liuzhou

13. 扣肉 (kòu ròu) Guilin Mifen (above) is well-known to the many travellers who turn up in Guilin every year to be scalped. I have an edition of Lonely Planet China from 1996 which says: Since then, things have only gotten worse. And it doesn’t help that so many tour groups roll into town in their coaches, ticking off sights and waving their dollars around, tipping left right and centre (China has no tipping culture) and accepting the first price quoted rather than bargaining down to at least a quarter of that – often an eighth. They make it so difficult for those who actually live here. Then there are the backpackers. Been in China ten minutes and they’ve worked everything out and now only want pizza and hamburgers. Yes, the scenery around the city is stunning and worth seeing – once. Yangshuo, the small town on the river where everyone ends up has changed from being a nice if small Chinese town into a hustlers’ paradise, complete with KFC and McDs and rip off hotels. Horrible, horrible place. Yangshuo 1996 And that is where almost everyone (even the pizza crowd) feels obliged to eat the local speciality, not the noodles, but Guilin’s “most popular dish”, Yangshuo Beer Fish. The problem is that few actually do. The dish is authentic OK, but not in most of Yangshuo’s cafés and restaurants. It is heavily adjusted to perceived western tastes. Instead of a whole on the bone fish from the local river, they serve filets as “foreigners are afraid of bones”; they use red bell peppers instead of hot chilli peppers because “foreigners don’t do spicy”. There are a number of “cooking schools” in the town offering to teach you to make the dish – avoid them – what you make will be nothing like the real thing. Traditional Yangshuo beer fish is made with a freshly caught 1 to 1.5 kg carp from the local river, the River Li, perhaps caught by a cormorant – probably not. The fish is gutted, but not scaled and certainly not filleted. It is then fried whole in camellia oil until the scales form a hard crust, then the fish is braised with the local Liquan beer, red and green chilli peppers, garlic, onions, celery, tomatoes, soy, sugar and oyster sauce. Made correctly, and the tomatoes are an unusual addition, it isn’t a bad dish, but far from my favourite. There are recipes on the internet, but they are nearly all hopeless. Check for mention of intact scales – a good sign of authenticity. If you find yourself in Yangshuo, Meijie Yangshuo Beer Fish (梅姐啤酒鱼) is recommended as being authentic. I’ve never been to that venue. I can’t stand the town. So, I’m going to ignore that dish and instead bring you what is probably Guilin’s real most popular dish (and is also popular across Guangxi.) Something tour parties and backpackers rarely, if ever encounter. The odd thing about this dish is that it didn’t originate in Guangxi, at all, but was adopted and adapted to local tastes. It turns up at every festivity from Chinese New Year to weddings. Almost every family dinner I’ve been at, it has made an appearance. In the 15-day long Spring Festival, I’ve been served it 15 times in 15 different homes! The Hakka people, 客家 (kè jiā – the name means ‘travelling people’) in Mandarin, originated in the north of China, but migrated south to avoid persecution. Many now live in Guangdong and here in Guangxi. Like migrants the world over they brought their food with them. One dish in particular, they introduced to the local Zhuang people. That was 梅菜扣肉 (méi cài kòu ròu) which consisted and still consists of fatty pork belly with mustard greens. The Zhuang took this dish and swapped the mustard greens for taro slices and came up with 芋头扣肉 (yù tou kòu ròu), usually just called 扣肉 (kòu ròu) here, as it is now the default. Lipu 荔浦 (lì pǔ) a small county town 100 km / 62 miles south of Guilin is famous for the quality of its taro crop. Incidentally, and irrelevantly, the local hares are the best I’ve eaten, too, but it isn’t famous for that – until now. Kou Rou The 扣 in 扣肉 is an interesting character. It has several meanings: button up; buckle; place a cup, bowl, etc. upside down; cover with an inverted cup, bowl, etc.; detain; take into custody; arrest; deduct; discount; knot; button; buckle; smash. What we want are the “cup, bowl” references. The pork is blanched then fried to crispen the skin. Then it is sliced and deep fried; the taro also is sliced and fried. The two are then interleaved in a bowl and steamed for over an hour. It is a complicated dish to make, so most people buy it from the local supermarkets or markets. The taro soaks up the excess fat from the pork, becoming rather succulent. A gravy/ sauce is also made from red chilli peppers, garlic, Guilin fermented bean curd (腐乳 - fǔ rǔ), Shaoxing wine, honey, white pepper, star anise and other seasonings. Once everything is ready, the bowl is turned upside down and the meat and taro served pineapple-upside-down-cake-style. Ready to Steam For a fuller story of making 扣肉, see this topic about a 扣肉 festival I attended a few years ago.

