liuzhou

桂林米粉 (guì lín mǐ fěn) - Guilin Rice Noodles.

Not in the least. Rather confirming what I've long thought. People are strange and some are stranger than others. Some are nice strange; some are stupidly strange; some are sadly strange; some are PIA strange; some are dangerously strange. Perhaps we are all strange in some way. Some just need to give themselves a good talking to. Some just never grow up. I once worked with a world-renowned linguist, now deceased. He was also my PhD supervisor. He was the most childish, boorish, rude, socially dysfunctional human being I ever met.

Pork with pumpkin greens. Pork tenderloin, garlic, ginger, chilli, Sichuan peppercorns, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyser sauce. Served with rice, of course.

Here are a couple of Sichuan related ingredients I picked up today. First up is the oil I referred to in the previous post. This bottle is from western Hunan where I lived 25 years ago. Note it has both alternative Chinese names on the bottle - 山胡椒油 - shān hú jiāo yóu and 木姜子油 - mù jiāng zǐ yóu. Secondly, although Zhenjiang vinegar* is the top choice for black vinegar in most of China, Sichuan prefers this local Baoning vinegar. It is rarely seen outside China. Rarely seen outside Sichuan. I had to order it online. i * inexplicably called Chinkiang vinegar in the US.

I agree.

Fried noodles with beef and maitake. Garlic, Shaoxing, soy sauce, scallions. Fresh noodles.

OK. I misunderstood.

Is that unusual? It is compulsory in the UK and normal here. And while I'm here, Bamix all the way.

I'm fairly certain those are maitake, (Japanese: 舞茸 or マイタケ), aka hen-of-the-woods, ram's head or sheep's head, Grifola frondosa. Definitely not matsutake. I hope you didn't pay matsutake prices for maitake!

Here is what @Kerry Beal referred to The yellow text says "New Style Handmade Eel Knife".

No problem!

Someone Took A Camera Inside A General Store Untouched Since 1963 I think there is enough of culinary interest in this half-hour video. It's an interesting story, too.

and the winner is @KennethTwith an honourable mention going to @Kerry Beal. It is sold as an intestines cutter, specifically as a duck, goose or chicken intestine cutter, these being a prized delicacy round here. That said, I have seen one vendor illustrating its usages by including an image of eels being processed. You can collect your prize the next time you are passing, Mr. T.

I often think that.

Bedtime here in the land of rice-eaters. All will be revealed in the morning (my time). Please keep trying though. If anyone gets it, there is a prize! You can win one. (Winner collects - head north-west from Hong Kong).

Neither.

I have two lychee peelers. One on my left hand and one on my right. They are called 'thumbs'. No fruit involved, either.

Nothing green. Nothing vegetarian or, heaven help us, vegan!

No snails involved.

No. It is used on food. Remember, it is Chinese.

Every supermarket and market has them here, when in season. But then they are from China, originally. In Mandarin, they are 枇杷 (pí pa, pronounced like 'pea pah'). 'Loquat' is from the Cantonese luh kwat, literally ‘rush orange’. I like them, but they are fiddly.

Only one bites and sucks blood - the female. (I had a wife like that once) The female mosquito needs the blood for her babies!

Having been stuck in a similar (non-culinary) situation re failed batteries in the past, I now check carefully to see that any batteries are standard, replaceable and easily available types instead of custom jobs designed to tie you to that manufacturer. Sony is the worst offender that I know of. Nothing is theirs is standard. Of course, that cuts me out of buying some things I'd quite like but that's better than ending up with an expensive toy I can't use.