liuzhou

I suppose because they are what I've always used and they do hold their heat better. They're thermally more efficient, but need more care.

Haha! Of course 36 cm. Have edited. That said, I have seen 36 inch and much larger woks. But not at home!

I mentioned elsewhere on eG that my faithful assistant in the kitchen, my wok had passed away. I bought a new one, of course. A 36cm uncoated, round-bottomed, handmade, cast iron chap, but recent personal attention has had to be paid to certain bureaucratic affairs with the Chinese government regarding my business have kept me busy recently. That has now been resolved and it's time to move on to dealing with new wok. It needs deep cleaning to remove the machine oil it is coated in both inside and out then carefully seasoned before being put into service. But it's more complex. A 36cm wok is too large for my everyday needs. I live alone. Also, I can't use a round-bottomed wok on a stand alone induction cooker which I sometimes require, so I also bought a 34cm flat bottomed fellow for those needs. It too is cast iron and non-coated. It too needs the same attention. So the next couple of days, I'm going to be having fun dealing with that.

If you can find the leafy tops, they are delicious. Very popular, they are sold seperately from the gourd here. Simply stir fried with garlic.

Yeah I know they are dried, but yours are mummified! Dried peppers lose flavor and potency, too! They just take longer. 8 months; not 50 years!

They lose flavour and potency over time. I buy my dried chilies in small amounts (50 gram packs) and use them within a month max. Eight months would really be stretching it. Here is a bag of facing heaven chillis I bought an hour ago. ¥2.80 = 43 cents US. 1970s? Are you serious?

It's only 8 months since you asked me before - I thought it was longer. They may still be OK, but I'd use them soon!

Is that same bag you asked me about a long time ago? If so, they will be past their best. Otherwise, they would be closer than the árbol, yes. They are in fact a Japanese cultivar imported into China via Tianjing (the modern transliteration), near Beijing.

The recipe says árbol chilis which, being Mexican, are not found in China. 宫保鸡丁 (gōng bǎo jī dīng, know as Kung-po Chicken in the west) uses 朝天椒 (cháo tiān jiāo, facing heaven chilis) or sometimes dried 小米辣 (xiǎo mǐ là) chilis. These appear to be available online in the USA. I heartily recommend getting some and tasting the difference.

Damn! I made a beautiful, if I may say so, plate of garlicky shell on shrimp for lunch and in my greed scoffed the lot before I realised I had forgotten to take a picture. Oh well, I'll just have to make them again.

Yes, that too. The cactus meaning is much older (16th century) than the fish name is in English and, unlike the fish name, is derived from Haitian. The fish name is via Spanish, too but ultimately from Latin.

According to the OED, 'tuna' originally (in the early 20th century) referred to the animal in general and 'tuna fish' referred to 'the flesh of that fish used as food'. I'm not sure if that explains anything much, though.

These things are industrially made, but surprisingly good for that genre. Hot smoked garlic sausage. Good for just munching on or chopping up and adding to fried rice. It's 28cm / 11 inches long.

That would depend on what one was making.

Wow! A surprise gift today. Two bottles of good Georgian wine (Georgia the country). The amber is from Shumi winery, one of Georgia's earliest organic and biodynamic growing wineries and the Saperavi is from Gurjaani winery, producing one of the highest quality wines in the Gurjaani town. Sent by a friend who has just written a book about Georgian wine, the oldest known in the world.

This may not be a bad idea as such, but it is a crazy one. Japanese scientists with nothing better to do have invented electric chopsticks which they say can enhance perceived umami without adding sodium. Yeah, I can see all the billions of chopstick users in Asia and elsewhere rushing out to get them! Not. The whole sorry tale is here.

Beer nuts. Roasted peanuts with chilli.

Wine braised pork with mushrooms, black garlic, capers, shallots, yellow garlic chives and scallions. Over rice.

Song Dynasty Tea Painting Revived Article in Chinese and English

Sorry. Pressed the wrong quote button. Yes, English asparagus is green. It is cultivated, but has an extremely short season, about one month usually in May or June depending on weather conditions. This year it has arrived earlier in April. https://britishasparagus.com/

China does grow white garlic (in Shandong province), but in very limited quantities. In fact, asparagus of any sort is quite a recent find here. Five years ago I was lucky to see it once a year; now the regular green kind is in most supermarkets. I seriously doubt much, if any, white asparagus is exported. At least for now. I still prefer English asparagus in its short season. Perfection.

True, but my comment was in reply to someone who gave a slightly inaccurate or incomplete derivation. And current usage varies among English dialects.

Actually, it comes from the Haitian barbacòa meaning a rough wooden framework, used in America for sleeping on.

In America. Barbecue originally meant an appliance (actually a bed). In the UK and much of the world it means both the appliance and the process. (And the occasion when we eat it.) Broil just meant to burn!

Haha! Maybe not so much when you read on!