Brie au Bleu with Seaweed Crackers and Seagrass.

12. 米粉 (mǐ fěn) I’ve said this before, but it seems like every town and city in Guangxi has its own noodle speciality. Eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snack or whatever, these are almost always rice noodles (米粉 (mǐ fěn)) here in the south. 面条 (miàn tiáo) wheat noodles are more common in northern China. Note: mǐ fěn is pronounced like 'mee fun'. Although rice noodles can be fried (炒粉 - chǎo fěn), the most popular dishes are all soupy noodles. It would be impossible to list every rice noodle dish, but here are the three most common and famous. 老友粉 (lǎo yǒu fěn) – Nanning Old Friend Noodles As with many Chinese dishes there is a story behind the name. This differs slightly from telling to telling, but the basics remain the same. It is said that, 100 years ago, there was an old man who was suffering from some ailment (often said to be a bad cold) and was basically withering away as he had no appetite for life, never mind food. All attempts to reach out to him were rebuffed until his oldest friend made him a bowl of noodles using what he happened to have to hand. As soon as the invalid smelled the dish he perked up and asked to try it. He loved the dish and was soon restored to full health. The story and the noodles fame spread and small shacks all over the city started to sell this new dish known as – old friend noodles! Apocryphal as the story probably is (I almost hope it’s true), the noodles remain very popular in Nanning, Guangxi’s capital city where they are available on every corner. Here is one example I ate in a small hole-in-the-wall place near Nanning railway station on my way home from Vietnam in 2018. As with all these places, the diner is free to add whatever condiments they prefer. Depending on the restaurant, you may also be asked what type of noodles you want – round or flat. The rice noodles are served in a broth with pickled bamboo shoots and fried chilli peppers. Additionally, it includes garlic, scallions, fermented black beans and pork or pig offal. For me, what sets it apart is that it also contains tomato, somewhat unusual in a noodle dish. The overall flavour combines a certain tartness from the bamboo with a mild spiciness. And it is something that cuts through the worst cold symptoms. 螺蛳粉 (luó sī fěn) – Liuzhou River Snail Noodles There is archaeological evidence to suggest that the local people in Liuzhou were eating snails thousands of years ago. It took until the late 1960s or early 1970s for someone to put them together with the local rice noodles. Precisely who that was is a matter of great argument in the city. Whoever it was, is kind of irrelevant now. The city is awash with places making and selling the dish. In fact, many visitors say the city stinks of luosifen. It is a divisive smell. I liken it to the asparagus pee phenomenon – some people smell it and hate it and some just don’t smell it at all. I just don’t. Either asparagus or luosifen. 螺蛳 (luó sī) - Liuzhou River Snails I’ve written about this dish before, particularly here, so I won’t repeat myself too much other than to say the dish consists of rice noodles served in a very spicy stock made from the local river snails (a type of small Viviparaidae which live in the local river, the Liujiang, as well as in local rice paddies, ponds etc) and pig bones which are stewed for up to 16 hours with black cardamom, fennel seed, dried tangerine peel, cassia bark, cloves, pepper, bay leaf, licorice root, sand ginger, and star anise. Various pickled vegetables, dried tofu skin (you may know this by its Japanese name, ユバ - yuba), fresh green vegetables, peanuts and loads of chilli are then usually added. Liuzhou Luosifen Two years before the pandemic, local manufacturers started making ‘instant luosifen’ to be sold in packets (for considerably more than the real thing). None of them are a patch on the dish made in any small Liuzhou restaurant, but appeal to those who cannot otherwise get their kick away from Liuzhou. The noodles became the No 1 seller during the pandemic and the various lockdowns. Ironically, Liuzhou was never locked down. However, a Guangxi friend, a nurse, who now lives in Tennessee, has pointed out to me that the bagged luosifen contains ridiculously high levels of sodium. One bag contains 6,560 mg of sodium. The maximum suggested by the American Heart Association is 2,300 mg and they would like to reduce that even further. The US sellers have relabelled the bags suggesting that a serving only contains 1,640 mg*, but that is based on a serving being a quarter of a bag. The whole bag is clearly labelled as being one serving and who is this cretin who buys a bag of instant noodles and only serves a quarter of it? My friend has given up eating luosifen until she returns to Guangxi for a visit. Save up your cents and come to Liuzhou. Heck, I’ll even buy you a bowl as a welcome! *Still above the AHA’s target of 1,500 mg. 桂林米粉 (guì lín mǐ fěn) - Guilin Mifen The rather prosaically named Guilin Mifen (literally Guilin Rice Noodles) is the tourist city’s most popular. It is said by some to be around 2,000 years old. Again it is rice noodles in a broth with pork (or beef), fried peanuts, pickled cow peas, bamboo shoots and dried turnips. Chilli powder, green onion, coriander leaf/ cilantro etc are provided for you to add to your own preference. There are Guilin Mifen restaurants all over the city, determined to separate you from your cash. Guilin Mifen Guilin Mifen (Closeup) Guilin Mifen Condiments and Additions. Note: A similar selection is provided for all the dishes here.

