liuzhou

Very carefully. They bite.

This implication that the manufacture of trucks and cars ceased in the 1990s is totally incorrect. In fact, it expanded. The city is better known for its automotive industry than for luosifen. There is a highly successful joint venture with General Motors which produces millions of new-energy vehicles each year. Liuzhou has the highest percentage of electric vehicles anywhere in Asia, if not the world. China's largest steel factory is here and the chemical industry is strong. Luosifen is just decoration on top and is a highly volatile market.

There is a fairly active Luosifen lovers Facebook page, "我爱螺蛳粉 / I love Luosifen (snail noodles)", at https://www.facebook.com/groups/125375614155376/ where there is more information. The administrator is someone you "know"!

Some specific errors. The broth is made from pork bones, unpeeled snails, and various spices and simmered for hours. (How the hell do you peel snails anyway?) The snails are not usually served in the final dish. The tofu is in the form of tofu skin. Lemon vinegar? Grow up! It's rice wine vinegar! Liuzhou has never had a lockdown. It's much older than that. There is strong evidence that it was being sold in 1952!

The story, which I had seen, is essntially true - ish. There are huge exaggerations and absolute errors. What they are describing is a pre-packaged highly industrialised semi-instant version of the real thing (which takes at least 16 hours to make properly). The bagged stuff versions are made in Liuzhou, but few are eaten here. They are vastly inferior to the real thing and cost more! I can go out and grab a bowl very easily anywhere in the city for a lot less. The 'funky' smell is greatly exaggerated. It is just salt fermented bamboo. You can walk past a store and if you didn't look, you would never know what they were selling. The idea that they were invented independently by thousands of laid-off factory workers is a fantasy. The local government, after various failed attempts to establish a trendy industry and boost tourism, finally hit on the idea of marketing luosifen. First, they decided that we needed more luosifen restaurants, so they spent millions on tax breaks and rent holidays etc to encourage more people to open shops. People just carried on going to their old favourites and within months, most of the new places closed. Back to the drawing board. Next, they came up with the idea of an instant noodle. Money was poured into research and in the end they managed to produce something not-quite-instant that vaguely resembled luosifen. They didn't really take off. Then in 2020, they slowly began to creep up the ranking tables to become the top online food purchase in China. More factories opened, some better than others. Some don't even use the essential snails. They are vile. In 2021, the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Liuzhou and "inspected" one of the larger factories, giving an official seal of approval. It was not reported whether or not he ate the dish.

Yes, it is quite clove heavy, but then so is 5-spice powder.

Chinese labels are in that same order, yes.

No actual sand involved. See Wurfbainia Villosa here.

It most certainly does. Both brown and red skins make a noticeable difference.

If you can find them, Chinese Red Mud Peanuts are wonderful. Definitely my favourite. They are covered in a red mud before roasting and have an amazing flavour.

Took a pork tenderloin or pork fillet or pork steak (round here it's 猪里脊肉 (zhū lǐ ji ròu)) and pan fried it. The bulk of the fat was removed and rendered then used to stir fry the vegetation which was 木耳菜 (mù ěr cài), wood ear vegetable. This missed the photo op, but here is some before cooking. The pork was brined and then rubbed with black pepper and chilli powder and seared and fried in olive oil, then served on couscous.

Same as you. For colour. Especially in stocks for sauces, some soups etc.

I collect onion skins, too. Not for Easter, though.,

Yup!

13-Spice Powder. Only wimps make do with the 5-spice. Contents: sand kernels, cloves, angelica, star anise, fennel, chilli pepper, galangal, orange peel, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, dried ginger, hawthorn, and licorice.

A friend has learned something new - the hard way.

... and Scotland and it was Guinness. In fact, the only time I saw my mother drinking alcohol was when she was propped up in bed in 1959 having just given birth to my youngest brother. Hmmm. The one about the ₤45 rent a year is untrue. That lease was only for 4 acres of the 50 acre site and became invalid a long time ago when Guinness bought the land outright. They aren't paying themselves rent! I do know the head of quality control in Guinness's Park Royal Brewery in London. She does a lot more than just taste the brew every morning as implied. She has a PhD in food science. Very clever lady (and a great cook).

Slow cooked pork ribs stir-fried with with garlic, ginger, doubanjiang, soy sauce, Chinese celery, scallions and Shaoxing wine. Served with rice and celery leaves.

Or the snow.

Guinness is no mere beverage! It is a fully complete balanced meal packed with nutrition, flavour and sublime happiness. Not so long ago it was available on prescription to new mothers in British maternity hospitals for its health benefits. Hic!

I did have one vehicle name - The Elf. 1980s? So named for its registration plate ELF 720Y. Miss it a lot. I know this will be sent to the darkness for not being food related, but that thing carried me, my late wife and and my kids to food delights beyond our imagination! And no one will take that away from me.

Not appliances, but foodstuffs have pet names in my life. I've mentioned a few here before to people's bewilderment. Sparrow juice, being the most repeated. I've never served sparrow juice with tangly jelly, as far as I recall, though now I've thought of it, I might.

I have a family of them!

New York Times Obituary