Various Chinese cuisines

[Dejah]

[quote name=Dejah' date='Oct 24 2004, 02:12 PM

This poor prairie woman is feeling so deprived!

←

And there's me, a Hong Kong born Chinese (maybe we don't count because we are Chinese) now live in US, travelled over China in early years.

How about you, Dejah? Have you been back to Hong Kong at all since you departed Kai Tak Airport in the 50's?

←

hzrt, I haven't been back since 1958 when I left HK. Had lived a pretty sheltered life in so far as travelling and any regional Chinese cuisine.I don't remember eating out in restaurants except for the many celebratory banquets. They were great, of course.

I do remember hawker food, especially around North Point where we once lived.

I've probably experienced more variety in the last 20 years travelling around Canada and the US.

This forum has been wonderful in allowing me to travel and eat vicariously! I thank you all for this delicious education!

[jo-mel]

Dejah -- We have one more kid to put through university, then, look out world!

There you go! Watch out China --- Dejah is on her way! LOL!

I never went till 1984 when my kids were all out of college, but then I went 9 times ending in HK in 1997, and which was was China when I left.

My experiences there were all varied, but aside from tourist hotel food I experienced, Chinese hotel. Chinese restaurtant, air,train, train platform, boat, dorm, teacher apartment, street, & tent food. The only thing I didn't have in China was my own cooking!

Since its been a while since I was last there, things may have changed, but one thing stands out ----- unexpectedly great food in less than great places. Places that would never pass inspection here in the West. So many come to mind just thinking about it!

The smartest thing I ever did was to keep my treasured food log. When you do go Dejah -- keep a log! You have to take time to write it out, but sometimes I just listed the dishes in my little mini tape recorder. That tape recorder was a wonderful way to keep a diary, also. I've never printed it out, but listening to it, I can hear all the sounds as I experienced it.

[Dejah]

jo-mel,

With all the new technology, which I am sure my techie hubby and kids will know all about, blogging will be easier and perhaps more graphic when I DO travel!

You know, one doesn't have to go to China to experience great food in less than great places. When I was a teenager, I worked in my uncle's large Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg. They served good food, but when we were not working, my cousins and I would head to a dingy little Chinese diner. Now that was good tradtional cooking! Cantonese, of course. I don't think any other regional styles had spread to the prairies at that time.

Jo-mel, do you use your notes in any way in your cooking classes? It would be interesting to hear about the dishes as you introduce the recipe.

[liuzhou]

I'm always in China. Been living here eight years.

[Tepee]

I think all of us got at least minor intestinal problems at some point while we were there. Then again, we got those in Malaysia, too.   

<<<Hanging my head>>> But...but...perhaps you ventured where locals fear to tread!

[hzrt8w]

I do remember hawker food, especially around North Point where we once lived.

I've probably experienced more variety in the last 20 years travelling around Canada and the US.

←

The hawker food as you knew them is virtually extinct in Hong Kong. The once street food, such as fried fish balls, fried tofu, cheung fun, chow mein, etc. are now served in big restaurants or small eateries, or "fast food" chains like Cafe de Carol. You will no longer find hawkers pushing their mobile vending carts along the street.

Remember what's once called Dai Pei Dong (like a food vending kiosk)? All gone. Thanks to HK Government's crack down and environmental control.

I left in the late 70's. Every few years when I went back to Hong Kong, I have to refresh myself in my orientation. There are so many new structures being built all the time. You haven't been back for almost 50 years, it would be practically a new experience for you.

Browse through some of these pictures and see how many places you can recognize...

http://www.geocities.com/asiaglobe/gallery/hongkong.htm

[Pan]

I'm always in China. Been living here eight years.

←

Where are you from originally?

[Pan]

I think all of us got at least minor intestinal problems at some point while we were there. Then again, we got those in Malaysia, too.   

<<<Hanging my head>>> But...but...perhaps you ventured where locals fear to tread!

←

Do you fear to tread to Terengganu?

Never mind, we should talk about this further on "Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific."

[=Mark]

So, this would likely be the right folks to answer this question; what do they call Chinese food in China?

[Yuki]

I go back to Hong Kong every summer for two months but during that time, I spend 2-4 weeks in other Asian countries. There is no great Chinese food where I live so I need to go back to Hong Kong and refresh my memories.

[jo-mel]

I'm always in China. Been living here eight years.

←

Where are you from originally?

←

Could it be --------Liuzhou?

[Pan]

I'm always in China. Been living here eight years.

←

Where are you from originally?

←

Could it be --------Liuzhou?

←

Nah, that's too easy.

I'll Google Liuzhou.

[hzrt8w]

I'm always in China. Been living here eight years.

←

Where are you from originally?

←

I believe liuzhou mentioned that he is English but now live in liuzhou (which is why he picked that name). So I assume he's originally from U.K.

[HKDave]

Are people living in Hong Kong post-1997 considered already 'in China' for the purposes of this question? People here still talk about 'going to China'.

I started visiting China about 20 years ago. HK is now my home, and for the last 8+ years I've been going to the mainland every week or two. I live near the China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong so it's very easy.... I can be at my favorite Sichuan restaurant in HouJie in about 2 hours. Yum.

