liuzhou

Nothing to do with the internet. What you are describing has been going on for centuries. The only thing that has changed is the medium. The original article here and the response from India were from respected newspapers and were both published on paper and the web. Prior to there being a web, such things appeared in print in just the wame way. The history of English literature is full of such to-and-froing arguments between writers. It happened in Chaucer’s time and Shakespeare’s , reaching a peak in the 18th century with poets like Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift etc. Pope famously retaliated against Lewis Theobald who had criticised his edition of Shakespeare’s works by writing the Dunciad, throwing attacks on the Poet Laureate Colly Cibber and the politician Horace Walpole. When published, albeit anonymously, it met with both fury and delight, the fury escalating to physical danger and Pope was forced to carry pistols with him everywhere he went. There is nothing new under heaven.

30. 砂仁 (shā rén) – Sand Kernels - Wurfbainia Villosa This is an unusual one. 砂仁 (shā rén) are the dried fruit pods of a plant, similar to cardamoms and in the ginger family. The plant is native to southern China and SE Asia. The pods contain aromatic seeds which resemble a cross between cinnamon and ginger in taste. The pods are cracked before being added to hot-pots etc. They are also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is also occasionally used in some 5-spice mixes in Guangdong. Also used in milk teas in Taiwan.

India replies.

Pork with orange jasmine and hand-pulled noodles. Also contains garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine, potato starch, soy sauce, green 'beautiful people' chilli, scallions and sesame oil.

Buttery muffins with even buttier scrambled eggs.

29. 枸杞 (gǒuqǐ) – Goji – Lycium chinense Touted today as a ‘superfood’ by shamans and fakers exploiting the gullible, the leaves and berries of the goji shrub have been used in east Asian cooking and medicine for centuries. There is zero scientific evidence that they have any effect on health or disease. The small red berries (Lycii fructus), also known as wolfberries, are dried and added to rice porridges, soups and hotpots, but also used to make tisanes and are also made into wine, 枸杞酒 (gǒu qǐ jiǔ). The taste is mildly fruity, reminiscent of dried strawberry to my palate. Goji Leaf More to my liking are the leaves Lycii herba. Known in Chinese as 枸杞菜 (gǒu qǐ cài, literally goji vegetable or 枸杞叶 (gǒu qǐ yè, literally 'goji leaf'), which is stir-fried or added to hot pots. The young stems are also edible, but more normally the leaves are stripped from older, woody stems. Goji Leaf Less well known are these small black goji berries (黑枸杞 - hēi gǒu qǐ). Less than half the size of the red ones, these are more often used to make goji tea. Black goji berries Infused black goji berry tea 1 Infused black goji berry tea 2

For the simple reason that the drink is more red than black. Brew some 'black' tea and pour it into a glass without cow juice and see what colour it is. China names it for the colour of the infusion; not the dried leaf. Edited to note: I did forget to translate 红茶. I have now edited original post.

28. 山胡椒 shān hú jiāo – Litsea – Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. I have mentioned this elsewhere on eG before, but I do think it belongs here as well. 山胡椒 (shān hú jiāo), literally 'mountain peppers', are the seeds of a tree native to Guizhou and Hunan provinces of China. They also grow in Taiwan, where they have been introduced. Also known as 木姜子 (mù jiāng zǐ), literally 'tree ginger seeds'). Dried Litsea Seeds They are more usually seen dried, but even more often they are used to make 山胡椒油 (shān hú jiāo yóu) aka 木姜子油 (mù jiāng zǐ yóu), litsea oil. Litsea oil The seeds and oil are distinctly lemon scented like lemongrass, with notes of ginger and a mild pepperiness. The harvest begins in May and lasts all summer. Fresh Litsea Seeds The oil is often used as a condiment. Fuchsia Dunlop notes in The Food of Sichuan (see previous post) that although litsea is not Sichuanese, people in the SE of the province like to use it in dips and on the cold dishes Sichuan cuisine is famous for. The fresh seeds can be added to summer hot pots, but fresh seeds are rare, even here.

