liuzhou

Some do; some don't. So, I do all!

Fried hand-pulled noodles with pork, asparagus, scallions, coriander leaf. Soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, chilli, sesame oil.

Spring rolls (春卷 - chūn juǎn) are common* (but not with mustard); it's egg rolls which aren't known. The spring roll sales aren't catering for foreigners - many of my local restaurants have them, but I'm the only foreigner in the city and rarely eat them. *particularly right now as we are in the middle of the Spring Festival (Feb 12th-26th this year)

The two Chinese names I gave literally translate as "Sand Pots". I have heard of them being referred to as 'clay pots', but not in China. That said, they are made from a type of clay.

China imports rabbits from Europe!

In Britain, especially in the north of England faggots have long been a staple among the less well-off. The word originally mant a bundle of sticks, then expanded to be a bundle of pretty much anything. En route, it took in a kind of sausage or burger-like mix of pig's offal, wrapped in caul - the net of fat surrounding some internal organs - which was boiled or roasted for dinner. Now Facebook have had to apologise to a group of faggot lovers after declaring that their Facebook discussion violated their rules on propriety. They were threatened with closure of their chat group. The story is here. Their notoriously inept algorithm decided that the chat was some kind of homophobic slur. The use of the word to denote the dish has been around since the mid-19th century. Its use as a derogatory reference to homosexuality arose in the U.S. military in WW1. That meaning did not reach the UK until the 1960s and remains scarce. Facebook started in 2004.

I've had soup that tasted like that!

Externally, the diameter is 5½ inches and the height the same. Internally, the diameter is 4½ inches and the depth 4 inches.

砂锅 or 沙锅 (both shā guō) literally means 'sand pot' and is an earthernware dish used in Chinese cuisine both as a cooking utensil and serving dish. It is used for soups, casseroles etc. but mostly for one pot meals of rice with a topping of various meats, tofu or, less often, vegetarian dishes. They are also used in the preparation of herbal medicines. They are made of a type of white clay which is impregnable to acids, alkalines or salt. Most come from two places - Foshan in Guangzhou Province and Yixing in Jiangsu Province. They are then sold all over China, including Hong Kong and Macao, as well as in south-east Asia. Being made from baked clay, they can be fragile so require careful handling. They should never be put on a heat source when empty. Some liquid (water, stock or oil) is necessary. Otherwise, they are liable to crack. New pots should be soaked for at least four hours then heated a few times to boil water before proper use. This 'tempers' the clay. They can take high temperatures, but the temperature should begin low and build up slowly. When removing from the heat source, be careful to place it on a suitable mat or wooden board. Placing on a wet or cold surface can also lead to cracking. Basically, they come in two types. The most simple is this. Used in takeaway and home delivery outlets, the pot usually comes free. (They cost the restaurant about 1 yuan (USD $0.15). More 'upmarket' and decorative pots are sold for home use and for serving. They can, as you see, become discoloured with cooking use (as opposed to presentation use). Finally, this monster is used for brewing herbal medicines. Would be interested to see any dishes made using these. This old post lists several of the dishes I can order for delivery.

Look like, but much, much sweeter.

Not hot. Very sugary sweet. Horrible!

More than once, I've mentioned here that egg rolls are not Chinese. I was lying! Here are some genuine Chinese egg rolls I bought in my local supermarket about an hour ago. Yes, they are biscuits/cookies! Dip them in your mustard, if you want!

That's how I got mine! I've never specifically bought one. They are dirt cheap and the restaurants just factor the cost into the general overheads. In bulk, they are less than 1元 each (USD $0.15).

Yes. I've been using this sand pot (沙锅 - shā guō) for over ten years now. I got through a few before I worked out how to look after them. No sudden changes, as you say, though they do take a high flame when asked to. That said, for most applications I use medium heat.

So he isn't opening four restaurants at all. He is opening a kitchen which makes four different types of food and so four menus. it's all just marketing.

Chicken with leeks and almond mushrooms* in wine. Simple boiled potatoes. HP Sauce. * Agaricus subrufescens - Chinese: 姬松茸 (jī sōng róng); Japanese: 姫まつたけ (himematsutake).

The heads aren't cooked; the chef holds the fish by the head with the rest of the body in the hot oil (using appropriate equipment). They open and close their mouths for a short time after serving - all the movement is in the head. I guess it may be heat related, but I'm not qualified to say.

15. The Chinese Eat Live Fish The internet is full of horror stories; YouTube has videos; PETA are up in hysterical arms! People in China are eating live fish! You can see the fish gasping for breath; you can see its eyes move. It's YinYang Fish - 阴阳鱼 (yīn yáng yú), sometimes called 'dead and alive fish'! Except, it's all nonsense. The fish ain't still alive! This is a dish of deep fried whole carp which is served with a sweet and sour sauce. Diners are either horrified or amused to see that the fish's mouth is still opening and closing and its eyes may move, too. They assume it must be alive! Tell me how a fish that has been totally eviscerated and had chopsticks driven through its brain*, then deep fried, can possibly still be alive. What these diners are seeing is post-mortem muscular spasms - not signs of life! Alternative names for the dish are 糖醋活鱼 (táng cù huó yú) and 呼叫鱼 (hū jiào yú). The first can translate as 'sweet and sour live fish' but 活 (huó) also means 'moving'. Sweet and sour moving fish!' The second name means 'calling out fish' meaning it looks as though it's shouting for assistance - if it is, it is way too late! People see what they want to see! For the Chinese diners, it is vaguely amusing; for the more gullible foreigners, it is torture! Also, people often visit markets and see large fish heads sitting up on vendors' stalls opening and closing their mouths, then assume the decapitated heads are somehow still alive. Again, what they are seeing are post-mortem muscle spasms. These heads are from a type of carp known as Big Head Carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) - 大头鲢 dà tóu lián. These are used to make fishhead and tofu soup - 鱼头豆腐汤 (yú tóu dòu fu tāng) - a delicious and popular dish. Big Head Carp The only dish I've ever been served (half) alive was drunken shrimp 醉虾 (zuì xiā) and that only once**. The Chinese have a strong aversion to eating anything raw - never mind still alive! * A standard method of killing fish in China - death is instant. ** I had previously eaten this in Japan as Odori ebi - 踊り海老.

I agree with @Shelby.

Add cheese to it next time, then!

I bought a 50g bag of dried green Sichuan peppercorns this morning and just opened it. Wow! The whole neighbourhood is scented!

Back to basics. Boiled eggs with flatbread.

Your ideas are interesting but it is much better to chat here. That way other members can benefit from the discussion, even if they don't choose to take part. Also, posting your email address on a public forum is the easiest way to get spam and viruses!

It isn't different. Gai choy (芥菜) is the Cantonese name of what is known in Mandarin as jiè cài.. It is the same plant that I posted - Brassica Juncea. There are however, several sub-types. There is a reasonable summary here.