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Cheese & Chinese Cuisine?

Richard Kilgore

By Richard Kilgore
in China: Cooking & Baking

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Laksa

Laksa

Posted
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A friend of mine once worked in Hong Kong doing marketing for a large American dairy/foods company.  One afternoon she sat in a three-hour meeting of people analysing the dismal sales of their cheese products.  After listening to all this sturm and drang, she raised her hand, "Isn't the problem that the Chinese don't like cheese?"

She also mentioned that Chinese think Westerners smell badly because of all the dairy they consume.

Could the problem be that large American dairy food companies make lousy cheese? :wink:

My parents used to tell me when I was a kid that if I eat too much bread -- more bread than rice -- my (Chinese) eyes will turn pale and become shades of blue or grey. :rolleyes:

Dinner and a Show!
jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
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There must be some basis in  fact to the adage, "to marry in Soochow, to eat in Kwangchow" is there not?  :raz:

I truely believe in Chi zai Guangzhou----, but isn't that because of the freshest of ingredients are available and the food is prepared in such a way as to keep to the Tao belief of things in the natural state? That the variety and cooking control add to the reputation of Cantonese cooking? Doesn't it mean that Sichuan or other regional foods are not less or better tasting, it's just that they are more complicated than the simple purity of the Southern regions?

Yuki

Yuki

Posted
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Could the problem be that large American dairy food companies make lousy cheese?  :wink:

My parents used to tell me when I was a kid that if I eat too much bread -- more bread than rice -- my (Chinese) eyes will turn pale and become shades of blue or grey.  :rolleyes:

The most dominant cheese product in the refrigerator of most supermarket is probably processed cheese slice(talking about introducing good cheese to the Chinese agh.....). Cream cheese is also popular probably due to Hong Kong's obsession with cheesecakes. Other types of cheese such as mascarphone for tiramisu and flavoured cream cheese are also common now. But over all, eating cheese alone is probably not popular.

And now, everyone in Hong Kong seems to be on a diet, so eating large amount of fat is probably not recommended by the nutritionist.

Anyways, can anyone think of a way to incorportae Cheese into Chinese cooking? I know that Tofu is now can be used in many Western dishes, but how about the reverse?

Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
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Cheese as a substitute for stinky tofu???

We once had a dinner party, all Chinese food, but our guest brought pears and gorgonzola cheese as a dessert. My wife liked it so much she later used the leftover cheese to stuff fried tofu and made a "mock stinky tofu."

Yuki

Yuki

Posted
Posted
Cheese as a substitute for stinky tofu???

How do you eat your stinky tofu? I like it either deep fried and then covered with lots of hot sauce and sweet sauce or steamed with chopped vegetables and pork.

I can't imagine substituting my beloved stinky tofu with cheese.

Who would eat deep fried cheese with hot sauce and sweet sauce? :shock: Or steamed cheese?

Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
Posted
Anyways, can anyone think of a way to incorportae Cheese into Chinese cooking? I know that Tofu is now can be used in many Western dishes, but how about the reverse?

I think the biggest problem is that cheese melts in cooking, and as such has no cognates in Chinese cuisine that I can think of. It's probably harder to incorporate new techniques and forms into a mature cuisine than new ingredients.

jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted
I think the biggest problem is that cheese melts in cooking, and as such has no cognates  in Chinese cuisine that I can think of.  It's probably harder to incorporate new techniques and forms into a mature cuisine than new ingredients.

The only dish that I can think of that would accept melted cheese is that classic Cabbage with Cream Sauce. Cheese would melt in with the milk, but then the simple fresh tastes of the basic flavorings would be loss. Even in a stewed dish, the cheese might overpower or alter the traditional flavors.

Even the 'fusion cooks' haven't fooled with cheese --- or have they? (Rangoons not included)

Pan

Pan

Posted
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Who would eat deep fried cheese with hot sauce and sweet sauce?

I've had deep-fried cheese before, and I can imagine having the right cheese with hot sauce or perhaps (this is a bit harder for me to imagine) sweet sauce.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
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I've had deep-fried cheese before, and I can imagine having the right cheese with hot sauce or perhaps (this is a bit harder for me to imagine) sweet sauce.

In Wisconsin, deep-fried cheese curd (horrors) has become the rage, from what I've read. Not sure if they serve it with dipping sauces, but wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Pan

Pan

Posted
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Saganaki is a good dish, and while the cheese isn't deep fried, it is browned on all sides before being flambeed. I've also had an Italian type of fried cheese. I'm not talking about Italian-American mozarella sticks, but something more authentic. I don't remember the name of it, and I found it overly buttery (because of what it was fried in and how much sauce was spooned over it).