[liuzhou]

Yes I am indeed originally from England. but now live in - - - - Liuzhou! (In Guangxi)

 

Incidentally, in the very first post here, the OP misquoted a poem about 4 cities to be born in. It's Liuzhou that is recommended as best to die in, not Luzhou (a different city in Sichuan). This is due to its reputation for fine coffins. These are not made from willow wood as claimed (a poor wood for coffins) but camphor and sandlewood. The coffins are rare now as burial is now illegal in mainland China. The few still made are exported (allegedly).

Edited February 27 by liuzhou (log)

[Yuki]

If everything is okay then I will be in Asian heaven for four months this year. The first one or two weeks will be spent in Beijing and Shanghai(I didn't get to go last year because my family decided that Japan is better and they don't have time to go to Shanghai and Beijing with me). When I am in Hong Kong, I will go to Guangdong during the weekend. Of course, all of these will depend on my performance in school.

[chefzadi]

Also how does it if at relate to Mongolian and Korean cookery if at all? Of course I'm also curious about how it relates to Chinese cuisine. I've often read that the Northern cuisine isn't considered as refined or notable as some of the other regions. It's bolder and more rustic?

By the way, my knowledge of Chinese cuisine is very limited, almost ZERO. But it seems to be the "motherlode" that informed so much of Korean and Japanese cuisines.

Also, maybe this is a question for an entirely different thread. Is there a Chinese culinary figure that is the equivalent of France's Escoffier? Has someone tried to systemize and document it in this way?

[Pan]

I was in Changchun for three days last August. For whatever it's worth, it seemed like there were some local kimchi-like pickles, though less hot-peppery. There were also vendors with very good flatbread in a market. Otherwise, though, I'm pretty ignorant about what would be local specialties.

[Shalmanese]

My family is from Changchun and we routinely cook northern chinese food.

I would say northern cooking typically contains a lot of regional ingredients like fungi, local spices etc. Its a food born of poverty and lots of it is making do with poor cuts of meat and stretch the few scant good cuts far. Beef is practically never eaten and pork & chicken are the main meats of choice.

I would say a major part of northern cuisine is the pickled cabbage. Nearly every family has a big pot on their back porch with salt, water and cabbage fermenting. The water is reused and eventually becomes more complex and sophisticated. Some families have the same water for over 30 years.

If you have any questions, I would be glad to try and answer them.

[chefzadi]

I found this:

"Changchun is one of the few cities in China that boasts a sizeable minority population including Manchurians, Muslims, Mongolians, Xibao and Zhuang. Located in the very center of the Dongbei Plain, Chanchun began its life in 1800 as a major granary in the north due to its unparalleled fertile soil. Within a quarter of a century, it quickly gained its fame as the rice and soy producing city of Asia."

on this website: http://www.muztagh.com/changchun/

It was also the capital of the Japanese Manchukuo state.

This goes along way in explaining the menu of a Manchurian restaurant I saw. They had Mongolian beef and Japanese sushi.

The pickling makes sense considering the cold weather.

I do have some questions though, which I'll ask later.

EDIT: I just read that there is also a sizable Korean minority in the Changchun.

Edited February 5, 2005 by chefzadi (log)

[chengb02]

Both Jilin and Liaoning provinces have a large Korean population, due in large part to their sharing a border with North Korea. Chefzadi, was the "Manchurian" restaurant you saw located in the US or China? Any traditional Manchurian restaurant would never, ever feature sushi. I also have a question, are you asking about Dongbei (Northeastern=Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang) food or actual Manchurian food? There is a big difference between Dongbei cai (Northeastern Cuisine) and the traditional food of the Manchurian ethnic group.

I could talk about Northeastern food pretty easily as my family is from Harbin (the capital of Heilongjiang), or if you are interested in Manchurian food, it will be a bit harder, but I can probably provide some info on it...

[chefzadi]

The restaurant was in the States.

I'm interested in both Manchurian cooking and the cooking of Northeastern China. Any thoughts, experiences, observations, knowledge, etc would be much appreciated.

[Pan]

For whatever it's worth, I don't think of Manchu and Manchurian to be the same thing. I do think of "Manchuria" as synonymous with Dongbei.

[touaregsand]

Both Jilin and Liaoning provinces have a large Korean population, due in large part to their sharing a border with North Korea.  Chefzadi, was the "Manchurian" restaurant you saw located in the US or China? Any traditional Manchurian restaurant would never, ever feature sushi.  I also have a question, are you asking about Dongbei (Northeastern=Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang) food or actual Manchurian food?  There is a big difference between Dongbei cai (Northeastern Cuisine) and the traditional food of the Manchurian ethnic group. 

I could talk about Northeastern food pretty easily as my family is from Harbin (the capital of Heilongjiang), or if you are interested in Manchurian food, it will be a bit harder, but I can probably provide some info on it...

←

What are the flavorings "typical" of Manchurian cookery? What type of cooking vessels were traditionally used? Prefered meats and vegetables? Are there any fermented sauces, bean pastes for instance? Is the food spicy? Pickled dishes? How is a Manchurian table set, everything served together? What are the components of a meal, rice, soup, pickle, protein dish?

looking forward to some responses.

[Ben Hong]

Do the "Manchurians" really have a distinctive cuisine? Dong bei ren maybe do.