I buy most of mine in the local free market. Some of the more unusual online. I almost never buy ground or powdered spices. And many of the dried herbs are worthless.

27. 茶 (chá) – Tea – Camellia sinensis Tea in Liuzhou market I guess most people don’t think of tea as a herb, but of course, it is and aside from making a refreshing cuppa, it is used just like any other herb. Both green and black teas are used. Note 'black tea' is known in China as 红茶 (hóng chá) or 'red tea', which I venture to suggest, is more sensible. Tea, as I’m sure everyone knows is native to China; specifically the south-west of the country, especially Sichuan, Yunnan provinces and Tibet. There is credible evidence that a cup of tea was not unknown in China in the 3rd century AD, although it was really during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) that its use became widespread and spread beyond China’s borders. China remains the largest producer with around double the cultivation of its nearest rival, India. I’m not going to dwell on its use for the popular drink; I’m not really a tea drinker. Instead, I want to look at other culinary applications. Liuzhou's local tea I’ll start with 抹茶 (mā chá). I guess most of you know matcha, even if you never use it. Almost every website* tells me this is Japanese. Wrong! Matcha (the Japanese transliteration), like so many other “Japanese” dishes (sushi, ramen, etc.), originated in China. In 1191, during the Song dynasty (960–1279) tea was introduced to Japan along with that other “Japanese” favourite Zen Buddhism. Matcha and the “Japanese” tea ceremony are described in great detail in 禪苑清規 (chán yuàn qīngguī) or Chanyuan Qinggui (Rules of Purity for the Chan Monastery) by Chinese monk 長蘆宗賾 (cháng lú zōng zé), published in 1103 - nearly a century before any Japanese laid eyes on tea. Matcha Matcha later fell out of favour in China, but its use continued in Japan. In recent years, it has seen a resurgence in China, being used in many confectionery items and baked goods as well as drinks. Sticky rice, green tea and sesame seed cakes But, it doesn’t stop there, tea leaves are used in everything from ice cream to stir-fries. It is used as the smoke source for smoked meats, especially duck. 樟茶鸭子 (zhāng chá yā zi) Sichuan tea-smoked duck is wonderful. It is a complicated dish to make at home, but Fuchsia Dunlop has a simplified recipe for home use in her The Food of Sichuan (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). Lapsang Souchong (正山小种 - zhēng shān xiǎo zhǒng) makes a great rub or marinade ingredient. Its smoky flavour is a perfect, and more nuanced, substitute for liquid smoke. One of my favourites, which I regularly make, is stir-fried shell-on shrimp with green tea, a speciality of Hunan, where they make it with freshwater shrimp from Dongting Lake. I use sea shrimp and the local tea. Or sometimes 龙井茶 (lóng jǐng chá), Dragon's Well tea from Longjing Village, Hangzhou, in China's eastern, Zhejiang province. Deep-fried crunchy tea leaves are a good accompaniment to stir-fries and to rice porridge etc. This website gives a number of very attractive recipes for cooking with tea - not specifically Chinese though. *Most surprisingly, Wikipedia is one of the few which gets the origin correct, but then mucks it up by giving the wrong pronunciation for the Chinese name. But they all get that wrong! Oh well! Tea terraces in Sanjiang, Liuzhou Prefecture

With food distribution chains being disrupted by Covid and other problems, many people are worried about their Christmas dinner. Worry not!

Thai red chicken curry with spinach. Jasmine rice.

