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Both batches look very nice. What's the secret to the second batch's improvement?

But, but, but... the title of this topic is "weird snacks". Some of these are too normal: pork sung, dried seaweed, beef jerky. Normal ones are "off topic"!

They call it that. It's dry shredded pork. (Yuk Shung in Cantonese).

Kim Chi for the girls? Wow! They are really trained to handle hot taste when they are young! last week I cooked the string beans with just a minute amount of chili bean sauce (1 tsp for the whole dish feeding 8 people) and served it during Thanks Giving dinner... My 7-year niece said the food "burns her lips". I observe (and now recall) the dishes and bowls are smaller in Asia. You go to the dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong, they give you "tiny" bowls (3-inch diameter). You should have seen the footage from the Kylie Kwong show. In her friend's restaurant in Shanghai (or maybe her friend's home), the bowls they use (individual bowls for holding rice)... 12 inch in diameter!

You are still using the set bought/brought in 1958? Almost half a century? Everyday? Wow! These things last a long time!

Yes they are sold in some markets. In the freezers usually.

Dunno. I have not bought any of them. They are locally made.

Not sure if I should post this in the China forum or the Drinks forum. Let me try it here first. I have been drinking plain Soy Milk for years. Lately I have seen a new product: Pandan Flavored Soy Milk. It looks slightly green. I supposed it is soy milk cooked with some pandan leaves. I am not a big fan of pandan flavor so I haven't tried it. But that pops a question: Have you ever tried to flavor your soy milk? Like blending it with some fresh fruits (e.g. papaya, mango, honey dew, strawberry, etc.). Do you like the result? I am tempted to try mixing something into the otherwise very dull plain soy milk. Chocolate? Gosh, perhaps not. That would defeat my purpose of drinking plain soy milk.

SMS lingo? TP: hav u 8 dinR yet? Where r d pics? want 2 c em. hurE! ttyl

String beans sauteed with onion wedges, garlic, salt, and... the small pieces scattered around are reconstituted dried oysters cut into 1/4 inch slices. Very simple.

Michael: think of Haam Chin Paeng like a strawberry-jam filled round shape donut, except the filling is replaced by red bean paste and the dough is on the savory side.

I do like the Sichuan preserved vegetable (Zha Choy). Not on the pickled mustard cabbage as I cannot take sour taste or pungent smell too well. Nor can I take sweet.

These rice sticks never made it to Hong Kong. At least as of 8 years ago. I think we (Cantonese) are not used to the thick, round rice noodle sticks. This is close to the Cantonese "ho fun" (flat rice noodle sheet) - as in sheetz's dinner picture. It seems to be just a form factor difference while the ingredients are the same. Carb. Rice.

Tepee may be I can save you one picture quota. Here is the picture of the "pak hung" (north almond) 北杏. The bitter one. The "nam hung" (south almond) 南杏 should be just apricot kernel. The sweet one. I can't live without Google these days. (Nor can I live without Youtube, Yahoo, CNN, Napstar, Myspace, Blogspot...)

What was sprinkled on top of the fish?

Beansprouts that have a private label? That must be some beansprouts! I thought they are quite generic. I did some Google search. I thinik Ma yau 馬友 is: Threadfin Eleutheronema tetradactylum (Some pictures on Google)

You can make it with slightly roasted white sesame seeds, to be safe.

Wife... partner? Tepee! You applied the modern day Political Correctness to a story in the ancient backdrop! I read the wikipedia stories. So complicated! To the Cantonese, this dish is just "white chopped chicken" (Bak Cheet Gai) 白切雞... reuse the stock or not, adding coconut milk or not...

Ellen: you can put in pressed tofu to make the vegetarian version. Get some flavored or smoked pressed tofu... cut them into tiny cubes (e.g. 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch). This can be the "meat substitute". Then cook using the same recipe. This will give you 2 layers of texture: the harder pressed tofu and the softer regular tofu. Just a trick to please our taste buds. Where are the firey fresh red chili slices? Oops... watched too many Kylie's shows...

Are these the same as the famous hoi nam gai fan [Cantonese] 海南雞飯? There is no picture in the web page. Question: Why roll the rice into balls? This would compact the rice a bit, right? Why this extra step? Just to add to the presentation?

At the risk of being repetitious, still, thank you for an enlighting blog, Rachel!

I always associate gan bian with beef. Typically shredded beef. I never thought of making gan bian chicken. I gotta try this! Looks very good Bruce! You must like the gan bian style quite a bit as you have both beef and chicken (in the same meal?).

The ancient, utilitarian Chinese method is to have a small bowl set aside next to the rice pot/cooker. Fill the bowl with water. After scooping rice, immerse the rice scoop/spoon/paddle in the bowl of water for the next person to use.

Fascinating pictures, Percy. I am wondering how they can maintain the air bubbles. (I assume they are air bubbles.) Wouldn't air bubbles burst rather quickly?

75cents for this bag seems a very good deal! Besides what they have listed, I see a couple of bay leaves in there too. Isn't that right?