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Pictorial Recipe General Tso's Chicken (左宗棠雞) I am going to publish my version of this controversial recipe: General Tso's Chicken. It is a very popular dish in Chinese restaurants in North America. However, most of the versions made, in my opinion, are overly sweet and the chicken pieces are unjustly deep-fried in thick batter first. This dish is controversial because there seems to be no general agreement of how it should be made. Therefore, many people have different versions or interpretations of this dish. I adapted my own version from the recipe published by Maria Lee: http://www.marialee.com/chinese/poultry4.htm (Recipe written in Chinese) This dish is quite easy to make at home. You may modify this recipe to adjust for your own taste. For example, you may want to add more sugar to sweeten it up. In the spirit of real Chinese cooking, however, I would not recommend deep-frying the chicken meat in batter. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2-3 Preparations: Main ingredients (upper right, clockwise): - 3 pieces of boneless chicken breast, about 1.5 to 2 lb - Garlic, use about 4-5 cloves - Ginger, use about 1 inch in length - About 7-8 stalks of green onions - Chinese red vinegar (very important for this dish) Trim the fat off the chicken breasts. Cut into 1-inch dices. To marinate the chicken: Use a mixing bowl, add chicken dices. Add: - 1-2 tsp of sesame oil - 1 tsp of dark soy sauce - 1-2 tsp of light soy sauce - 1 tsp of oyster sauce - 1 tsp of ground white pepper - 1-2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine - 1-2 tsp of corn starch - a pinch of salt (e.g. 1/4 tsp) Mix well. Set aside for about 30 minutes before cooking. Peel and mince 4-5 cloves of garlic. Grate or finely chop 1-inch of ginger. Trim end and finely chop 7-8 stalks of green onions. Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at high. Add 3-4 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil is hot. Velvet the marinated chicken meat first. Stir-well. It takes 2-3 minutes (or longer). Cook until the chicken meat is slightly undercooked - when the pink color just starts to disappear. Remove from pan/wok. Start with a clean pan/wok, set stove at high. Add 2-3 tblsp of cooking oil Wait until oil starts fuming. Add about 20 dried chilies. Add the minced garlic, grated/chopped ginger and about 3/4 portion of the chopped green onion. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste). Quickly dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine and 2-3 tsp (or even 4-5 tsp if you want it on the sour side) of Chinese red vinegar. Stir well. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chicken broth. Wait until it starts boiling. Add corn starch slurry (suggest: 1-2 tsp of corn starch in 2-3 tsp of water) to thicken the sauce to the right consistency. Return the chicken, and add the remaining portion of the chopped green onions. Dash in 1 tsp of dark soy sauce and a pinch of sugar (e.g. 1 tsp). Mix well. Cook for another minute or two. Ready. Transfer to the serving plate. Picture of the finished dish. (Note: The quantity of food produced in this recipe is about twice the portion shown in this picture.)

I'm probably the worst person to kick off a Chinese Dessert thread. I have the least sweet tooth on the planet, but I know there is interest in the topic. I often read that the Chinese don't do dessert. Not quite true. They don't necessarily serve sweet dishes at the end of a meal, but they may turn up midway through. Chinese food is not normally served in a strict order, serial way. That said, it is not uncommon to finish a no dessert meal then head for one of the many places selling only desserts. Sweet yoghurt, cakes, candied fruits etc are everywhere.

It is possibly not well-known that China has some wonderful hams, up there with the best that Spain can offer. This lack of wide knowledge, at least in the USA, is mainly down to regulations forbidding their importation. However, for travellers to China and those in places with less restrictive policies, here are some of the best. This article from the WSJ is a good introduction to one of the best - Xuanwei Ham 宣威火腿 (xuān wēi huǒ tuǐ) from Yunnan province. This Ingredient Makes Everything Better I can usually obtain Xuanwei ham here around the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival, but I also have a good friend who lives in Yunnan who sends me regular supplies. The article compares it very favourably with jamon iberico, a sentiment with which I heartily agree. Xuanwei Ham Xuanwei Ham more coming soon.

