liuzhou

The mortar is about 6 inches wide at the rim and stands about 4½ inches tall, so not huge. It weighs 5½ lbs.

Found via Fuchsia Dunlop. Thanks. Looks interesting. More info here.

As mentioned on the fun stuff topic, I bought these online and they arrived yesterday. I vaguely planned to have some for breakast, but that didn't work out so I decided to just have a small taste before comitting to a full meal. They are sold as goose liver (foie gras) sausages, although the main component is goose breast meat, with liver coming second. They come from Heilongjiang, China's northernmost province bordering Siberia, Russia. I had 500 grams / 17.64 ounces total or four fat sausages each about 18 cm / 7 inches long, took one and sliced it on a bias. Fried them up and tasted just with some blck pepper. No salt required (see ingredient list below for a formidable list of sodiums). Before I knew it, I had eaten a whole sausage (just to taste, you understand). They are rather good. Ingredients as listed - my translation: Goose breast meat, foie gras, water, starch salt, soft white sugar, spices, food additives (sodium glutamate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium nitrite), pig casing. All good stuff!

Another favourite that is usually mistreated by the filleters is 鲭鱼 (qīng yú), Scomberomorus sinensis(?), (Chinese?) Mackerel. I am questioning the precise name as there are so many possibilities, mackerel not being a single species but a large number of vaguely related fish sharing certain characteristics. Being relatively near the sea, I get this one locally caught and landed at Beihai on the Tonkin Gulf, near the border with Vietnam. It is sold both fresh and flash frozen at sea. Some is dried. Salted, dried mackerel Mackerel is notorious for the rapidity of its spoiling after being caught and unless refrigerated or frozen correctly, should only be eaten on the day it’s landed. It’s still not a particularly popular fish in China, but can be found. I always buy it when I see it. But I’m guessing the lack of popularity could be linked to its reputation for rapid decay. Even Norway with a population of around 5 million eats more mackerel than China’s 1.4 billion. This doesn’t mean mackerel isn’t caught though. Chinese, Japanese and Spanish mackerel are all landed and frozen for export. It is also canned and sold like sardines, usually in a tomato sauce. Mackerel Steak When sold frozen, it is usually in the form of steaks, again cut cross-sectionally rather than laterally. I always try to get the whole fish and do the job myself. That's better! Being a naturally oily fish, it is nearly always shallow fried. I have used it happily in a version of kedgeree and even made ‘mack and chips’! I’ve ‘breaded’ fillets with oatmeal and fried it to be served with a salad. Mackerel and chips Mackerel Kedgeree I’ve never tried it, but I can’t see it working well being steamed, China’s favourite way of dealing with fish.

I know I've posted versions of this before, but always with a slight twist. It's my go-to comfort food. Lemon and olive oil marinated pork with coriander seeds, garlic and chilli. Served this time with orzo and a tomato and scallion salad.

Today is 11 - 11, the anniversary of the end of WW1, celebrated in many coutries as Remembance Day, but in China it is something very different. Two things very different. First it is "Singles Day", a recently invented celebration of being single (i.e 1 1 1 1 1), a sort of rIposte to Valentine's Day and the Chinese equivalent, both of which most Chinese couples observe. Even more recently, it has become on-line shopping day. Prices are slashed and hundreds of millions of deliveries are made today and the few days either side. My haul was nearly all food related. Pride of place goes to my new granite mortar and pestle. I have eight already, but this set took my fancy. The others included some caviar, a refill of Manchego cheese, and some Siberian goose liver sausages from Heilongjiang, China's northernmost province. The sausages are a new thing to me, but remain untested yet. Probably for breakfast tomorow. (See update).