Michael aka "Pan"

 

  • 3 weeks later...
dornachu

dornachu

Posted
Posted

Hi all-

Sorry for my super late reply, I usually hang out at the Japan forum, but I decided to check this forum out as well!! What a wonderful place!

I was born in the states, but grew up in HK, and came back to the states for college and grad school- just my little background. Although I grew up in HK, my taste for chinese food is more towards the northern chinese cuisine, not so much for the cantonese style.

Anyways, in regards to cheese. In HK, a very popular dish in the 80s and 90s is "Baked Lobster with Cheese Sauce". Everybody loves it, so don't say that Chinese doesn't like cheese!!!

jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
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Hi all-

Anyways, in regards to cheese.  In HK, a very popular dish in the 80s and 90s is "Baked Lobster with Cheese Sauce".  Everybody loves it, so don't say that Chinese doesn't like cheese!!!

Cheese as in, say---- cheddar?

dornachu

dornachu

Posted
Posted

You know, I haven't had this dish in ages, I can't remember what kind of cheese they used, but I don't think it's cheddar, it's lighter in color, but definately "cheesy". Its very yummy.

hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted
Cheese as in, say---- cheddar?

The knowledge about cheese in the Hong Kong Chinese population is very limited. We didn't know that many varieties of cheese. Kraft is probably the most predominant brand in the area. My guess is either cheddar or swiss, probably more likely swiss.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
dornachu

dornachu

Posted
Posted
The knowledge about cheese in the Hong Kong Chinese population is very limited.  We didn't know that many varieties of cheese.  Kraft is probably the most predominant brand in the area.  My guess is either cheddar or swiss, probably more likely swiss.

I agree with you that knowledge about cheese is limited. However, I am very sure that it is not swiss. I'm going back to HK at the end of this month, and I'll find out for all of you!

Yuki

Yuki

Posted
Posted
The knowledge about cheese in the Hong Kong Chinese population is very limited.  We didn't know that many varieties of cheese.  Kraft is probably the most predominant brand in the area.  My guess is either cheddar or swiss, probably more likely swiss.

I don't think it is swiss, most likely cheddar, mozerella or parmesan cheese. Cream cheese is very popular for desserts if you consider it a "cheese".

I wonder what they make cheese sauce out of, I think it is most likely cheese powder or processed cheese.

Laksa

Laksa

Posted
Posted
Cheese as in, say---- cheddar?

I've had a similar dish in Malaysia and Singapore. I always assumed that it was a version of Lobster Thermidor, so I'm guessing it was parmesan.

Dinner and a Show!
jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted
I've had a similar dish in Malaysia and Singapore.  I always assumed that it was a version of Lobster Thermidor, so I'm guessing it was parmesan.

I wondered about parmesan as both Thermidor and my absolute fav -- Lobster Savannah (Locke Ober / Boston) --use parmesan.

Surfing, I found this link to a HongKong lobster recipe with cheese, but it doesn't answer the cheese question, as it calls for "soft" cheese. Cream cheese?

http://www.nicemeal.com/seafood/seafood12.html

jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted
This has to be the most challenging first step of any recipe I have encountered:

:blink:  :shock:

ROTFL! With a hollow chopstick of course!

I hadn't looked at the directions -- just the ingredients, so missed that nugget!

Wonder what the author was trying to say?

hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted
Wonder what the author was trying to say?

Help the lobster change diaper before you cook it?

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
Susan G

Susan G

Posted
Posted

"How to cath your lobster". Ergh.

I'm a canning clean freak because there's no sorry large enough to cover the, "Oops! I gave you botulism" regrets.

  • 1 year later...
Tepee

Tepee

Posted
Posted

There's some argument in this thread on whether a true-yellow chinese likes cheese.

Without getting too agitated about logistics and sample sizes, why don't we do an in-house survey here?

Starting with me...I love cheese, so do my kids. But, hubby......can only stand cheddar and mozarella. My parents don't eat it...that's because they don't really take western food. However, my MIL (in her 60s) has no problems with cheese.

TPcal!

Food Pix (plus others)

Please take pictures of all the food you get to try (and if you can, the food at the next tables)............................Dejah

sheetz

sheetz

Posted
Posted

I don't count because I'm American born, so this is my impression of folks from China and HK. People who immigrated late in life don't like it. Others who immigrated in their late teens and 20s will eat milder forms of cheese and the processed stuff like Velveeta, but not the very strongly flavored cheeses.

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