A pictorial guide to Chinese cooking ingredients

[liuzhou]

 

Crayfish get complicated. Especially in China. 10 years ago, although a few people knew what they were, next to no-one ate them. The one species of Chinese crayfish, Cambaroides dauricus was (and still is) very rare and they are very small, so not really worth eating. Today in 2024, it is said that 90% of all crayfish eaten by humans are done so in China.

 

But first the name. For a start, as I’m sure everyone knows, they are not fish but crustaceans. More importantly, they go under four common names in English. All are derived from the Old French word crevisse, at first spelled creusses (wih ‘u’ being pronounced as ‘v’ in Old English). This first appeared in the early 1400s. In modern French, it is écrevisse.

 

By 1555 this had morphed into crefysshe, the earliest fish-like reference, found in Richard Eden's Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India (eG-friendly Amazon.com link).

 

Crawfish followed in 1624 in The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) by Capt. John Smith, now mainly known for his part in the Pocahontas myths and legends.

 

“They caught‥great craw-fishes.”

 

More recent arrivals are crawdad (in an 1878 Indiana magazine) and its variant crawdaddy (1901 in a Minnesota news paper, The Globe).

 

In China they are 小龙虾 (xiǎo lóng xiā). This literally means ‘small dragon shrimp’ but more pragmatically means ‘little lobster’. This can be misleading as some restaurants drop the ‘small’ part on their menus leaving the diners expecting lobster but getting crayfish. Price is your best guide. Lobster is much, much more expensive; one lobster will cost more than 2 kg of crayfish. I've never heard of any restaurant charging lobster prices for crayfish. An older name, 螯虾 (áo xiā) is less ambiguous, meaning 'nipper (or chela) shrimp', but I guess the marketing people saw that one off.

 

Having sorted out names (at least in two languages) there is still confusion. Where do the things come from?

 

The crayfish eaten today, Astacus fluviatilis were first imported to East Asia in the 1930s from Louisiana in the USA, to Japan. To feed not humans but bullfrogs which were and remain a popular protein. The frogs were imported from the USA, too.

 

Only during the years after World War 2, did Japanese troops introduce the Louisiana crayfish to China. They were still largely shunned as being unfit for human consumption although they did for a time become popular pets.

 

However some people, mainly rural peasant farmers, were eating them as a cheap or even free food supply. In the 2000s, many of these people, especially the younger generations, left their homes to seek employment in the cities when China became the world’s factory and the economy was starting to boom. Like migrants everywhere, they took their food culture with them and their new neighbours were happy to supply them with their needs.

 

By 2016, the number being eaten had risen hugely and a trend developed, first in Shanghai then across China. Crayfish became a hugely popular meal among mainly young people in the same way as the various hotpots across China are enjoyed. As a communal activity.

 

Groups of friends began to meet over huge platters of crayfish, peeling them themselves and washing them down with beers. Informal, messy and great fun! They would get through kilos of the critters – 20 kg for a party of four is not uncommon. This continues to this day.

 

Crayfish farms began to sprout up all over China but especially in Hebei and Jiangsu provinces – it is no coincidence these border Beijing and Shanghai, respectively.

 

Today, live crayfish are ubiquitous; supermarkets carry them in huge tankfuls and I can have them delivered to my door live or cooked in twenty minutes.

 

Crayfish in my local supermarket

 

So how are they cooked, you rightfully ask.

 

Generally, they are stir-fried with popular seasonings such as garlic, or with Beijing’s 13-spice mix.

13-Spice Powder

 

麻辣 (má là), the well known Sichuan flavour of Sichuan pepper and chilli is also a popular choice. The liquid component of any sauce is often beer although that's usually mostly boiled off; it tends to be a dry but sticky dish.

 

Mala crayfish being cooked

 

You can even get your crayfish fix at KFC or Pizza Hut where they throw them on pizzas.

 

 

You may have come across Lay’s crayfish chips / crisps which are now sold through Amazon, but originated in China.

 

 

All that said, I seldom eat them. Too much pain for so little gain. I’m sure de-shelling them and finding the meat consumes more calories than they replace! Give me real lobsters! Hang the expense!