26. 夜香花 (yè xiāng huā) – Tonkin Jasmine – Telosma cordata 夜香 (yè xiāng) is a creeping vine native to southern China (i.e. here), Vietnam and northern Thailand, but introduced elsewhere. In Vietnamese it is thiên lý and in Thai ดอกขจร. In English it is known as Tonkin jasmine as well as Pakalana vine, cowslip creeper Chinese violet and cowslip creeper. The name Tonkin comes from the Tonkin bay which lies at the Guangxi, China / Vietnam border The whole plant is edible, but it is the flowers which are of most interest to most people. Like the 'orange jasmine' above, it is no relation to true jasmine. The small golden yellow flowers are very fragrant and have a lemony taste. The flowers can be eaten as vegetable dish to accompany other dishes, but is more usually added to recipes as a kind of seasoning. A favourite, both in China and Vietnam, is stir fried beef with Tonkin jasmine. 夜香花炒牛肉 (yè xiāng huā chǎo niú ròu) in Chinese; Thiên Lý Xào Thịt Bò in Vietnamese. But my and many people’s favourite way to use them is with eggs. Scrambled eggs or steamed eggs. I have even made Tonkin jasmine omelettes in the past. Tonkin jasmine with scrambled eggs Less often they are added to soups. Chicken and Pig's Blood Soup with Tonkin Jasmine There is a video recipe for the beef dish below. The video is Vietnamese, but the dish is identical to how it is cooked here.

Yes. I've seen those here, too.

桂 25. 桂花 (guì huā) – Osmanthus – Osmanthus fragrans Osmanthus flowers The Chinese character at the top of this post is the one I see most often. I see hundreds of examples everyday. Even if I don’t go out the house, which is rare, I see it in my study where I am sitting now. On the wall beside me is this poster. It is the second character in the large font. This character, 桂 (guì) is pronounced ‘gway’ and means osmanthus and if you live in Guangxi, it becomes part of your daily life. Every province and major city’s name has a one character abbreviation which may or not be part of their name. For example, Hunan is 湘 (xiāng) which seems unrelated as does 沪 (hù) for Shanghai. Sichuan is 川 (chuān), which is the second character in Sichuan (四川 – sì chuān), whereas Gansu (甘肃 – gān sù ) uses the first character 甘 (gān). These abbreviation characters appear on every registration number plate, hence where I see it 100s of times a day. Random car number plate in Liuzhou 桂 means Guangxi; B is Liuzhou, the second largest city. Then a random combination of numbers or letters. The most prized number in Guangxi is 桂A 88888. The anonymous owner of 京A 88888, the top Beijing number is said to have paid over 1,000,000 元 ($154,500) for the number. I hope they threw the car in for free. So, where does 桂 come from and why does it mean Guangxi? And why am I going on about it? The root meaning of 桂 here is is ‘osmanthus’, an evergreen shrub or, round here most often, a tree growing up to 12 metres / 40 feet tall. In late summer and autumn (i.e. now), it bears small whitish / yellow flowers which are highly scented and much prized. My local parks are full of these trees and they line many roads. People sell small bunches of the flowers on the street to be used as nosegays. Osmanthus tree in my local park The nearby famous, tourist city of Guilin is 桂林 (guì lín) in Chinese and means 'osmanthus forest'. There are a lot of the trees there, too. Guilin was the capital of Guangxi from 997 to 1950, when it changed to Nanning. However, the 桂 part of its name continued to stand for Guangxi before being adopted officially. But more importantly the flowers are edible. They are used to flavour many food stuffs. Here are just some. It is added to both black and green teas to give them a scent and flavour, just as with Jasmine tea. Osmanthus tea But, it is also sold as pure dried leaves and also described as osmanthus tea, to make a floral tisane. Osmanthus 'tea' Then we have the alcoholic uses. Osmanthus flavoured white spirits. Osmanthus beer Osmanthus cooking wine and finally, something to eat Osmanthus honey Osmanthus jam Osmanthus cakes So, I hear you ask, what does it taste like? It has a fresh, floral and fruity flavour (naturally), reminiscent of apricot and peaches.

24. 七里香 (qī lǐ xiāng) – Orange Jasmine – Murraya paniculata Known in English as orange jasmine, orange jessamine, china box or mock orange among other names, these are the unopened flower buds of a small tree found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia. In Chinese, it has at least 19 alternative names that I have found. I’m going with 七里香 (qī lǐ xiāng) as it seems to be the most common. Despite the name ‘orange jasmine’, it is unrelated to jasmine, but is in the same family as ‘curry leaf’ as used in Indian cuisine. Not that it tastes anything like curry. In fact, it is sweet, mild and floral in taste with a subtle citrusy flavour. It is used to flavour fish and white meats. The fruit is apparently edible too, but I’ve never seen it here. Opened flowers are used in making floral teas. And, I hardly need saying, it is used in TCM.