I'm lucky if I get all the way through a recipe without "improving" it with the odd tweak or two. A whole cookbook? No chance.

Unfortunately, you have stumbled upon an incomplete definition. Cordycep sinensis is a parastic fungi that grows on the larvae of insects. There are over 400 types of cordyceps. Non-parasitic human-bred varieties have become mainstream in recent years. What I ate (and regularly eat) is cordyceps militaris, a non-parasitic type. It is cultivated locally and often served in chicken soup. Dried Cordycep Militaris Fresh Cordyceps Militaris Although I would have no objection in principle to eating cordycep sinensis (I've eaten insects and I've eaten fungi, so I can save time and eat them together), sinensis is gathered from the wilds of the high Tibetan Himalayas and is, as a result, prohibitively expensive. It would be about $300 USD for that bowl of soup. Cordycep sinensis As to the word 'cordycep', it is derived from the Greek kordulē meaning ‘club’ and latin caput meaning 'head', presumably describing the shape. There are very, very few English menus outside of the largest cities (Beijing, Shanghai etc). Most of those in Liuzhou, I've translated! On menus most places, they would use the Chinese name, 虫草 (chóng cǎo) for sinensis and 虫草花 (chóng cǎo huā) for militaris. That last character in militaris means 'flower(s)' and indicates that it is only the fungus without the larvae. Even if someone misread it, the price would soon alert them. Militaris is very cheap.

中饭： Lunch 淮山骨头汤 (huái shān gǔ tou tāng) - Huaishan Bone Soup (pork bone soup with Chinese yam) 凉拌牛肉 (liáng bàn niú ròu) - Cold Dressed Beef ( a sort of beef and allium salad) 爆炒油豆腐 (bào chǎo yóu dòu fu) - Burst-Fried-Oil Tofu ("Burst Fried Oil" is the literal term for the cooking technique involving very high temperature wok cooking. You know the kind of thing all those jokers with their high octane burners think is daily routine. It isn't or they wouldn't need a special term for it when it is occasionally used, would they? /endrant ) 娃娃菜 (wá wa cài) - Baby Chinese Cabbage Burst-fried Tofu Cold-dressed Beef

That's what I've seen in VN, too

11. 罗汉果 (luó hàn guǒ) Dried Monkfruit 罗汉果 (luó hàn guǒ), Siraitia grosvenorii*, also known as ‘monkfruit’, is the fruit of a small gourd of the Curcubitaceae family and is nearly all grown in Guangxi. It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat asthma, bronchitis, coughing, pharyngitis, and sore throats among other ailments. It is believed that it was first used by Buddhist monks some 300 years ago, hence the popular name, which means 'arhat', a Buddhist monk who has attained nivana. The fruit is said to be up to 300 times sweeter than cane sugar, while remaining available to those who are unable to tolerate sucrose for medical reasons such as diabetes etc. It is also very low in calories. It has, so far, proved impossible to exploit fully as a sugar substitute as the plant is difficult to raise and yields are relatively low. Often sold roadside by itinerant vendors, the fruit is nearly always only available dried. The dried fruit has a hard but thin skin, which is easily broken, allowing access to the fruit inside. I’ve only come across monkfruit fresh the one time. Both fresh and dried are made into a type of tea or tisane. Unlike most Chinese medicine, it is actually not unpleasant, although I find it too sweet, but then I'm notoriously bitter-toothed. Fresh Monkfruit The flowers of the plant are also very occasionally available and used to make a tisane, although the alleged effects are much weaker than using the fruit. Quite pretty though. NOTE: This post refers to medical claims made under the TCM belief system. I must emphasise that these claims are unsubstantiated by modern western scientific analysis and no therapeutic benefit has been satisfactorily established. For this reason, it is advised that caution be applied especially in cases involving children or during pregnancy. * Older resources may refer to it by the outdated name, Momordica grosvenori.

