Chengdu’s highly popular street food, 麻辣兔头 (má là tù tóu), braised rabbit head with mala ingredients (Sichuan peppercorns and chilli). Mala Rabbit Head Also popular dish is 冷吃兔丁 (lěng chī tù dīng), cold rabbit cubes. This simple sounding dish is anything but. Cubes of rabbit meat are fried in same mala ingredients. Cold Rabbit Cubes i also get these whole roasted rabbits from one supermarket. Rabbit with Leeks and Porcini Rabbit with Red Onion Jam and many more

Here is personal favourite. 青头菌 (qīng tóu jūn), Green Headed Mushroom, Russula virescens. Despite the name, the colour varies from green to a light grey. They are also as the Green Cracking Russula or the Quilted Green Russula. The highly respected London Italian chef, grocer and wild mushroom expert, the late Antonio Carluccio described these as being "not exactly nice to look at". They can look a bit mouldy. Dried Green Headed Mushrooms They grow under tropical lowland rainforest trees in western Yunnan and we are just entering their season which will last until about September. Like shiitake and some other mushrooms, drying them enhances their flavour but cooking or even just soaking the dried mushrooms diminishes the colour. Some reports suggest that older specimens can smell like herrings, not something I’ve ever noticed. Rehydrated Dried Mushroom Care must be taken when foraging these, as younger specimens can resemble Amanita phalloides, the death cap mushroom, recently a feature in the Australian beef wellington murders case. They can be fried, grilled or even roasted. In taste, they are mild, nutty and fruity. They can also be eaten raw in salads, but the people of Yunnan don’t go there.

The difficult thing about doing these mushrooms is identifying what the hell they are. I only have the Chinese name for most. The Chinese rarely do scientific names and even when they do often get it wrong. One specimen was given a name that turned out to be a common houseplant; not anything fungal. Another led to a totally different mushroom. But mostly, I just don’t know. I can translate the Chinese name and search for that, but some names are rather cryptic, while others bear no relation to any real English name, so lead nowhere. This one is less opaque than most in that there is some information on it but I have still been unable to find any Latin name. It is 龙爪菇 (lóng zhuǎ gū) which translates as ‘Dragon’s Claw Mushroom’. It is native to Chinese but not specifically Yunnan. In fact, it was first found by commercial concerns in Fujian province, far from Yunnan. Most are foraged but they are successfully cultivated in very limited amounts in a few places. They rarely get exported. It is a type of clavarioid species, the coral fungi (in Chinese 珊瑚菇 (shān hú gū)) but that is an umbrella term covering many unrelated types. They must be cooked and the taste is mildly sweet and earthy. The texture is crispy and meaty.