liuzhou

The first time my daughter visited me in China, some twenty years ago, we were in the local market and she wandered off while I was negotiating with the bean sprout lady over her outrageous prices. Daughter rushed back and said: "Dad! Dad! There is a man over there selling dog turds! Why????" I knew immedaitely what she had seen. Dried Wet

Pretty normal. A useful tip: if you can't source the sea cucumbers (海参 - hǎi shēn), take a kid's party balloon and stuff it with play-doh. I'm not sure the play-doh or the balloon manufactures do the correct color, but hey, it's all about taste, not color. You won't notice the difference.

Beer! It's appreciated as a beverage, but less so as an ingredient. Most casseroles and stews benefit from being done in beer. Also, of course, it is great used in batter. Two favourites round here are beer fish and beer duck.

I can't actually think of a vegetable I actively dislike* but on the other hand very few excite me. They are just sort of there. Obviously, c#rn is not a vegetable but an alien life form sent by evil forces to destroy humanity.

Duck egg and flatbread.

More about the Aini people, their history and culture here.

Persimmons! Yuck!

Hmmmmm.

70C is 158F！ Has your phone melted!

Cod with black garlic and capers. Orzo. Tomato and basil salad.

Amusing, but highly unlikely, given that the word existed in English at least 200 years before America was colonised. It is much more likely to come from a word of unknown origin, but which exists in many northern European languages and meant "the thickest part". Yes, this is also where we get 'butt' or 'buttock' which has been in use since the 13th century.

Home made wontons (or are they tortellini?). With sriracha sauce from Sriracha.

Perhaps these people can help, but with literally thousands of cutlery manufacturers in China, maybe not. Worth a try, though.

Round here it's known as 空心菜 (kōng xīn cài, literally 'hollow heart vegetable') and yes, when cooked it is usually dark green.

Yeah, I guessed they were probably dried. I guess fresh ones aren't easy to find outside their native habitat. I'll try my dried ones later.

and me

I still have that t-shirt. Well not yours.But mine. I also have a mint condition “If it's not Stiff, it's not worth a ****“ shirt. Worth a fortune now. Try Ian Dury. He's much better! I think that of all the foods I miss most since moving to China, sausage rolls are highest on the list.

Are we talking fresh peppercorns or dried? I've only had the green ones fresh, but coincidentally bought a small packet of the dried ones yesterday. Haven't used yet, but will report back. See the above. 🖕

I love those. I get a different (Chinese) brand, but the same thing really. I always have a bag or two to hand.

They don't go off as such, but they do lose their scent and numbing effect over time. Store in an airtight container in a cool place and they can last about a year, although they will not be as vibrant as younger ones. I always buy the smallest amounts possible, but then they are perhaps easier for me to source.

That is the opposite of my experience. I find the green ones less piney and the numbing factors milder. They also have a stronger citrus scent.

Star anise. I add it to tomato sauces, soups etc. Discard before serving and no one knows it was ever there, but appreciates the umami it leaves behind.

Chicken (Not White Cut!) with Baked Potato and Wild Mushrooms.

Well, the great thing is if you make the noodles you also make the seitan!