liuzhou

These are lamb sausages from the little-known Chinese province of Morocco. Well, perhaps not but I have found this supplier of excellent international sausagery here in China. I don't know who is making them but his or her recipes are spot on. I've had Spanish, Mexican, German and most of the atlas. All authentic tasting.

Very much so. The same weight of regular prawns costs around ¥40 / $5.50 USD

We get a lot of 下 (xiā), shrimp and 明虾 (míng xiā), prawns round these parts although usually I have no idea what precise species they are. Neither do the vendors; instead they use local or personal names for them which vary from market stall to stall. Recently however, I’ve noticed a rise in the frequency of seeing this one I can identify. 罗氏虾 (luó shì xiā), Macrobrachium rosenbergii, giant river prawn or giant freshwater prawn. I’m told it’s also known as cherabin in Australia. Native to a band from India across SE Asia to Northern Australia, it has been introduced in tropical and semi-tropical areas across Africa and the Americas as well as here in China. These babies can grow to an astonishing 30 cm / 12 inches long and weigh up to 500 grams each. However they are generally sold at a maximum of half that. Sold live, as usual. Prices vary by size, of course, but I expect to pay about ¥92 or $13 USD / 500 grams.

I don't see any connection to cartoons. Children's menu-free China has just as many if not more cartoons which are food related.

Yunnan Nuodeng ham, Dutch goat cheese, Gordal olives. Finger food with a beer.

Baby octopus 🐙, shrimp 🦐, seagrass, doubanjiang, Shaoxing wine, garlic 🧄, chilli 🌶, Chinese chives.

Dutch goat's cheese (Le Chevre) with smoked Gordal olives and sweet chilli peppers

When I was studying in Xi'an in 1996, the winter was terrible (still is) and I ate a lot of 西安羊肉泡馍 (xī ān yáng ròu pào mó) which is lamb / mutton soup with hand torn pitta-like bread. The restaurant nearest my residence made it with lamb neck. The internet has many recipes but I've never found one that uses neck, but I always do in tribute to the place that kept me from freezing to death!

Probably. It has been widely introduced in tropical areas around the world.

@liamsaunt Kigelia africana Although the fresh fruit is poisonous to humans, it can be processed into an edible form after drying and fermenting. Whether it is worth the trouble, I doubt. It is also used in traditional medicine. Introduced to the Virgin Islands from Kenya where the fruit is used to make a traditional ceremonial "wine".

Recent mentions of children’s menus and children-friendly meals on other threads have got me thinking. I know that this concept is not universal - kid’s menus I mean. Maybe not thinking, either. I’m now wondering what the kids’ menus situation is around the world. I don’t recall ever seeing a kids’ menu in Asia although they may may well exist some places. I haven’t particularly been looking for them (until now). I certainly haven’t seen one ever in mainland China or Vietnam, the two countries I’ve spent most time in in the last three decades. Don’t recall any in India or Thailand. Hong Kong has them, but then it is very westernised. It has been suggested on the internet that this is because dining out in China is a communal event with the food served family style and shared. While this is true to an extent, it isn’t the whole picture. Many restaurants do not serve food this way and they don’t have kids’ menus either. My younger friends with children have never heard of the concept. Similarly, little if any provision is made for child-friendly meals at home. Children eat what their parents eat – even in the chilli heavy parts of China such as Hunan and Sichuan, etc. Restaurants may be willing to reduce portion size but I doubt many parents would even think to ask. The bland, clichéd, patronising choices on so many kids’ menus* wouldn’t wash here. Do we spoil or kids too much in the west? That could explain the number of fussy eaters (which are not found nearly so much here – I’ve only ever heard of one among friends). Also, childhood allergies are not so common here. When my kids were growing up in London (a long time ago – they are in their early fifties now), there were no kid’s menus and I certainly didn’t prepare separate ‘friendly’ dishes for them. They are now still both very adventurous eaters as are my grand-children. Not sure about the great-grand-ones. They are only just-turned-3-year-old twins whom I've never met. So, we have members here from around the world and we have members who travel widely. I’d love to know your experience and thoughts in different places. And what foods are offered if any. * eg Macaroni and Cheese, Bangers and Mash, Meatball Pasta with Tomato Sauce. Burger and Chips from Ramsay Plane Food restaurant, London Heathrow Airport.

A long time ago, yes. jayrayner - eGullet Forums

Red Lettuce BLT on Ciabatta.

She was also The Guardian's restaurant critic from 2012 to 2017 when she moved the the Sunday Times and the present incumbent took over. O'Loughlin is another fine writer but I won't be joining them behind the paywall.

Jay Rayner has filed his last restaurant review for the Observer today, revisiting the oldest surviving restaurant he covered in his 26 years as the newspaper's restaurant critic. I’ve always enjoyed and looked forward to his reviews – some savage but most not. And I know I'm not alone. What happens now, I don’t know but I’m praying his counterpart on sister newspaper, the Guardian doesn’t take over. I can’t stomach her pretentious writing and attitudes – personal opinion. Rayner does sign off by saying “Soon I’ll start writing a new restaurant column elsewhere.” Watch this space!

Yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't still used, sometimes to the exclusion of chillies. That's all I'm saying.

Not necessarily. East Asia, especially China, uses white pepper for heat to this day. Sichuan hot and sour soup, for example, is still made using the traditional white pepper rather than chillies. There are many other such dishes.

藕芽炒牛肉 (ǒu yá chǎo niú ròu), stir fried beef with lotus roots sprouts and pickled chillies. Served with rice.

I bought a set of crab pickers just before Covid struck. The price of crabs went through the roof and then some and never came back down again. So, I've never used them. Not even sure where they are now.

泡椒牛肉虾仁炒饭 (pào jiāo niú ròu xiā rén chǎo fàn), pickled green and chillies, beef, shrimp fried rice. The pickles are HOT. Although pickles in general and particularly, pickled chillies are widespread, Guangxi and so Liuzhou loves its pickled chillies. And so do I. I also threw in egg, garlic chives, peas and carrots.

Is this a snack? An amuse bouche? A course on a tasting menu? I'll decide later. McVitie's Mini Digestive with Cheddar Cheese and my World Famous Mango Chutney. Got to be worth $100 of anyone's money. 16.000

Damn! I was distracted and made a mistale. Ordered some of my favourite McVitie's Digestive Biscuits. Or thought I did. I accidentally ordered these Mini Biscuits! 😭😭😭 About 4cm / 1½ inches in diameter! Sadly, I ordered 60 packs. 720 individuals! I didn't realise because the listing on the pack was by weight. not quantity. Looks like my digestion is going to be good for a while!

Thanks. Bookmarked

Visually, it resembles a traditional Cumberland sausage but the description you give sounds nowhere close. How disappointing. On the yellow peril, I shall remain silent.

I know you're in China. You told me. Where is fish sauce made in China today? Very few places. And not at home. Soy sauce replaced fish sauce centuries ago. Fish sauce today is mainly restricted to S.E. Asia where it is is available in every supermarket, corner shop and even on the streets. That is not the case in China. Even Chaoshan is not easy to find in Guangdong, although that situation is very slowly improving. People don't make it for good reason. They don't want it or even know what it is. (And of course it doesn't require refrigeration. Of course, the ancient Greeks and Romans didn't have refrigerators. But there is no evidence that they made it at home, either.)