liuzhou

Yes. I've seen it advertised in the window of the local Starbuck's Reserve and I trust myself. It's been widely reported in the press, too. Why would you be surprised that an advertising image doesn't look real? I'd be surprised if it did look real.

Sichuan style spicy shrimp. Shrimp, garlic, ginger, 辣豆瓣酱 (là dòu bàn jiàng), coriander leaf / cilantro, Sichuan peppercorn oil, lime juice (not traditional). Rice.

长沙臭豆腐 (cháng shā chòu dòu fu), Changsha stinky tofu. 糖油粑粑 (táng yóu bā bā) a sweet snack made from glutinous rice, sugar and honey, common in Changsha, capital of Hunan province. Street food.

Here's a thunderous vegetable for you. Lei Gong 雷公 (léi gōng) is the Chinese name of the God of Thunder. For reasons which escape me he has this innocuous looking herb / vegetable named in his honour. Lei Gong - image baike-sogou.com Centella asiatica, 雷公根 (léi gōng gēn), Lei Gong root, is also known as tiger grass , cica, or gotu kola (Indonesian). It is used in TCM for various alleged crimes against healthiness and, of course, the wellness fakirs have jumped on the bandwagon with their ludicrous claims, this time touting it as a skincare miracle. For sensible people, it's just another bit of dinner, being used in hotpot and soups etc.

It's not a problem I've had but I'm certain they're not going to soften. This website may help you deal with them in other ways. https://www.guavafacts.com/how-to-eat-guava-seeds/

Someone, somewhere, some time ago asked me about fish sauce usage in China. For years, the only fish sauce I could buy was Thai (น้ำปลา - nam pla) or, occasionally Vietnamese (nước chắm). I even found a Chinese made Korean type (액젓 - aekjeot). But no Chinese sauce. I had heard rumours of S: 鱼露; T:魚露 (yú lù, literally 'fish dew', a fish sauce found in Chiu Chau, Ch'ao Chou, Chaozhou, Teochiu, or Teochow cuisine depending on your spelling preference. This is the cuisine found around 潮州 (cháo zhōu) Chaozhou, a city in Guangdong province with its own distinct cuisine. This elusive sauce is difficult to find even in China, never mind overseas, but never one to give up, I finally tracked down one supplier in town. Image from online shopping listing. Of course, they are out of stock! They have promised to call me when they restock. If.

I've eaten Dongpo pork many times. Had Starbuck's 'coffee' once.

Not to make of fun of anyone who suffers from a real phobia, but out of genuine interest, is there any food (cuisine, dish or ingredient etc) that you really wouldn't eat solely because of an irrational reaction to the name, not the concept. The word; not the food. I have to confess muskellunge doesn't sound like something I'd want with my chips for supper.

I'm not one for the curry or vinegar with my fish and chips, but your fish looks great. Never had pickerel, though. Interesting.

Yes, you're not expected to recite the menu of the last 24 hours any more than asking "how are you?" in the west requires you to detail your symptoms of imminent demise. A simple "吃了 (chī le)" meaning "eaten" suffices (whether you have or not).

Yes. My neighbour said it to me this morning. Very common. 吃饭了吗? (chī fàn le ma?) The translation is simply "Have you eaten?"