Cod steaks Talking of fish and chips, my preferred fish for the dish, 鳕鱼 (xuě yú), Gadus macrocephalus, Cod was easily available until about a year ago, when it simultaneously disappeared from every supermarket. I don’t know why. I can still buy it online at silly prices and the descriptions are all hopelessly confused. Arctic cod (which isn’t really cod) from New Zealand⁈ Antarctic cod from the USA, frozen in France⁈ Cod know what it is! Also, several ads for the product advise that “Nucleic acid has been detected”. I’d be worried if it wasn’t; nucleic acid is present in all living organisms on earth. It’s in us and all our food - meat, grains and vegetables! Even when I could get real cod, I had a problem. There would be a huge hunk of whole fish (well, half a fish) parked on the fishmonger’s slab and I would indicate how much I wanted. It was always cut across the spine (as pictured above), never filleted laterally as I would, given the choice. This is how I fillet fish – laterally. Here in China only freshwater fish seem to be butchered this way. This isn’t cod, but here for illustrative purposes only; it is actually 巴沙鱼 (bā shā yú), Pangasius bocourti, Basa Fish (to which I will return). I have also found so-called ‘Black Cod’ on rare occasions. It isn’t cod, either. Actually, it is 银鳕 (yín xuě), Anoplopoma fimbria, sablefish. Interestingly, the Chinese literally means ‘silver fish’. No mention of black. 'Black cod' with ponzu. Dried and salted cod are both available as is imported* cod liver oil as a food supplement for babies. It is high in vitamin D, which is effective in reducing the incidence of rickets. I remember it well from when it was dispensed free of charge to all children in the UK – none of whom liked it. The 1960’s revolution wasn’t only fuelled by marijuana; cod liver oil played a part too! Dried Cod Cod and Chips * from Australia

Returning to this topic to bring you some video links. All over China, Sichuan style hotpot is popular and food companies have not been slow to react. Most supermarkets now offer kits of Sichuan hotpot base for the home cook. Here are four videos showing how this concoction is made, the spices that go into it and how to use it in the home. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the less conscientious retaurants use it too. Enjoy. https://twitter.com/i/status/1457223008674713604 https://twitter.com/i/status/1457503958780420097 https://twitter.com/i/status/1457674230095495171 https://twitter.com/i/status/1457679594216050689

This is a common variety here, despite being native to the west Atlantic. 白龙鱼, Sciaenops ocellatus, Red Drum, aka 'redfish' or 'spotted tail bass' is farmed around China’s eastern and southern coastlines. The fish (which is not red)) is recognisable by its black spots; there is always at least one, most often two but occasionally up to three per side. The one pictured was 33 cm /13 inches long and weighed 111 grams / 4 oz. It is a difficult fish to scale and clean. Those large scales can go flying all over the place if you are not careful. I usually fill a large sink with water and descale the fish underwater. It still takes a lot of effort though. The gills and belly contents are equally resistant to removal and cleaning them involves the use of a pair of pliers. Filleting them requires care too, as the flesh is rather delicate. Here they are nearly always steamed whole with aromatics, but I have also fried the fillets after flouring them lightly. They can also be poached and I have used them occasionally for fish and chips. Steamed Red Drum

I have a recipe which uses a ginger syrup in a salad dressing served with squid, but as it only uses 2 tbs at a time, it might not make much of a dent in your 2.8 litres.

Chances are everyone will know 带鱼 (dài yú), Trichiurus lepturus, Belt Fish, although the names you use may differ. I’m going with ‘belt fish’ as it’s the one I know best and it is a direct translation of the Chinese name. It is also known as ‘largehead hairtail’, ‘ribbon fish’ ‘atlantic cutlassfish’ or ‘pacific cutlassfish’, among other names. These long, thin fish grow up to 2.34 metres / 7 ft 8 inches, although most are around 500 cm – 1 metre / 1 ft 8 in – 3 ft 3 in. I understand those caught in Australian waters may be longer. Those in the image above were just under 60 cm / two feet. Distinctly blue tinged when alive, the colour quickly fades post mortem to become a silvery grey. They are native to many seas around the world, although there is argument about whether they are all precisely the same species. They all taste the same, and that’s all that matters here. Their value as food means that they are one of the world’s top ten most commercially landed species. Most supermarkets sell these whole as well as cut into approximately 10 cm / 4 in pieces. These segments are also often sold after being flash frozen at sea. Segmented Belt FIsh The popular, sweet tasting fish is easy to de-bone and can be fried or braised and is often prepared in 红烧 (hóng shāo) style, a term that is often translated as ‘red-cooked’ and is simply braising in soy sauce. Breaded Belt Fish fried and served with home made tartar sauce. There is also a mysterious red-fleshed version, no mention of which I can find anywhere. But I have a photo! Red Belt Fish? May be a dfferent species.

