Do you like LUCAI(SHANDONG FOODS)?

[Pan]

Thanks, tanspace. I've spun off a separate thread on Korean-Chinese restaurants on the New York board. Please feel free to offer any further relevant insights there.

[jo-mel]

William -- I'm curious. What is the source and meaning of the word "LU"  for Shangdong?  The meaning I get is less than desirable!   For Lucai --- it would be 'crude food'??

Anyone else have an answer?

My office's resident expert tells me that "Lu" is an alternate name for Shandong (like "Hu" for Shangai) and that it derives from one of the names for Confucius, who was born in the state of Lu.

[Edited for clarity]

Thanks Gary. Makes sense.

I was just going to ask about the "Hu" for Shanghai, but I googled it and found:

Close to the area that is now Shanghai, was the Song River, now called Wu Song River, once named "Hu Du" and the character for "Hu" evolved into the present character now used, and is what Shanghai is called for short.

"Hu" was also the name of a bamboo ?paling? that was planted in the rivers.

Whew!!

Is Shanghainese food also called Hucai, as Shandong food is called Lucai?

[Gary Soup]

Is Shanghainese food also called Hucai, as Shandong food is called Lucai?

Nope. The only name Shanghainese cuisine seems to have for itself is "Benbang." I have no idea where the term comes from, but it typically refers to red-cooked dishes. Other terms like Su-Hang (or Jiang-Zhe), Huai-Yang and Jiangnan reflect Shanghai's role as a crossroads or focus of several local styles.

[william huang]

GARY SOUP and TANSPACE have made good answer.I think their answer will make you clearly.

[hzrt8w]

BTW, Cantonese dumplings aren't boiled, not to my knowledge.

They normally would be steamed or fried.

The most traditional filling for Cantonese would be pork.

The quote statements are not quite correct. The term "dumpling" for translating Cantonese food items is used very broadly.

Dumpling can be used to describe wonton, or shui gao (similar to the jiaozi in Mandarin). It that case, they are boiled.

Dumpling can be used to describe siu mei, har gow and such as dim sum dishes. In that case, they are steamed or fried (e.g. fried wonton).

As for fillings, they can be pork, beef, shrimp, chicken and in recent years scallops and even lobsters, depending on what "dumpling" one is referring to.

[hzrt8w]

William -- I'm curious. What is the source and meaning of the word "LU" for Shangdong? The meaning I get is less than desirable! For Lucai --- it would be 'crude food'??

Jo-mel: Lu is the ancient name for modern-day ShangDong. Chinese tradition has it that many ancient names for provinces, or just simply "regions", are only single-character in length (unlike the modern-day naming consisting of 2 or even 3 characters). While used as the name of a place, then such word should not be taken for it's literal meaning.

[herbacidal]

The quote statements are not quite correct. The term "dumpling" for translating Cantonese food items is used very broadly.

Dumpling can be used to describe wonton, or shui gao (similar to the jiaozi in Mandarin). It that case, they are boiled.

Dumpling can be used to describe siu mei, har gow and such as dim sum dishes. In that case, they are steamed or fried (e.g. fried wonton).

As for fillings, they can be pork, beef, shrimp, chicken and in recent years scallops and even lobsters, depending on what "dumpling" one is referring to.

I suppose you're right.

I'm using what in my eyes would be a strict definition for dumpling.

I don't really consider the rest dumplings at all.

[Pan]

Herb, have you been to one of those big eating halls in Manhattan like Jing Fong where you are asked whether you want "Shrimp Dumpling Soup"? Well, probably not, as I guess they ask you in Chinese. But take my word for it. Yes, the "shrimp dumplings" are boiled.

[Qing]

Hi,

William Hung, I just saw your concert in HK.

You're world famous now.

My mother form ShanDong also, her hometown is YuCheng. Actually, the Dao Kou Shao Ji is from YuCheng.

My mother like the roast chicken very much, and she always ask people from her hometown bring some wine preserved date.

I like the wine date best, do you have any? Ha....

[Pan]

Date wine? Do they make wine from dates in Shandong?

[Qing]

Pan,

It is a wine preserved DATE.

It has the date's sweet taste and the mixture with strong rice liquior flavour.

I can't describe it any more. I know its name is 醉枣(Drunken Date).

If any of my mother's friends come back from Shan Dong, I will bring you guys some of them.

[Pan]

Thanks for clarifying. I love dates and would love to try those.

[william huang]

Hi,

William Hung, I just saw your concert in HK.

You're world famous now.

My mother form ShanDong also, her hometown is YuCheng. Actually, the Dao Kou Shao Ji is from YuCheng.

My mother like the roast chicken very much, and she always ask people from her hometown bring some wine preserved date.

I like the wine date best, do you have any?  Ha....

←

oh,I am glad know that news which I was world famous now

禹城Yucheng, I knew from map just now, sorry, I really didn't know. I think it(禹城）belongs to 德州（dezhou). dezhou shaoji are very famous.

and, you have mentioned date which I like very much. The most famous is called 金丝小枣 和 冬枣(dongzao), but I am sorry I haven't ate the real 金丝小枣and 东枣. may be I can beg my friend bring some for me during the National Day. may be i can give you a little.

[Pan]

William, I'm glad you're posting again.

I had some little pastries filled with smoked date paste at the end of a meal in a traditional tea house/restaurant in Shanghai. Nice stuff!

[chengb02]

My office's resident expert tells me that "Lu" is an alternate name for Shandong (like "Hu" for Shangai) and that it derives from one of the names for Confucius, who was born in the state of Lu.

[Edited for clarity]

Thanks Gary. Makes sense.

I was just going to ask about the "Hu" for Shanghai, but I googled it and found:

←

[Kapuliperson]

ni hao ma! wo hui shuo diar guo yu, huan ying ni