Nowadays when you go to a dim sum restaurant, you can see all kinds of items carried out on dim sum carts. Many non-Chinese diners simply think that's part of the "dim sum" experience. But this is quite far from the truth. Many of the items you see sold in dim sum restaurants today are simply not real "traditional" dim sums. But if the patrons like them, why not? The restaurant operators would be happy to carry those items. They would sell you slices of cheese cakes or apple pies from a dim-sum cart if there is enough demand. I am judging from my own experiences - dating back to the 60's on what I ate and saw in dim-sum restaurants in Hong Kong and Guongzhou: two of the most populous cities in Canton. The traditional: Har gow (shrimp dumplings) Siu mai (pork dumplings) Steamed beef balls Steamed spareribs Cha Siu Bao (steamed BBQ pork bao) Nor Mai Gai (steamed sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves) Steamed Chicken feet etc.. (the list is long) Those are traditional, "real" dim sums. Now... Suckling pigs, roast goose, roast pork, barbequed pork slices, jelly fish... no. These are traditionally items sold in Cantonese barbeque specialty shops. But because of popularity, they push them out on a dim-sum cart. Congee (jook), cheung fun (steamed rice noodles), zha leung (steamed rice noodles wrapping a deep-fried crueller)... well, these are traditionally items sold in "dai pei dong" specialized in making congee. For that matter, soy-sauce chow mein too. Beef organs: tripes, intestines in a big pot... these are traditionally sold in specialty noodle houses. For that matter: wonton (soup), boiled brocolli, boiled squid or tripe. Dan tarts (egg tarts), baked BBQ pork baos, cha siu so (BBQ pork pastry): these are sold in western style tea restaurants made by their bakers. Fried "stuffed" bell peppers, mushrooms, eggplants, tofo with fish paste: these used to be "street food" sold by hawkers. "Ma Lai Goh" (Malaysian steamed cakes) - imported from Malaysia. "Dou Fu Fa" (soyamilk custard sweet) - used to be sold only in tofu specialty shops or by hawkers. Xiaolongbao - sorry, that really is a Shanghainese small eat rather than Cantonese dim sum. Mango pudding - you think this is Chinese??? As you can see, the real traditional dim-sums have rather limited varieties. As time progresses, the society changed. Food once sold by specialty shops or hawkers on the street are now included in the "dim sum" umbrella. But... food is food, right? Who cares where it came from and what classification it has as long as you can conveniently point and order from the dim-sum cart and have it delivered right to your table, right?

Hi all, I work in a Chinese restaurant here in Taipei, Taiwan and we'd like to present a video teaching you how to make Radish Cakes! Many of you may know this popular dim sum dish by its Cantonese name "Lo Bak Go". This is our own personal variation on the traditional Radish Cake, so you'll see something a bit different than you're used to! Enjoy the video, hope you have as much fun watching as we did making! Drunken Monkey Eats Taiwan! How to Make Radish Cakes 蘿蔔糕 Also if anyone has any questions about Chinese or Taiwanese cooking I'm happy to answer!

Hi all, is it practical to make your own conpoy (dried scallops)? I have recently made a batch of XO sauce and want to try some more variations but the problem is getting conpoy at a reasonable price. I have had to pay $18 for 100g and I can buy great frozen scallops for <$20 per Kg. I would expect that the drying would result in a dry weight of about 20% but this would be half the cost of buying conpoy. Has anybody tried this or know of a good method? Ar they cured or cooked before drying? Thanks Simon

So... I found a wonderfully simple recipe for Chinese Broccoli. Everything was straight-forward ,easy really, until I saw baking soda on the ingredient list. Now, obviously, I can get that ingredient easily. But my question is: Why do I need it? Comments?

I found this series on CCTV english The contrasting tastes of Harbin Luzhou's taste of intoxication Hengyang's vegetarian's delight Ningbo's Original Flavors The Wild Flavors of Xi'an Zibo Snacks Whole Food for Whole People The Exotic Flavors of Yanbian Guangzhou Snacks - Taste of Good Fortune Huangshan's Natural Taste A Taste of the Sea in Beihai

Described as pancakes, crepe like with a some spicy seasoning in the middle... thoughts? Also in China.