Русский хлеб - Russian bread. British Heinz beanz imported via Hong Kong on toasted rye from Siberia. New Zealand butter. Low rent fusion food!

Glad to hear it. I was thinking the same as @lindagand about to ask the same.

Turbot Next up is one of my favourite fishes, 多宝鱼 (duō bǎo yú, literally ‘many treasures fish’, but also chosen for its perceived phonetic similarity to the English), Scophthalmus maximus – Turbot. I was surprised, but delighted, to find it in China. Surprised because it is native to the north-east Atlantic with a presence in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, but it seems it is extensively farmed in China (probably with some escapees) as well as in many other countries around the world. Delighted because it is so delicious. This left-eyed flatfish can grow to up to one metre / 40 inches long and 25 kilograms / 55 pounds) in weight, although those I get here tend to be around ⅓ of that which, as I live alone, suits me just fine. If I have guests, I can always do two or three. Turbot Fillets Sometimes, after cleaning it, I reduce it to four fillets (it is easy to do) and simply pan fry it, but other times I give it a more typical Chinese treatment, steaming it with soy sauce and chillies as they do in at banquets in Hunan. Steamed Turbot with Soy Sauce and Chillies as served in a restaurant in Huaihua City, Hunan

Thank you. Yes, I've done something very similar in lettuce cups in the past. Almost a laab.

This is a sort of riff on something my mother often did with leftover mince and tatties. She wouldn't recognise my take. Her version was just leftover minced beef and potatoes reheated next day with a poached egg on top. I subbed rice for the tatties and made the beef from fresh. Minced it by hand (hachéed to be precise) and Asiafied it by marinating it with garlic, chilli, Shaoxing wine and Vietnamese fish sauce. Fried that with finely diced carrot and green onion tops. Finished with the whites of the 'green' onions and a little potato starch slurry. Not pretty, but tasty.

This was a bitter disappointment, but it wasn’t the fish’s fault. I had read somewhere that this is a kind of herring but although 曹白鱼 (cáo bái yú), Ilisha elongata is called the Chinese Herring, it is only distantly related to the true herrings. So my plans to make kippers fell apart and dreams of Liuzhou becoming the kipper centre of Asia went out the window. This species lives mainly in the Indian Oceans and East China Sea and is extensively commercially fished, the vast majority being landed in China. It is regarded as of least concern in sustainability terms. They can grow up to 45 to 60 cm / 18 to 24 inches, but are normally marketed at around 25 to 30 cm / 10 to 12 inches. Despite being unkipperable, it is a fine tasty fish to eat, but somewhat bony, as are the true herrings. But we are not here to cater to cartilogenophobiacs! The fish are usually fried – shallow or deep. In Guangdong province (home of Cantonese food), it is often salt-dried as a type of 广东咸鱼 (guǎng dōng xián yú) - Guangdong salted fish, but is considered to be highly carcinogenic in that form. This species should not be confused with tenualosa toli, the unsustainable and now vulnerable, “toli shad”, also sometimes referred to as Chinese herring. It comes from SE Asia and isn’t a herring, either! Also, in the Wikipedia article titled “Ilisha elongata”, it is described as, and illustrated by, a totally different species – a leatherjack. Hmmm. Dammit! I may try kippering one anyway!

That is Scottish / English and anciently so. In writing, first recorded in the mid-1500s. Hardly Canadian.

