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It's great to find some long-lost relatives! That's a shame, Cousin Leung! Just kidding. Instant packages are quite convenient. If you have time, try to make it from scratch. It would probably taste better. I first learned about Chinese cooking from my father. He taught me only a few times when I was 10. As for the rest, I silently observed what he did in the kitchen growing up.

So... that makes you an "Ah Leung" too! There is another dimension to her versatility. Have you listened to her music yet???

Yeah, I think those are 2 different types of sesame balls. The small, solid one is called "Siu Hou Zhoo" [Cantonese] (Laughing Mouth Date)... something that looks like a smily face because it's kind of crack up in the center outward when deep-fried. The other one is called "Geen Dui" [Cantonese], which is the hollow one made with glutinous rice flour and lotus seed paste inside. This one is fluffy when deep-fried, and collapses when cooled.

This question has been asked and discussed before. Check out the following series of notes: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1035147

Picture: English name: Chili Bean Sauce, Fermented Chili Bean Sauce Chinese name: 辣豆瓣醬 Chinese pronounciations: (Click here) Category: Cooking sauce Usage: Cooking Description: Fermented Chili Bean Sauce, or simply Chili Bean Sauce, is an important sauce in most Chinese cooking. It is usually used in conjunction with other sauces (such as soy sauce, brown bean sauce) and aromatics (such as garlic, onion, ginger, green onion) for many stir-fried dishes. It is basically fermented soya beans with salt and chili mixed in. It tastes very salty and a bit hot. Where to find it: Asian grocery market, sauce section Shopping tips: Chili Bean Sauces are very generic. They taste about the same from different brands. In California, a jar of 4 oz typically sells for around US$2.00 to $3.00. Storage suggestions: Store at room temperature should be fine. Or you may store the jar in the refrigerator after opened.

The following recipe uses lotus roots: Stir-Fried Lotus Roots with Dry Conpoy and Hairy Moss Fungi

There is plenty of info in this zongzi cook-off thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...l=cook-off&st=0

Picture: English name: Fermented Black Bean, or Salted Black Bean Chinese name:豆豉 Chinese pronounciations: (Click here) Category: Seasoning Usage: Cooking Description: Fermented (salted) black beans are used very often in Cantonese style cooking. They are typically mixed with crushed/minced garlic into a paste in making stir-frying and steaming dishes. Commonly used on beef, pork, chicken and seafood. They are not really "black beans". They are soya beans that have gone through a fermentation process with salt added. They taste soft and salty. (Not suitable for consuming uncooked.) Where to find it: Asian grocery market, dry goods section Shopping tips: Fermented black beans are very generic. They taste about the same from different brands. Buy those that are packed in a clear plastic bag where you can see the beans. (Some brands may contain very dry fermented black beans - not good.) Squeeze the beans and feel them. They should be soft to the touch (moist) and can be crushed easily. Don't buy those that are dry and hard, and crack when squeezed. A package of 8 oz typically sells for around US$1.00 to $1.50. Storage suggestions: Store in a dry place at room temperature.

The dried conpoys/scallops shown in the pictures of my pictorial recipes were bought in China Town San Francisco. On average, they are about US$0.40 to $0.50 a piece. Those are about medium size I would say. If yours are of a higher grade, they can be priced higher. What to look for? A whole one instead of broken ones or ones that have big cracks or chips. Bigger size is always better than smaller size. The color should be natural orange brown and not pale brown or white-ish brown.

I am very flattered, Leo. I am glad that you have decided to show your face and interact in this wonderful forum!

Yes the word "rou4" itself means any meat. But in Chinese menus, "rou4" by itself (without any specific reference to beef, pork, lamb or other kind of meat) would imply that it is pork. It is due to pork being the most popular kind of meat eaten besides chicken.

They probably have some apple cider that looks just the same.

So in the end, you will have 31 forced labor to help you make jiaozi! They don't know what they are getting into...

That reminds of one of my college roommates. For 2 years he cooked ramen noodles about every other night, and he threw in a few chicken wings (no seasoning) to white-boil them. Yike! Ramen... college students' best friend.

These stuff are heavy, with preserving liquid and all! And if any of the jars breaks, it will stink up your luggage. If you do buy and hand-carry them back, I suggest you put them in a separate box. Have you tried the "Dragonfly" brand or "Mei Mei" brand? Picture of "Dragonfly" brand included here.

Wow, Dejah! How long have you had that page posted? That's terrific! That's such a hidden gem. You need to hire me and jo-mel to do marketing work for you...

Hmmm.... I think you might have bought the actual black beans. The fermented black beans are not really black beans. They are soya beans (yellow) which have gone through the fermentation process, which turn them black. The real black beans are, like all beans, rather hard. Don't feel despair, you can use them in making soup.

I think to use a US$20+ bottle of Hua Tiao Chiew for cooking may be an overkill. But... if you like it. I have purchased the $20+ Hua Tiao and did a taste test side-by-side with a $6.00 bottle ShaoHsing wine. For the life of me I could not tell the taste difference. Described in this post.

Noisiest birdie gets the worms... I will move up the publishing schedule of ingredients questioned in this thread. Are these fermented black beans you were referring to?

Hi Everyone: Thanks for such enthusiastic feedbacks. I have just made 2 enhancements to the template: 1. I have added a link to a webpage (under a website which I have set up for storing Chinese sound clips) for the pronounciations of each item. So far I recorded only the Cantonese pronounications. When you click on each link, it should play the corresponding sound clip on your computer through your favorite MP3 player software. (Remember to turn up the volume and put in unmute). If you are curious about how an item sounds like in Chinese, go back to the modified posts and follow the links. I am seeking for a native Mandarin speaker who is interested to record the Mandarin version of these sound clips for us. Anybody who is interested to record these clips, please PM me. The idea is you should be able to go to an Asian grocery market, show the workers the Chinese characters, the pictures, and play the sound clips if necessary to help you locate the item. Your Palm pilot or other handheld devices would come in handy. 2. I have added a "Storage suggestions" field to suggest how to store the ingredients once the bottle/package is opened. This should help you store the ingredients in the long run.

Sure... time permitting.

I think all were waiting for the guest of honor to finish taking the darn pictures!

And what wine were you drinking with the meal?

Can anyone tell us how to make baitan (paitan)? ← Just reading the descriptions from the webpage... We typically make pork bone soup using a "double boiling" (or "twice boiling") method, as illustrated in this pictorial recipe: Pork Butt Bone Soup with Kabocha (南瓜豬骨湯) Since you just want the soup, skip all the other ingredients. (But in order for the soup to taste good, we must use some other ingredients to cook with the pork bones.)

The one that I usually buy is what you see in the pictures in this pictorial. Dried shrimp the size of a dime, may be smaller. US$2.50 or so a pack, about 4 oz, which makes it about US$10.00/lb. I have seen much larger dried shrimp, each bigger than the size of a quarter. They sell at about US$40.00/lb I think.