liuzhou

Indeed. When I moved to China, 28 years ago this week, the first thing I taught myself to read was 菜单, menus!

Lamb, mushroom and spinach curry over rice. Used some Indian curry paste with garlic, onion and tomatoes. Only regret is I didn't make any yogurt for raita.

Reading through the old entries here, I came across the much-missed Anna N's question about Laoganma and the ensuing conversation which I had forgotten. The product in question was Laoganma Chicken Chilli and people were doubting that it actually contained any chicken despite it being listed in the ingredients (albeit in Chinese). I was surprised at the time not by the chicken but by the doubters, although for some reason I didn't say anything. The reason for my surprise was that jarred meat containing products such as that are quite common here. This one is typical. S: 香菇牛肉酱; T: 香菇牛肉醬 (xiāng gū niú ròu jiàng) has been translated by the producers as 'mushroom and beef paste' but 'shiitake and beef sauce' would be more accurate. Like Anna's Laoganma chicken and chilli, it is usually spooned over rice or noodles as a snack or quick meal. Not used as a condiment so much. Ingredients are listed as vegetable oil, shiitake, chilli, eryngii mushrooms, fermented black beans, soybean protein, broad beans, beef, salt, ginger, garlic, msg, sugar, sesame, konjac powder, spices and a handful of preservatives whose names are longer than I can be bothered to type. Three serving suggestions given are: with meals, over mixed noodles or with bread. I have no idea how available this brand may be but Asian markets probably have similar preparations.

China's premium vinegars are all black varieties. These are smoky and have complex flavours. Yet, they are quite distinct from each other. Most common within China is Shanxi Mature Aged Vinegar, S: 山西陈醋; T: 山西陳醋 (shān xī chén cù). This vinegar from Shanxi province in east-central China is unique among China's vinegars in that it does not include rice. Instead it is made from a mixture of sorghum, wheat, barley and peas. The area has been associated with vinegar for at least 2,500 years, but the type still available went into production in 1368. Shanxi vinegar is aged for a minimum of one year, although most found in supermarkets is aged three years. A five year premium version is made in limited quantities. This vinegar seems to be difficult to source in the west, although at time of writing Amazon is stocking some. If you can't find it, don't despair. The ultimate in Chinese black vinegars is thankfully more widely available. Zhenjiang Vinegar, S: 镇江香醋; T: 鎮江香醋 (zhèn jiāng xiāng cù) is widely considered to be the peak of the Chinese vinegar making arts. It is often sold in America under the prehistoric transliteration Chinkiang vinegar, a term unknown in China. This is a geographically protected product of Zhenjiang city in Jiangsu province near Shanghai, where they've been making it for over 1,400 years. Zhenjiang is made from predominantly rice but with some wheat and barley also included. Least well known, even within China, is Sichuan Baoning Vinegar, S: 四川保宁醋; T: 四川保寧醋 (sì chuān bǎo níng cù). Made in Baoning, Sichuan since 1618, this is mainly wheat bran based but also contains a wide mixture of 'medicinal' herbs giving it a unique flavour. This is my go to general vinegar of choice. You may come across vinegars simply labelled as Chinese black vinegar; I suggest you stay clear unless you are very sure what they are and where they're from. The above listed all include their provenance proudly on their labels. These vinegars are used in dips for dumplings, especially xiao long bao. Black vinegar is used to dress noodle dishes. It goes particularly well with braised pork dishes. I always add it to steamed fish. I once ate a wonderful braised chicken dish with Zhenjiang vinegar, the recipe for which I'm still trying to wrest from the cook. The list is endless. There are even those who just drink the stuff! Finally, many sources suggest that balsamic vinegar makes a good substitute. I strongly disagree. The only similarity is that they are both black. The flavours and textures are wildly different.

Simp: 大红; Trad; 大紅 (dà hóng) literally 'big red' means 'crimson', the most valued shade of red, the most important and propitious colour in Chinese culture. Zhang Yimou's stunning 1991 movie Raise the Red Lantern is Simp: 大红灯笼高高挂; Trad: 大紅燈籠高高掛 (dà hóng dēng lóng gāo gāo guà) in Chinese - if you haven't already, I suggest you see it. Simp: 大红浙醋; Trad: 大紅浙醋 (dà hóng zhè cù) is less stunning, but still one of my favourites. An alternative name is Simp: 浙江红醋; Trad: 浙江紅醋 (zhè jiāng hóng cù) Both are red rice vinegar, the least well known Chinese vinegar. This is made from Simp: 红曲米; Trad: 紅麴米 (hóng qū mǐ), a type of rice infected with a yeast, monascus purpureus which colours it red. This is a mild vinegar which pairs particularly well with fish and seafood. It is also used with Cantonese roast pigeon. I like it as a dip with shrimp and with sashimi. Western red wine vinegar is not a suitable substitute Next: The best - the Black Vinegars