I certainly did, too in England. Sadly, not usually, here.

so long as they included the bone, you're good!

That is indeed quite an omission which I did intend to address, but it ran away from me. Unless you are buying a whole live bird (quite possible), it is likely the liver (鸭肝 - yā gān) and kidneys (鸭肾 - yā shèn) will have already been siphoned off. They aren't that easy to find in the supermarkets or markets. I suspect (without any real evidence) that the livers go away to the restaurant trade or to be sold separately at a premium. The kidneys probably go off to Nanjing in eastern China, from where they are dried and sold internationally as a delicacy and as traditional medicine. I understand this trade is less lucrative than before as several countries have banned their import due to avian flu and other concerns. When I have acquired whole ducks (or occasionally found intact innards), the livers have tended to be rather under-developed. I'm not sure at what age the birds are dispatched, but probably too young to develop the full fat opulence of a fois gras or anything near that. I can buy duck (or goose) fois gras, French or domestic, at a price. Braised duck livers are sold as snack food, too - relatively pricey snack food. Believe it or not, they are also sold as pet food. Duck Liver Image from advertisement at https://www.baopals.com/products/597105992987 - but they don't deliver to me.

My gift pomelo turnd out to be of the red fleshed variety - bonus!

Dinner: Steamed pork with roasted glutinous rice crust, pig's ears with green chillies, water spinach and steamed rice. Cordycep and chicken soup.

10. 鸭杂 (yā zá) Duck is the cheapest animal protein round these parts and duck is a huge part of Chinese culture. I’m not talking about the clichés like “Peking Duck”, good as that can be at its best. I’m thinking more everyday duck. The eggs are important. Salted duck eggs are everywhere. 皮蛋 (pí dàn) or century eggs, too are nearly always duck eggs. My boiled egg of a morning is usually a duck egg. Then there is the meat. I'm leaving that for a later post. My title of this section, 鸭杂 (yā zá) literally means ‘duck mixture’ but is also an abbreviation of 鸭杂碎 (yā zá suì) meaning ‘duck offal’. Duck consumption is very much beak to tail, leaving out only the feathers and the quack. Bits of duck I never knew existed (and the duck certainly didn’t) are considered delicacies. All over town there are small shops selling bits of duck. But first lets decide what kind of duck. China has over 30 different duck breeds. Some are thought of as egg layers; others as meat birds; yet others all rounders. Your Peking duck (actually known as 北京烤鸭 (běi jīng kǎo yā – Beijing Roast Duck) is almost always made using the confusingly named pekin duck breed. Yes, the etymology is related. This is the world’s most consumed duck, probably native to SE Asia and first domesticated some 2,000 years ago. The breed was introduced to the UK in 1872 from where it spread to the USA. It is a prolific layer as well as an excellent meat bird. Pekin Duck in Liuzhou Park However, round here a smaller breed is the first choice. I have attempted to get a positive identification of the breed, but everyone I ask gives me a different answer. The Chinese are not very good at species identification. They don’t even know what species of snail is in their city’s most famous dish (but I’ll return to that). Until I meet a qualified anatine ornithologist this picture will have to suffice. Anyway, back to the consumption of the bits. I’ll start with my favourite, then end up at the locals’ favourite (by far). 鸭心 (yā xīn) - Duck Hearts I do like these on toast of a morning. The locals, however, tend to braise them in soy sauce or with 5-spice and eat them as snacks. I can go there, too. Duck Hearts on Toast Proceeding through the bird at random we have: 鸭脖 (yā bó) Duck Necks These too are braised in soy or 5-spice and are gnawed on. Braised Duck Necks 鸭锁骨 （yā suǒ gǔ）- Duck Clavicle (Collarbone) These are braised with Chinese grain liquor (白酒 - bái jiǔ) and dark soy sauce then stir-fried with cumin. There is very little to chew on, but the locals so love a good gnaw. 鸭胗 - Stewed Duck Gizzards 鸭头 (yā tóu) - Duck Heads 鸭舌 (yā shé)- Duck Tongue These make for surprisingly good beer food. Then the favourite locally. People go ape for these. I've never seen the point. 鸭 掌 (yā zhǎng) - Duck Feet They are 'eaten' braised with chilli as pictured or in soups and stews and very often on top of Luosifen (螺蛳粉) Duck Feet with Pickles Duck Feet with Snails Can't make your mind up? Here is a nice plate of mixed duck offal bits and pieces - (鸭杂 (yā zá) Quack.

