Whitegold

Seems this is becoming a linguistic definition contest across continents. If it helps... YAM From the Merriam-Webster: Etymology: earlier iname, from Portuguese inhame & Spanish ñame, of African origin; akin to Fulani nyami to eat 1 : the edible starchy tuberous root of various plants (genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae) used as a staple food in tropical areas; also : a plant producing yams 2 : a moist-fleshed and usually orange-fleshed sweet potato From various web resources: A large tuber that grows in tropical and subtropical climates; it has starchy, pale-yellow flesh. The name yam is also given to the (botanically unrelated) sweet potato. There are over 150 species of yams grown throughout the world. Most of "yams" sold in the US, however, are actually sweet potatoes. Yams are higher in sugar that sweet potatoes. Used in soups and stews, mashed, and fried. Finally, I thought the following webpage made yams rather unappetizing, but, your views? Chinese Yam

The name "Abacus beads" - is that a direct translation from this dish's Chinese name? ← Yes, it's a direct translation. In Mandarin, they are called "suan pan zi". They are also supposed to be shaped like abacus seeds: small, round and a little flattened. Thanks Tepee for the recipe. Will be testing to find out if I am able to replicate that chewy melt in the mouth texture!

LIMA We were at Astrid y Gaston (Cantuarias 175), and they served up delicious fusion fare, focusing on our favourite: seafood. The menu is seasonal there, a great indication of freshness! The 4 folks next to us (who looked like locals in the know) were all having whole lobsters that really seemed good... The Cevicheria La Choza Nautica (Brena 204) also had really fresh and tasty ceviches. The options were endless. In case you need an English menu (which we did), just ask. We relied on the waiter to recommend us a ceviche, and it was perhaps the best one we had on our entire Peru trip! Great with beer... (and soak in the atmosphere while you are there) Enjoy!

Peony, that looks very appetizing. The good ones I've tasted from Hakka restaurants are slightly chewy yet melt in the mouth. Hmmm... Mouth watering just thinking of it. Do you make the Abacus beads fresh? If yes, could you please share the recipe??? I've not seen this in our Asian supermarkets. Just to replicate the melt in your mouth part...

Thanks very much Peony for the recipes. I just made the mango sago dessert tonight, and it was delicious! I replaced the milk with coconut milk as I'm not a big fan of cow milk in my Chinese "tong sui", and it works very well. Next up: gula melaka sago pudding. It's great to see that this can be made with relative ease (at least the recipe indicates that). I once had this at a formal reception, and since then have been trying to replicate it, but failed terribly each time. Looking forward (until when my stomach next has space)...

Hi Peony, how do you make the sago pudding with gula melaka? That looks so very delicious... Would appreciate the recipe very much! thanks

Mayonnaise can't be that bad can it? It tastes terrific on a just ripe avocado with soy sauce. For anyone interested in seeing how Kewpie manufactures Mayo, check out: Making of Mayonnaise

In case anyone's interested in seeing how pocky sticks are made: Making of Pocky What's particularly insightful is how they make the little "burnt" marks on the sticks!