Not surprisingly I suspect, it behoves me to deal with Oryza sativa. After all, it originated here and remains the staple food for millions, not only in China but worldwide. Over 50% of the world's population rely on it. Two main sub-species are grown and eaten daily across much, but not all of China. These two are O. sativa subsp. indica, and O. sativa subsp. japonica. Basically, these are respectively long and short grain rices, although there are exceptions. The former is the most common. The importance of rice is captured in the phrase S: 铁饭碗; T: 鐵飯碗 (tiě fàn wǎn), literally 'iron rice bowl' but meaning 'secure employment for life' as promised under Mao's regime. At this stage, I want to emphasise that rice is not a staple everywhere in China. Northern China's staple is wheat, most often consumed in the form of wheaten noodles and pasta-like dumplings or as buns/breads. Rice is the staple of the south where it mostly grows. Also, most noodles in the south are rice noodles. Of course, both rice and wheat products are available all over but, in terms of staples, there is a clear north-south divide. Uncooked, husked rice as sold in supermarkets, grocery stores and markets is known in Chinese as 大米 (dà mǐ). Cooked rice in a restaurant or at home is S: 米饭; T: 米飯 (mǐ fàn, literally 'rice food'). Most of the ethnic minorities of southern China favour glutinous rice 糯米 (nuò mǐ), O. sativa subsp. glutinosa or a glutinous strain of O. sativa japonica. This is the sticky rice also found in South-East Asia. It comes in regular form and as black rice (黑糯米 - hēi nuò mǐ), sometimes called 'forbidden rice' as it was once reserved or the Emperor's court. 五色糯米饭 (wǔ sè nuò mǐ fàn) – 5-colour glutinous rice - is a favourite at festivals. Some of the rice is coloured using vegetable dyes; some are natural. Red rice 红米 (hóng mǐ) is an indica type with a nutty flavour. Do not confuse this with red yeast rice, which is regular rice infected with Monascus Purpureus yeast. This yeast rice is used to make red rice vinegar. 红米7 Brown rice 糙米 (cāo mǐ) is available but rarely used at the dinner table. It tends to be used more for porridge (粥 - zhōu), often mixed with other grains. Most white rice is sold unbranded in supermarkets and comes in these bins at various prices and quality levels. It is also sold in 5 or 10 kg packs like this. I can only suggest you buy the best you can afford and experiment until you find what you like. I find it tends to be a very personal choice. I currently have three types of white long grain rice. A mid price type I use for congee. A local rice called cat's tooth rice due to the length of its grains. Cat's Tooth Rice And finally a Cambodian Jasmine rice for dinner. One website, supposedly run by a Chinese native, recommends basmati rice for fried rice, blissfully unaware that basmati is virtually unobtainable in China. A tiny amount is imported from Pakistan but never appears here. Like my neighbours, I cook my rice in a S:电饭煲; T. 電飯煲 (diàn fàn bāo) electric rice cooker, although I do congee in my slow cooker for convenience. I hope no one is feeling S; 茶饭不思; T: 茶飯不思 (chá fàn bù sī) an idiom literally meaning 'no thought for tea or rice' but in fact referring to being melancholic and suffering lack of appetite.

I have a few mini-bottles of vino collapso for cooking. I don't mean I cook with them but that they are intended for cooking. They were gifts.

Thanks to social media, an ABC report from China is being circulated regarding a new menu item available in Starbucks Reserve outlets across the country. This is called 'abundant year savory latte' and is coffee with braised Dongpo Pork flavoured sauce. The mix of espresso, steamed milk and sauce is garnished with pork belly and more Dongpo sauce. A mere 9.45元. Disgusting idiots are no doubt lining up. https://www.internationalcuisine.com/china-dong-po-pork/

A couple of British classics. Jane Grigson's Fish Book (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) and, if you can find it, Keith Floyd's Floyd on Fish. The first is essential; the second informative but fun.

"tongue, n. the principal organ of speech; " Oxford English Dictionary

Ha! While we would consider tang yuan to be dessert and have them after the main savoury items, China doesn't think that way. Sweet courses can arrive at any point in the meal. Tang yuan are often eaten first. The dinner was at home in Changsha, the capital of Hunan. The temperature was around 2 degrees Celsius. That's how people deal with the cold. They just pile on more clothes.

You must have cut it. It doesn't crumble after being frozen.