Hello, Does anyone know what this dish is? A friend sent it to me, describing it as tasting fibrous like ground up peanut shells, very dry, sweet and salty. What is it called? What is it made out of? Recipes? Any insight would be appreciated.

I'm often asked to translate menus for my local restaurants. Usually by foreign customers; less often by the restaurants. I thought I'd post some here. Copyright isn't an issue as they are just lists of dishes. They may be of interest. First up is a small restaurant which I visited yesterday. Their menu is on the wall and they specialise in sand pot dishes. These are (almost) all in one meals with the dish of your choice served over rice cooked in a clay (sand) pot. They do come with a side of stir-fried cabbage and a bowl of thin soup (more like water). This is Chinese work/student canteen type food. Cheap and cheerful. At the bottom of the main menu is a variety of soft drinks plus beer, which I haven't translated. Most are unavailable outside China, although Coca Cola and Sprite are there. The smaller menus on the right are for rice porridge. I haven't translated these either Sand Pots 莲藕肉片饭 Lotus Root and Sliced Pork Rice 10 豆腐肉片饭 Tofu and Sliced Pork Rice 10 时菜肉饼饭 Seasonal Vegetable Pork Pie Rice 10 茄子肉末饭 Eggplant with Ground Meat Rice 11 鱼片煲仔饭 Fish Sandpot Rice 11 姜汁鱼尾饭 Ginger Fish Tail Rice 12 鸡杂砂煲饭 Chicken Giblets Sandpot Rice 12 冬菇骨鸡饭 Dried Shiitake and Chicken Rice 12 香辣牛肉饭 Spicy Beef Rice 16 酸甜排骨饭 Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs Rice 16 香芹腊味饭 Celery Cured Meat Rice 13 豉椒排骨饭 Salted Beans and Pepper Ribs 13 冬菇田鸡饭 Dried Shiitake Frog Rice 13 蚝油牛肉饭 Oyster Sauce Beef Rice 14 红烧带鱼饭 Red-cooked Belt Fish Rice 14 干妈五花饭 Pork Belly in Chilli Sauce Rice 14 美味叉烧饭 Tasty Char Sui Rice 14 鲜虾煲仔饭 Fresh Shrimp Sandpot Rice 14 红椒黄鳝饭 Red Chilli Ricefield Eel Rice 14 黑椒猪肚饭 Black Pepper Tripe Rice 15 肥肠煲仔饭 Pig's Intestines Sandpot Rice 15 柠檬鸭仔饭 Lemon Duck Rice 15 加菜每份 (以最高价) Extra Vegetable Portion (by highest price) 4 打包盒 Take Away Box 1 Soups 紫菜蛋花汤 Seaweed Egg Drop Soup 8 枸杞猪肝汤 Goji Berry Pig's Liver Soup 10 车螺芥菜汤 Clam and Leaf Mustard Soup 15 西红柿蛋花汤 Tomato and Egg Soup 8 Vegetables etc. 炒油菜 Fried Rape 8 西红柿炒蛋 Scrambled Egg with Tomato 12 鱼腥草 Lizard's Tail 5 凉拌皮蛋 Cold Dressed Century Egg 10 凉拌黄瓜 Cold Dressed Cucumber 5 煎蛋 Fried Egg 2 Prices are in Chinese Yuan (1 Yuan = $0.15 USD / £0.10 GBP as of September 15, 2015) This is number 4 on the menu

We went to the asian grocer today, and I picked these buns up, but can't figure out how to cook them--steam or bake, or what? Help is appreciated.

Is this: The correct tofu, in this recipe?

DH and I make Chinese dishes for our lunches quite often. He does the 'mises' and I do the cooking and get ready the odds and sods, like the tea, setting the table, putting out the condiments, etc. Truth be told, his job is more work than mine...but then he gets to have Chinese food quite often which is what he likes. And we use peanut oil, most of which we buy at our local Asian grocery store. And until yesterday, neither one of us never looked at the "Ingredient list" for peanut oil. Peanut oil would contain only peanut oil...one would think. Apparently not so. Our current container which is titled "Peanut Cooking Oil" has the following ingredient list (in order): Soybean Oil, Sesame Oil, Peanut Oil. Who knew? Yesterday we bought peanut oil at a regular grocery store, a Loblaws brand (Canadian brand), and it contains...wait for it...100% peanut oil. Hooray!