Not so different from all the Americans and Europeans who love Chinese food and come to China and can't find what they call Chinese food!

Six years ago, I opened a topic about Cameron, my newly (then) acquired pig face. Today I come across this article from La Crosse, Wisconsin: The La Crosse Tribune. Wednesday, 28 November 1951. Page 9, col. 3.

Chocolate chopper.

23. 大麻 (dà má) – Cannabis – Cannabis Sativa Cannabis (hemp) seed Given China’s much vaunted zero-tolerance in relationship to illegal drugs, there are exceptions. Sure importing sizeable quantities of heroin or meta-amphetamine etc. can and does lead to the death penalty. In fact, all executions in Guangxi are carried out right here in Liuzhou and have included a number of foreigners. But… I recently started a topic, A Glimpse of the Dai People and their Food, in which I showed pictures of a countryside market mainly used by the ethnic minority Dai people. That market openly sold cannabis for the smoking of. I did not partake. Bama village, not far from me in north-western Guangxi is well-known throughout China for its being a longevity cluster. The locals and many medical experts who study such things attribute the 5-times average number of centenarians in the village to their lifestyle and particularly their diet, which is rather simple and consists mainly of fresh, organic vegetables and hemp (cannabis)! They use cannabis oil for cooking and add the seeds to their congees and other dishes. We are told the local cannabis has a negligible amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive element of the drug. They would say that, though! I bought this in a state-owned department store in Liuzhou This has led thousands of people from all over China descending on the village to eat the local food, thinking that they will then live forever. The local government have embraced this and turned the place into a longevity theme park. They even sell the longevity tourists dumb things like Bama eggs and Bama water, which are just regular eggs and water. So sad. They have destroyed the place. Bama Eggs Bama Water This 2013 Guardian article describes the start of the process. Things have only gotten worse since it was written. Note that the village is in north-western Guangxi, not southern Guangxi as the article claims.

That may just be be my photography. I'll post a better one next time I see them, but that won't be for another year.

22. 决明子 (jué míng zǐ) – 'Cassia Seeds' – Senna obtsifoluia We looked at cassia, the cinnamon-like spice, back here. Also, sold are ‘cassia seeds’. These however, are from a totally different plant, Senna obtsifoluia. In Chinese these are 决明子 (jué míng zǐ) , but the locals get as confused as everyone else and I’ve quite often seen them mislabelled as 肉桂子 (ròu guì zǐ) , which does mean cassia seed’ They are used primarily to make a ‘tea’ and, as usual, are credited with all sorts of medicinal properties. They are a mild laxative and are said to be good for the eyes. Not necessarily both at the same time. These so-called ‘cassia seeds’ or ‘cassia seed’ tea should not be consumed by pregnant women or by anyone suffering from blood pressure difficulties.

21. 艾草 (ài cǎo) – Mugwort – Artemisia verlotiorum This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. 艾草 (ài cǎo) is Chinese mugwort (ugly word!), a relation to the sunflower, but not so pretty. It grows all over Asia. The bitter leaves are, to my knowledge, only used in one culinary way. These cakes, known as 艾叶粑 (ài yè bā) and which are popular here, are made from a mixture of Chinese mugwort, which supplies the colour and flavour, and two type of rice flour which supplies the bulk. The manufacturing process is complicated but involves washing then boiling the mugwort leaves. The boiled leaves are processed with lye to remove mugwort’s natural bitterness and to soften them. The leaves are then sweetened with sugar and mixed with a 50-50 mixture of rice flour and sticky rice flour to make a dough which is formed into little cakes two to three inches in diameter, then steamed for around 30 minutes. They taste sweet and herbal. I was sceptical, but ended up liking them. Usually sold by street vendors, when in season around June. The fresh herb is available in markets at the same time, otherwise how could the vendors make them!.