I had this in mind while putting together the previous post, but decided it merits a more In-depth post of its own. It's not an ingredient you can buy ready to use; rather it's one you have to prepare yourself. I'm talking frozen tofu (冻豆腐 - dòng dòu fu). No. It's not like ice cream. It isn't eaten frozen. This is regular firm tofu which said been frozen then thawed. As the tofu freezes, ice crystals form inside. These melt and the liquid drains away as the tofu defrosts, leaving air pockets which, when you cook with it, fill up sponge-like with any liquids in your dish, taking on their flavour. The freezing then thawing process transforms it, making it denser and chewy as well as making it spongy. The colour also changes, becoming darker and yellowish. The appearance and texture is similar to tht of seitan (processed wheat gluten), but has the advantage of being gluten-free. Care should be taken if using it in hotpots as the liquid in the tofu will be boiling hot. Let it cool a little before biting into it. Besides being used in hotpots, frozen and defrosted tofu can be used in any sauced dish where it will soak up and take on flavours. It can also be stir-fried, which makes it meaty and crispy. To prepare frozen tofu simply put it in the freezer for 24 hours. You can do this in the original packaging or repack it to suit yourself. It can be kept frozen for up to three months. The Woks of Life website suggests steaming the tofu for twenty minutes before freezing, but they do a lot of strange things. Totally unnecessary. Defrost it before use. You can do this on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator as usual. I don't recommend using a microwave. Some sites say it's OK but I've had mixed results. Do not re-freeze after thawing.

The weather has turned cold in southern China with temperatures running between lows of 2C and highs of 6C. In the north, that's normal but not here. So, everyone in China is donning their winter garb in multiple layers and breaking out multiple ingredients for dinner. It is hotpot time. I mentioned before S: 火锅底; T: 火鍋底 (huǒ guō dǐ), hotpot bases, but now that we've got our pots bubbling away, what are we going to cook in them? The answer is "pretty much anything I want". There are no rules; but some precautions. First we want ingredients that cook quickly. This involves not only making sensible choices but an element of preparation, mainly cutting. The table is set with your burner and pot and surrounded by plates of ready to cook ingredients. Meats: beef, lamb or pork, are sliced paper thin and often presented in rolls, ready to drop into the broth a few at a time. Offal is cleaned, sliced and arranged on a plate. Beef tripe (牛肚 - niú dǔ) is particularly popular and duck's intestines (鸭肠 - yā cháng) never go amiss. Beef tripe Duck's Intestines Brains (S: 脑子; T: 腦子 - nǎo zi) are a nice addition, usually porcine. Chicken or duck feet are not to be forgotten. Beef meatballs 牛肉丸 (niú ròu wán) are bought or prepared in advance as are fish and shrimp balls. Seafood is prepared by slicing fish off the bones, cleaning squid or baby cuttlefish, scrubbing clams, debearding mussels etc. Baby squid Green Lipped Mussels Clams Shrimp are deveined and, perhaps, peeled; shell and head on is usually prefered. Root vegetables: potato, sweet potato, daikon radish (S: 白萝卜; T: 白蘿蔔 - bái luó bo) and lotus root (S: 莲藕; T: 蓮藕 - lián ǒu) are peeled and sliced. Daikon Radish Lotus Root Mushrooms and fungi cleaned. Oyster mushrooms (平菇 - píng gū), king oysters (eryngii) (S: 杏鲍菇; T: 杏鮑菇 - xìng bào gū), enoki (S: 金针菇; T: 金針菇 - jīn zhēn gū), shiitake (香菇 - xiāng gū), shimeji (真姬菇 zhēn jī gū or 玉皇菇 yù huáng gū), wood ear (木耳 - mù ěr) are carefully washed and where necessary sliced or halved. Tofu is drained and cubed or sliced. Green vegetables of choice are washed and leaves separated as appropriate. Garland Chrysanthemum Noodles are ready. The ingredients are then cooked one by one in small amounts - never overcrowding the base stocks. It is normal to eat the ingredients roughly in the order listed above. The meats and seafood enriches the stock then the mushrooms add umami. Then we finish off with the vegetables and noodles. Throughout this meal, and it can last a long time, the broth has been evaporating. A kettle or pan of hot water is kept to hand for topping it up. These ingredients are used in all the many varieties of hotpot from Mongolian to Cantonese via Sichuan. What really separates them are the bases. Whether eaten at home or in one of the many hotpot restaurants, eating this way is always fun.