These babies are 秋刀鱼 (S*) / 秋刀魚 (T*) (qiū dāo yú, literally ‘autumn sword fish’) - Cololabis saira – Pacific Saury. Also known as mackerel pike despite being related to neither, this is a species native to the North Pacific stretching from Alaska down to the Mexican coast and over to Japan, Korea and China. The 25 – 28 cm / 10 – 11 inch long fish are scaleless yet considered kosher. The skin is impossible to remove and when filleting these there is no need to remove the pin bones as they soften completely when cooked. The fish are very popular in Japan where they are known as さんま or サンマ (san ma) and usually grilled kabayaki style along with unagi eel, and in Korea where they are 꽁치 (kkongchi) and are simmered or salt-grilled. In Russia’s eastern areas, the species is often smoked and / or canned. Having started in 2002, China’s catch is increasing enormously year on year. It is not advised to make stocks from this fish as its head can introduce bitterness. For the same reason, it is also suggested that one doesn’t eat the intestines, but as few westerners would do so anyway, that info may be superfluous. The interwebs are full of recipes from many different cultures and in many languages. Search under the alternative names, too. I’ve eaten it often, but never cooked it, so no partiular recommendations. Having been raised in Atlantic waters (not literally; more the North Sea), this was never a fish I encountered until I moved to Asia. Is it common where you are? If so, how do you deal with it? * (S) means Simplified Chinese as used on the Chinese mainland and (T) means Traditional Chinese as used mainly in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and an ever-shrinking proportion of the Chinese diaspora.

Japanese Sardinella coated in seasoned potato starch and deep-fried. Served with shichimi togarashi, sea salt and mini lemons. Also, accompanied by the best condiment for the job. Liquan Beer

I love fresh sardines; have done since I was a kid. One of my warmest and earliest memories is being on a quayside in southern France, near the Mediterranean border with Spain, eating freshly grilled sardines straight off the boat. I must have been about four years old. Here in China, I’ve never seen a fresh sardine, which isn’t really surprising. They aren’t found in Chinese waters. At least, not what I call sardines. I mentioned this to a Chinese friend years ago and she told me “Of course, we have sardines”. I clarified that she wasn’t talking about canned sardines, another topic which I will get back to later. “Every supermarket has them!”, she declared. So, I got her to show me. At the fish counter she pointed to some small skinny fish and triumphantly pointed to the sign reading 沙丁鱼 (shā dīng yú). This is a loanword from English with the first two characters being pronounced vaguely like ‘sardine’ and the third meaning ‘fish’. Chinese doesn’t really have its own name for sardines. (Some joker will point me to the word 鳁 or 鰛 (wēn), but that’s a made up name, too and rarely used. It isn’t even in most dictionaries.) Not sardines, but Japanese Sardinella. The gap in the circular display is where the samples I bought were placed before I messed up the hard work. Anyway! They look and taste nothing like the sardines I was used to, the European sardine, Sardina pilchardus. I did a bit of research and found out what these really are, Sardinella zunasi, sometimes known as Japanese sardinella. They are not particularly Japanese though, but are common all around the eastern coast of China, too. The two species are distantly related. That’s all. The Missing Sardinella These are straight bodied and about 15 cm / 6 inches long and about 2 cm / ¾ of an inch at their widest. They are most often gutted and quick fried, perhaps in breading / batter but more often just dipped in seasoned flour or starch, and even more often as they come. They don’t have the typical oily flavour I associate with European sardines. Japanese Sardinella coated in seasoned potato starch and deep-fried. Served with shichimi togarashi, sea salt and mini lemons. Japanese Sardinella coated in seasoned potato starch and deep-fried. Served with shichimi togarashi, sea salt and mini lemons.

Chinese food looks better in China! On china!

This is my latest find Flowering Chinese Chive sauce / dip. It comes from Inner Mongolia and contains the chives, water and salt. End of story. Very oniony in a good way. It would be easier and cheaper to make it myself, though. Flowering Chinese Chives - 韭菜花 (jiǔ cài huā)