liuzhou

Prawns and shrimp are actually two different species. Californian spot prawns are shrimp! Size doesn't matter! https://www.thespruceeats.com/difference-between-shrimp-and-prawns-2217280 and https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-92489 are helpful. What I posted were prawns.

Of course, insects aren't only for eating. Black ant wine is common here. 黑蚂蚁酒 (hēi mǎ yǐ jiǔ) Black ant wine.

Squid and clams with garlic, chilli and black fermented beans, culantro and Shaoxing wine. Served with couscous because the orzo I definitely had in the pantry proved to be in my imagination instead.

Guess what I just found in China! Online.

Exactly. I remember back in the UK, once upon a time, people would spend all evening in the pub drinking pint after pint of lager then at 'chucking-out time' heading for the nearest bad Chinese restaurant where they could get more beer. They would wake up the next morning complaining they had headaches and were dehydrated from that Chinese MFG stuff, totally forgetting the gallon plus of cheap lager they had drunk. Also, if anyone does feel discomfort after eating Chinese, that is no proof MSG is to blame. Billions of people eat MSG every day with no ill effects. I've only ever met one person in China who claims an intolerance, but she claims intolerance to everything!

MSG is by far the most researched food additive ever. No scientific evidence for anything negative has ever been found. It occurs naturally in foods from tomatoes to mushrooms to cheeses and more, which surprisingly don't bother so-called intolerance sufferers.

If you over salt it gets more salty. Over vinegar more sour. Over chilli too hot. Nothing similar happens with MSG. It is almost tasteless in itself. A teaspoon is usually enough for any home cooked dish.

1974-76 as I recall. I do remember the restaurant but never visited.

or 味精 (wèi jīng) in any Chinese market or store

I use it regularly. Also, many purchased processed foods contain it. In Europe it is E621. Many people who claim an intolderance or even allergy to MSG are fine with E621!

It is about 50 years since I lived in Bath, but I do remember learning to ask for 'a pint of rough'. Is that still current terminology?

I also remember when friends from elsewhere in the UK came to visit, we would go that same pub with an old flagon and get it filled, The visitors always said it wouldn't be enough. Shortly before they passed out! A wonderful part of England.

I remember being in what was my favourite pub near where I lived and ordering a pint of scrumpy. The very short, middle-aged barmaid started pouring the cider from a huge barrel resting on the bartop. After filling about one third of my pint, the supply stopped. This tiny woman picked up the barrel, shook it vigourously and then poured the rest of my pint, saying "Bit of apple in the tap!". I have no recollection of going home but got there somehow. Great stuff.

I've been around for 19 years. If you hover your mouse over anyone's avatar, you will see when they joined. I lived in Bath for a couple of years and have fond memories of food and, especially, cider. Although I also have blank periods after some scumpies!

Same idea!

I have done both. They are widely available pre-pickled everywhere. But from time to time, when I have nothing better to do, I do them myself.

I think it's still used. I am British but have lived in China for the last 27 years. So I tend to say "one dish short of a banquet". That will be my user name when I am reincarnated.

They are 酸乔头 (suān qiáo tóu), Chinese Onions or Allium chinense G.Don. A bit like scallion / spring onion heads but more bulbous. Simply pickled in white rice vinegar.

Mackerel steak with shiitake, pickled Chinese onions and herbs. Served with rice and a side of stir-fried Shanghai greens.

Prawns with couscous. The prawns were fried with garlic and culantro then garnished with Japanese chilli threads probably too many aesthetically. The couscous is carrying some salmon roe. Plating could have been better but the flavours were great and it was only for me.

Soup dumplings (汤包 - tāng bāo) always only contain a little soup alongside the pork and are larger than xiaolongbao. I posted more on this here. What you have is misslabelled. They are 小笼汤包 (xiǎo lóng tāng bāo, small basket soup dumplings.) Anyway, you enjoyed them which is what matters.

That confused me for a moment. I thought you had sneaked into my house and taken a picture of the pandas. I have some near identical ones. Well, one is identical, but the other two are in slightly diffferent positions. I'm also fond of these chopstick rests which came with a matching serving plate. I'm a bit confused by these, though. The Chinese on the package reads '小籠包' which are xiaolongbao. They aren't what I call soup dumplings. Did they contain soup?

More than once in this topic, I was asked about Chinese truffles and warned people off them. They are a pale imitation of the European truffles. I'd only had them once, in a restaurant here in town and was, to say the least, underwhelmed. Yesterday, I saw some and decided to give them a full test. These are from Yunnan province which borders Myanmar/Burma, Laos and Vietnam and Tibet and they are between 5 and 7 cm / 2 to 2¾ inches in diameter and were the largest. Almost scentless and flavour-free. So my advice remains the same. Avoid.

Mushrooms on toast.