liuzhou

Dinner: 冬瓜汤 (dōng guā tāng - Wax Gourd Soup) 啤酒鸭 (pí jiǔ yā - Beer duck (with ginger) 南瓜 (nán guā - Pumpkin) 五花肉花菜 (wǔ huā ròu huā cài - Cauliflower stir fried with Pork Belly ) 米饭 (mǐ fàn - Rice)

While that is glutinous rice wine, I'm not sure that it is Shaoxing. Shaoxing always says so - 绍兴 or 紹興. The large characters (糯米酒) on that bottle just say 'glutinous rice wine'. Most strange. It may say Shaoxing in the small print, but I can't make it out in that image.

When it comes to drinking Shaoxing, many internet sources insist that it is drunk warm. Not always. From the manufacturers of the first bottles above. In other words, do what you like!

That should be a good one in the 'added rice' style. The winery is Shaoxing's largest, much of their oputput being exported. 8 years old as you say. My only reservation is that they have added caramel coloring (last ingredient listed at the bottom of the label). The best only has water, glutinous rice and wheat as I noted. These are the first three listed on your bottle.

The age of any Shaoxing is normally given in Chinese. Here are the numbers for the most common ages: 3 years - 三年 5 years - 五年 8 years - 八年 12 years - 十二年 15 years - 十五年 20 years - 二十年

There have been Shaoxing topics before, but all seem to be specific to particular regions and problems – Buying Shaoxing in Canada or How to Buy Salt-Free Shaoxing in the USA etc. I feel there is a place for a more general topic discussing types, brands and uses etc. If the powers that be disagree, no doubt it will be moved or merged or … Some basics for those who don’t know. Shaoxing (绍兴(酒) / 紹興(酒) -shào xīng (jiǔ)) (the alternative spelling ShaoHsing is outdated and never used in China), a prized type of 黄酒 (huáng jiǔ, literally ‘yellow wine’ – glutinous rice wine) has been made in, wait for it, Shaoxing, a relatively small city in Zhejiang province, Eastern China, south of Shanghai for over 2,000 years. Ingredients should be simply water, rice, and wheat. Never salt outside North America where salt is added to get round licensing rules. It is used extensively as a 料酒 (liào jiǔ – literally, ‘ingredient wine’ – Cooking Wine) but is also drunk, depending on grade. 3-Year old cooking grade Shaoxing Most Shaoxing sold in supermarkets is the 3-year old basic stuff intended for cooking. Higher quality wines intended primarily for drinking are labelled 花雕 or 花彫 (huā diāo, meaning flower carved, as this grade is often sold in carved jars). These can be any age between 8 to 20 years and beyond. They are also used in certain dishes where the wine is a key element rather than just another marinade ingredient. 15-year old Huadio drinking grade Two special wines are labelled 加饭 / 加飯 (jiā fàn, meaning ‘added rice’) for a richer taste and 女儿红 / 女兒紅 (literally ‘daughter red’), so-called after the practice of laying a bottle down on the birth of a daughter then opening it at her wedding feast. Red is China’s luckiest colour and a symbol of marriage. Daughter Red - 3- Years Old. Note: Where I give two versions of the Chinese names, the first is in Simplified characters as used in mainland China (including Shaoxing) and the second in Traditional characters as still used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as much of the Chinese diaspora. Either may appear on bottles or jars. If I only give one version, that means they are the same everywhere.

Another day, another breakfast. 肉包 (ròu bāo), literally 'meat buns' = Pork Buns. Served with 剁椒 (duò jiāo), chopped chilli (jarred, from my pantry; not delivery). Duo Jiao

Basically, yes.

Dry Hot pot jumping bullfrog with onion and green and red chillies. Rice. Sorry for the dark image; it was a dark dish! But a good one!

I know Fruh am Dom has a bad reputation for its service. How did you find it?

If I bought that 250g I mentioned, it might last me two meals max. 125g - not 50!

We get those, too. But the young ones more often.

I just checked online. 250g Pea Shoots = $1.44 USD

While in hospital, I had heard that a new Thai restaurant had opened in the shopping mall near my home. While serching the delivery app last night, I came across it! So lunch was from there. Pineapple Crab Fried Rice, Thai Garlic Flavour Ribs, Fried Cabbage, Tom Yum Soup All very good and arrived piping hot - the restaurant is only about 7 minutes walk away. No time by motorcycle.

I've been asked by friends to recommend a recipe for the hand torn chicken above. Nearly all I found on the internet were terrible. "Boneless chicken breasts". I don't think so! The only one I have any confidence in recommending is this. Slow Cooker Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken The cooking technique is somewhat unorthodox, but the flavours would seem to be spot-on.

That site is prompting a malware warning in my browser. The domain name does look suspect. .co.uk is standard in the UK, not that.

It comes and goes, but when it's gone, I force myself.

Tonight was redemption for local delivery food. You may recognise the rice and vergetable dish (right) from yesterday's meal. Yes. leftovers. But the protein was new. 手撕鸡 (shǒu sī jī), Hand Torn Chicken, one of the few Chinese dishes served at room temperature. It is chicken braised in a spicy sauce, then, yes torn by hand into bite size pieces or smaller. Served with peanuts. Seldom made at home, this is available in every market. Not that it would be diffcult to make. This was GOOD. I was really sorry when I reached the bottom of the containers! And two-thirds of the meal was leftovers! Hand Torn Chicken Jo Buying Hand Torn Chicken in the Market, 2008

Yes. I realise and appreciate that. My problem is with the dishes which don't have the ethnic group in the titles. I am unfortunately unable to access Amazon or Google books at present.

Yes. I've identified some dishes, but many use titles that are so vague as to be useless. I mean "Chile Oil' is made everywhere. Guangxi has more ethnic minorities than any other, yet only one is shown. There are 30 in Liuzhou alone. Miao and Hmong are not synonymous. Hmong is a subgroup of the Miao. I would just add that nearly all of that map is "Within the Great Wall" in China's terms. P.S, Obviously, I'm not interested in anything with c@rn in it!

Well, I for one wouldn't have heard of this book or paid it any attention if you hadn't raised it here. Have some respect. Ignore it. In our celebrity-obsessed culture someone's always going to try to cash in. Don't encourage them.

I'd ask my daughter to send me the book from the UK, but it probably wouldn't turn up. Books and videoes are another thing they are terrified of! .

Anna, you champion! If you really don't mind, I would be eternally grateful. Don't wear your eyes out for me! P.S. I've eaten the Miao "sticky rice sandwiches". Not bad, although sticky rice is not my favourite mouth feel.

Yes. I have looked at that. Without fuller descriptions, it is impossible to be sure what cuisine many of the recipes are from. The randomness of translation is also an obstacle. But it is useful in a limited way. But thanks.

Thanks. That is really useful. Unfortunately, I'm severely hampered in the internet stakes for now. The Communist Party are about to start their annual rubber stamp session and, as always, they have shut down 90% of the internet including my getting round the blocks tricks. This will go on for a couple of weeks. They are terrified me looking up recipes and listening to Tom Waits on YouTube will bring the whole edifice down.