I like alligator (but not turtle so much) so I'd probably be happy.

Indeed gutted. The skin of most types is at least unappetizing if not actually inedible. I'm sorry but I've no experience of cobra hoods. The gall bladder is fed to dumb tourists in tourist trap Guilin for a steep price. The locals won't touch it.

I've spoken with a couple of people who shared that meal and they remember it as I do. The skin was texturally similar to fish skin but drier. No more gamy than the meat. It was a mild tasting snake. I'd love to find out exactly what variety but the restaurant is being rebuilt. I'm not even sure it's in the same hands. I may have to wait for someone else to get married!

Average round here.

Snakes are usually skinned before being cooked, but the snakes in that soup came with skin on. I don't recall any scales. Sorry. I didn't cook it, so I don't really know. Further investigation is required.

It's the snake's skin. Delicious.

Soy-braised pig's foot, snow vegetable (pickled mixed greens) and broccoli with rice.

These I'd try (in the full awareness that I'd probably be disappointed)

For no particular reason other than friendliness, this pomelo landed at my home this afternoon.

9. 蛇 (shé) 蛇 (shé) – snakes are eaten all over Asia and Africa. Rattlesnakes are eaten in the USA , I’m told. I first ate snake in Italy in 1967. But no one eats more than the Chinese, especially in Hong Kong. And most of the snakes eaten in China (including HK) originate in Guangxi. About 250 km, 155 miles south-east from Liuzhou is the city of Wuzhou which is snake central. A snake repository has existed here for decades and snakes caught all over end up there for identification before being consumed. Originally the repository was set up to study snakes and to supply Cantonese restaurants, but recently it has been renamed and seems to have become a sort of snake theme park. A few years go, I made the acquaintance of a retired chef from one of the local hotel restaurants. Once a year, in retirement, he would take over the kitchen of a local restaurant and invite a bunch of people for dinner. The theme of his meal was always the same – snake. Eight or nine different dishes featuring different snakes. Utterly delicious. He has since passed away. Nothing to do with the snakes. Most people here are terrified of snakes. I tell them that snakes are generally shy and will avoid encounters with man, but if trapped or feel threatened may bite. And I tell them that they aren’t all poisonous, but they adopt the kill first and ask questions later strategy. One friend has no such qualms. Doesn’t stop people eating them, though In fact, the poisonous ones are considered the best (cooking renders the venom ineffective). Pythons are particularly desirable but I’ve also eaten cobras and boa constrictors. Snake soup is a feature of many wedding banquets as it is, for obvious reasons, thought of as a virility symbol, “guaranteeing” that the first born shall have a penis! Snake soup served at wedding banquet - The first-born was indeed a boy! Snakes are sometimes sold in the markets, where they are kept safely in cages. Rarely sold in supermarkets. I occasionally see people selling them on the streets just in sacks. Every year or two someone selling snakes gets bitten and dies. Caged snakes in my local market Snake is used in restaurants as is any other meat. Stewed, stir-fried, etc. Here is one stir-fried dish with Sichuan flavours as served in local restaurant. Also, snake wine is popular, especially with older generations (as it is throughout SE Asia). A venomous snake (or several) will be inserted into a bottle or jar of wine. The wine is then considered to have therapeutic effects on a range of complaints. Care is needed though. Many snakes are able to go into a catatonic state when stressed or trapped and can live for months on little air after seeming to be dead. They occasionally revive and bite wine drinkers. People have died! Chinese snake wine. Now that I think about it, I recall wine (or maybe grappa) with snake in it on that same 1967 Italian trip. Finally, No, it doesn't taste Ike chicken! It tastes like whatever type of snake it happens to be. Some are mildly flavoured; others can be quite gamy. P.S. I was born in the Year of the Snake which may have a bearing on my love of the meat.

Perhaps not .