Hi all! You might remember us from our previous Radish Cake video, today we're making Three Cups Tofu. This is a fun and relatively easy to make dish that's really tasty! Hope everyone enjoys the video, have fun cooking! Drunken Monkey Eats Taiwan! How to make Three Cups Tofu 三杯豆腐 As usual we're happy to answer any questions about the dish or Chinese cooking in general!

My son married a lovely young lady from Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia, China. Mongolian: ᠶᠠᠠᠠᠰᠢ ᠬᠣᠲᠠ (Ягши хот); Chinese: 牙克石; pinyin: Yákèshí We had a wedding in the US but her family also wanted to have a traditional wedding in China. DH and I have never being to China so this was an exciting opportunity for us! We spent a few days in Beijing doing touristy stuff and then flew to Hailar. There is only one flight a day on Air China that we took at 6 in the morning. Yakeshi is about an hour drive from Hailar on a beautiful toll road with no cars on it. I wish we took pictures of free roaming sheep and cows along the way. The original free range meat. The family met us at the airport. We were greeted with a shot of a traditional Chinese spirit from a traditional leather vessel. Nothing says welcome like a stiff drink at 9 AM. We were supposed to have a three shots (may be they were joking) but family took pity on us and limited it to one only.

China's plan to cut meat consumption by 50% I wish them well, but can't see it happening. Meat eating is very much seen as a status symbol and, although most Chinese still follow a largely vegetable diet out of economic necessity, meat is still highly desirable among the new middle classes. The chances of them willingly giving it up, even by 50%, seems remote to me.

I have been asked to make Chinese Bow Tie desserts for a function. However, I have never made them, but using Mr Google, there are a number of different recipes out there. Does anybody have a decent recipe which is tried and tested? - these are for deep-fried pastry which are then soaked in sugar syrup.

At the local chinese restaurant they have an amazing beef, and I'm trying to figure out the recipe. I've been searching the net for similar recipes, but could only find black bean sauce recipes. I'm pretty sure it's neither black bean sauce or pepper sauce, as these are dishes on their own. It's served in a hot pan, with onions or shallots, leeks, bells peppers and a lot of garlic. The sauce is dark in colour. Any help is greatly appreciated. A guy on another forum was talking about douchi and tian mian jiang, but then again, these are bean bases. Haven't had a chance to try it out though.

Hi out of Pork, Chicken and Beef which meat best compliments sweet and sour, and which cut of that meat? I know there is no right answer but I just wanted to get some opinions on this.

There are hundreds of offerings on Amazon, I tried to sort by # of stars in a review but a 5 start review means nothing when there are less than 10 reviews. The quality of this stuff varies quite a bit, anyone have personal experience purchasing and using Szechuan peppercorns? thanks, Rob

http://www.smartshanghai.com/articles/dining/the-man-who-spent-a-year-studying-xiao-long-bao

I have received a wonderful gift from a lovely friend. A whole home cured, dried pig face. I call her Cameron. This will be used slowly over the winter. I'm dribbling thinking about the ears stir-fried with chilies Hunan style. The cheeks! The snout! I'm ecstatic. Snout I'm watching! I'll follow up with with how I use it, but for the moment I'm just content watching her watching me as she hangs in the wind on my balcony. It's love!

The new Michelin Guide to Hong Kong has a Street Food category for the first time. More here.

I've always wondering about this. Just abut every Chinese cookbook I own, says to heat the wok to the highest setting available (I use an electric cooktop with a flat bottomed wok), add the oil and when it begins to smoke, add the garlic (and ginger if required). Everytime, the garlic burns in a matter of seconds. So, I turn the heat down low enough so the garlic doesn't burn, but I was under the impression that you want a very high heat to a. sear the meat, b. cook the vegetables quickly so they remain crisp tender, and lastly, c. evaporate the water out of the added sauce to concentrate the flavor. Any commnets or suggestions? What do you do?