Different Chinese vinegars have popped up in a variety of topics throughout these forums but I feel that bringing them together here would be useful. Vinegar is an important aspect of Chinese cuisine which I think is often overlooked in the West. Indeed, vinegar, 醋 (cù), is an important aspect of Chinese life, being referenced in multiple idioms. S: 柴米油盐酱醋茶; T: 柴米油鹽醬醋茶 (chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá) is a well known example literally meaning 'firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy, vinegar, and tea' but figuratively 'life's daily necessities'. Vinegar features in many dishes and dips and vinegary pickles are ubiquitous in the cuisine from vegetables and fruits through to fish and meats. I'll start with the most basic vinegar, 白醋 (bái cù) or 白米醋 (báI mǐ cù), 'white vinegar' or 'white rice vinegar'. Despite the two names, these are the same thing. And despite the 'white' can range from clear to pale yellow in colour. This is widely available and cheap. (Here in China the cheapest even comes in bags. Not recommended.) This vinegar is milder than most western vinegars and and is slightly sweet. It is used for most pickles, both the quick and the slow. Some versions are labelled 'seasoned'. These usually have added salt and sugar. The plain is the only one I buy; ingredients are simply glutinous rice and water. White rice vinegar is used in a few dishes such as Stir-fried Potato Slivers. It is also used in sweet and sour (糖醋 - táng cù, literally 'sugar vinegar') dishes as well as some dips. It is now also my go to vinegar for western vinaigrettes etc. Next: Red Rice Vinegar

I've spent most of my adult life in countries whose languages were not mine. Never really had a problem. Never starved. Pointing is a great invention. Shopping in supermarkets often helps as you can see what many things are and aren't normally required to speak. Countries which use European languages tend to be a bit easier. At least platanos nachos looks and even sounds a bit recognisable. It's when you are up against non-Latin scripts it really gets tricky. When all that's on offer is some 鸡肉 or કૂકડો or ไก่, then you're in trouble！ Most translation apps are now good enough to handle this sort of situation.

It is mainly used in the broths for hot pot and the dried version is much more common. In fact, apart from some TCM uses, I don't know any other way it's used. It appears in a number of these spice mixes for hotpot, or I can buy it separately.

Yes. I can buy fresh sand ginger easily. And I've used it.

One of the unanswered questions concerned salt with members wondering what types of salt are used, if any. While a lot of Chinese cuisine's salt content is derived from soy and other sauces, salt is most certainly also used. What types? The same as anywhere else. Refined table salt (S: 咸盐 T: 鹹鹽 - xián yán) with additives to enable easy pouring is most common. Available everywhere. Refined salt Locally sourced sea salt (S: 海盐; T: 海鹽- hǎi yán) is also widely available in most supermarkets. I often buy this low sodium salt (S: 低钠盐; T: 低鈉盐 - dī nà yán) in my local store. and we even have English Maldon salt imported via Hong Kong. I forget the Chinese name. The Himalayan pink salt (S: 喜马拉雅玫瑰盐; T: 喜馬拉雅玫瑰盐 - xǐ mǎ lā yǎ méi guī yán) scam is perpetuated here, too. All in all nothing much to say about salt.

If there's one thing better than Chinese ingredients, it's free Chinese ingredients. Today, I ordered some lamb for delivery. It came promptly accompanied by this free bag of S: 调味料; T: 調味料 (tiáo wèi liào) which means 'seasoning'. This particular seasoning is 狗牛羊兔香料 (gǒu niú yáng tù xiāng liào) which means dog, beef, lamb, rabbit spices. They mean it is suitable for use with any of these meats; not all of them in a dish together! It consists of sand ginger, star anise, black cardamom, cloves, cassia bark and dried tangerine peel. I won't be using it with my lamb. I already have another plan. It will turn up in the dinner topic tomorrow.