This is not my dinner, but a friend's meal last night. I'm posting these images with her permission. They show a typical Lantern Festival family dinner in Hunan province. But first the essential S: 汤圆; T: 湯圓 (tāng yuán) which are boiled balls of glutinous rice flour stuffed with sesame paste, and eaten during the Lantern Festival which take a place on the 15th day of the new year (the first full moon). The balls represent the moon and are served in a syrupy soup. Then it's on to the meal. Hotpots abound.

牛蛙火锅 (niú wā huǒ guō). Bullfrog hotpot. Shared with friends.

Beef with black bolete mushroom. Old ginger, garlic, chilli, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, Chinese chives. Rice.

The first ingredient to be featured in this topic, back in 2006, was Chinese cooking wine. Specifically, it was for something described as Shaoxing wine. Unfortunately, it was not Shaoxing wine at all but a Taiwanese knock-off. The name Shaoxing is protected in China - only wines made in the city of Shaoxing S: 绍兴; T: 紹興 (shào xīng) in Zhejiang province can legally be called Shaoxing wine - S: 绍兴酒; T: 紹興 酒 (shào xīng jiǔ). Anyway, Shaoxing wine has been discussed here before. Shaoxing is not the only cooking wine in China, albeit probably universally considered the best. So, now I'd like to look at some of the others. Cooking wine in China is known as 料酒 (liào jiǔ, literally 'ingredient alcohol). The most common is S: 黄酒; T: 黃酒 (huáng jiǔ) or 'yellow wine'. This is made from rice. Ingredient wine. (Shaoxing is both a yellow wine and an ingredient wine.) Non-Shaoxing wines are cheaper and generally of lower quality but are more widely available. Every supermarket and corner shop has a 500 ml bottle for less than a dollar USD. This 2 litre bottle is available for $3 USD. A basic lowest level Shaoxing will be around $3 minimum for 500ml. Many of these yellow wines come flavoured. L-R: Onion and ginger flavour, Banquet flavour, 5-spice flavour, aged natural flavour. No, I've no idea what banquet flavour means. The aged stuff has probably been aged for at least ten minutes. Beware of 白酒 (bái jiǔ, literally white alcohol). This is NOT 'white wine' but a hard liquor made from sorghum or maize (the name c@rn uses in a pathetic attempt to disguise itself). It is very strongly flavoured and smells like vomit. It is used in a very few dishes but cannot be considered a general cooking ingredient. 米酒 (mǐ jiǔ) is a weak, colourless rice wine, often home made, usually drunk but occasionally used in cooking. It is made from glutinous rice. The only non-Shaoxing Chinese wine I possess is this 桂花酒 (guì huā jiǔ), osmanthus wine, which was a gift and which I'll probably drink. It's rather too floral for cooking anything I want to eat but would probably work in some desserts. I don't do desserts.

元宵快乐！ Today, February 24th, 2024 is the Lantern Festival marking the end of the Spring Festival, the 16 day celebration which started on Chinese New Year's Eve. To celebrate, I bring you two lantern themed ingredients. First up we have S: 黄灯笼辣椒; T: 黃燈籠辣椒 (huáng dēng lóng là jiāo), yellow lantern chillies. These are grown in China's southern, island province of Hainan and are viciously hot. They are more often found processed into this (very) hot sauce, S: 黄灯笼辣椒酱; T: 黃燈籠辣椒醬 (huáng dēng lóng là jiāo jiàng). If they don't rock your boat, perhaps a fruit salad incorporating some S: 灯笼果; T: 燈籠果 (dēng lóng guǒ, literally 'lantern fruit') may be more appropriate. These are cape gooseberries aka poha, goldenberries or Peruvian ground cherries among other names. Physalis peruviana. Happy Lantern Festival!