This topic is, I think, due a revival. It was a great idea but it is 18 years since the OP, hzrt8w, started it and many things have changed. The OP hasn't posted for a decade and although he started off strong, posting 10 ingredients over a one week period, he then stopped for unknown reasons. He was undoubtedly very knowledgeable and a valuable member but that knowledge rarely ventured beyond Cantonese cuisine. And that often in its American interpretation. Over the years, regional Chinese cuisine has become better known and ingredients once impossible or difficult to obtain outside of China are now readily available in many places. Difficulties in the past may account for a couple of anomolies in early posts. The Shaoxing wine in the first post is not from Shaoxing, but is a Taiwanese brand. Presumably, that is what was more easily located in California in 2006. A more recent, dedicated topic on Shaoxing wine is here. The doubanjiang shown is also a Cantonese version, not the original Sichuan version. While Taiwanese Shaoxing is not so different from the real thing, Cantonese doubanjiang is very different from Sichuanese. As described, the Cantonese version is made from soy beans. Sichuan doubanjiang is made from fava beans. It is also aged longer and is usually considerably spicier. The topic continues with lots of questions not all of which got answered. There are a couple to which I know the answers but missed at the time - e.g. the mysterious 'Chinese potatoes'. Unfortunately, the questioners have long since stopped posting so the answers may no longer be required. If they are, please ask again. Some questions may not have been answered due to linguistic difficulties in understanding the transcriptions used. Mandarin has an official transcription system, Pinyin but other Chinese varieties, including Cantonese and Toishanese don't. So, some people make up their own. Sometimes decipherable; often not. Also, even in Mandarin, often the only way to be sure is to see the Chinese characters; not always possible, I realise. Moving forward, I will give both the SImplified Chinese names used in mainland China and the Traditional Chinese used in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and among a large but rapidly shrinking proportion of the Chinese diaspora. If I only post one set of characters then the simplified and traditional are the same. I will give common Cantonese and other local names when relevant, if and when I know them. Please note only approx 4.5% of Chinese people speak Cantonese. I will not be following the original model for layout but will try to include all the information available to me.

I don't know but it seems to me to be mostly aimed at selling the soil testing kit advertised at the end of the article (for which they earn a commission.)

You beat me to it. I've done this successfully on my balcony despite my very ungreen fingers. I don't have any growing at the moment following a house move but now this topic has reminded me, I'll start again.

Final news. Liuzhou authorities just released an official report stating that the city saw over 6 million visitors over the past week. Given that all overnight stays in hotels etc are registered with the police, the figures are probably fairly accurate.

Although I started this topic and have had more than my fair share to contribute to it recently, I always feel disturbed when I see it revived. Wishing you a speedy recovery @Katie Meadow and sorry to read of your pitiful sustenance during your incarceration. I will say that it was the medical staff who kept me sane during my four hospital stays last year. I actually missed them after I was discharged last time. Not usually anything to miss about hospital stays.

In 2012, Liuzhou held an event they titled "10,000 People Eat Luosifen". There weren't 10,000 people in attendance; numbers can be a bit fluid in Chinese. It just meant 'a lot'. However, it may have been prophetic. Thousands of people have been visiting over the last week's holiday for the Chinese New Year, specifically to eat luosifen and other local specialties. Today, the stores selling luosifen which I passed were full, but the 3 - 4 hour wait lines had gone. Damn! I had vaguely planned to go out wearing my commemorative baseball cap from the 2012 event and sell it to the highest bidder. There can't be many still surviving - I'm not the baseball cap type, so mine has seldom been worn. I'm sure it's a desirable collectors' item now and these idiots will buy anything. Now I'll need to wait till the next holiday - May 1st.

BLT

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-02-16/people-get-ready-to-crumble-at-englands-only-rhubarb-festival Some more rhubarb news and ideas.

Local media is now reporting a 3 hour 40 minute wait in line for a bowl of Luosifen and still they're coming. Idiots.

Rabbit ravioli in spicy garlicky tomato sauce.

Here is Qing Yun market in more normal times.

This past week has been a holiday for most people in China and it seems that 90% of the 1.4 billion population has crowded into Liuzhou! With crowds drawn by Luosifen initially, the city has become a wider gastronomic destination. People are piling in everywhere with long lines and waits of up to two hours outside most of the hundreds of luosifen shops. All over Chinese social media are videos of people lining up to sample the delights of rice noodles in snail broth. The snails are moving faster than the lines. The line outside my favourite, near my home, is now one of the longest and the locals' gruntle is decidedly dissed. We can't get our own food anymore! Above is about 1/16th of the line. The shop has seating for 8 people. But it's worse than that. 青云 (qīng yún) means 'clear sky' but is also the name of the city's oldest and largest street market and one of my favourite haunts. Over the last week it has turned into purgatory. Thousands of tourist sheep are cramming themselves into the narrow streets in search of 'authentic' Guangxi street food. No one can do their regular shopping there anymore. Hopefully, they'll all go home this weekend, but perhaps not. 🔥🔥🔥

I don't know. They aren't waxed though. Maybe just super fresh? People here wouldn't accept waxed citrus. Everyone (including me) dries the peel for cooking with. It's an essential ingredient in many dishes.

Of course, we also get regular oranges. When I lived in Hunan, oranges were almost free. 7 cents (USD) a kilo. It was said to be the world's largest orange producing area. These are a bit more expensive and grown locally.