 

 

Edited September 16 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Chinese cuisine is possibly best known for its rapid cook stir-frying techniques but they know how to take it slow, too. One dish is known both for its unusual name and for its lengthy cooking time.

 

I’m talking about Fujian province’s well-known (at least in China) signature dish, 佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng). Fujian lies on China’s south-eastern coast opposite the island of Taiwan. This location means that seafood is a major part of the cuisine.

 

Yes, despite China’s preference this dish uses a lot of dried ingredients alongside the fresh. It must have been dreamt up by a Qing dynasty Chinese Ottolenghi, containing as it does eighteen or more ingredients depending on the chef.

 

佛跳墙 (fó tiào qiáng) translates as Buddha “Leaps the Wall” or is commonly mistranslated as Buddha jumps over the wall. This is said to refer to a Buddhist monk who, having smelled the dish being made, broke his vows by leaving his monastery and sampling the decidedly non-vegetarian dish. It is reported that when he was chastised he said that even the Buddha himself would not have been able to resist. Not that all Chinese Buddhist’s are vegetarian. The Dalai Lama isn’t.

 

The most common ingredients involved in this long cooked stew or soup-like dish include:

 

1. Lean pork (瘦肉 - shòu ròu)

 

 

2. Silkie chicken (乌骨鸡 - wū gǔ jī)

 

 

3. Chicken’s feet (凤爪 - fèng zhǎo)

 

 

4. Dried or fresh abalone (鲍鱼 - bào yú)

 

 

5. Pigeon (鸽蛋 - gē dàn) or quail eggs (鹌鹑蛋 - ān chún dàn)

 

Pigeon Eggs

 

Quail eggs

 

6. Deer leg tendons (鹿 筋)

 

 

7. Fish swim bladder (鱼肚 - yú dǔ)

 

 

8. Dried scallops (扇贝干 - shàn bèi gān)

 

 

9. Sea Cucumber (海参 - hǎi shēn)

 

 

10. Shark Fin (鱼翅 - yú chì)

 

 

A few years back the communist party banned the use of sharks fins at official functions, although they are still available. However, awareness of the cruelty involved in harvesting them has resulted in a sharp decline in their consumption.

 

Instead artificial fin made from konjak is being used to supply the desired texture. Less often, sharks skin is substituted.

 

Shark Skin

 

Then the herbal components all of which are considered to be medicinal.

 

11. Angelica sinensis (当归 - dāng guī)

 

 

12. Astragalus L. (黄芪 - huáng qí)

 

 

 

13. Codonopsis pilosula (党参dǎng shēn)

 

 

14. Cordceps militaris (虫草花 - chóng cǎo huā)

 

 

15. Dried  Chinese Yam (淮山 - huái shān）

 

 

16. Goji Berries (枸杞 - gǒu qǐ）

 

 

17. Jujubes (枣子 - zǎo zi)

 

 

18. Ginger (姜 - jiāng)

 

 

19. Solomon’s Seal - (兰 qián lán).

 

 

20. Codonopsis pilosula (党参 - dǎng shēn)

 

 

21. Ginseng (人参 - rén shēn)

 

 

After that lengthy list, thankfully the cooking instructions are short to relate but long to achieve. Bung the lot, except for the eggs, into a slow cooker with chicken stock and good quality Shaoxing wine and simmer for six hours. Refrigerate overnight. Next day boil the eggs then heat up the stew, add the eggs and stand back to avoid leaping Buddhists.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 16 by liuzhou (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

Good Lord! I take it that this is a festival dish not a typical weeknight dinner.

[liuzhou]

4 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Good Lord! I take it that this is a festival dish not a typical weeknight dinner.

 

indeed. Not necessarily a festival dish, but almost exclusively a restaurant dish. I don't know anyone who makes it at home. I have eaten it in Fujian, but although it was OK, I'm not planning to rush back.

 

[liuzhou]

 

山箭菜 (shān jiàn cài) or 本山箭 (běn shān jiàn), wasabi (Japanese: わさび) is not used in Chinese cuisine although many people are partial to sushi and sashimi (both of which originated in China, but then fell out of favour until reintroduced when there was a trend for Japanese food some twenty years ago. All the ‘Japanese’ restaurants were Chinese-owned and most have now gone, although supermarkets and some small shacks still sell sushi with decidedly Chinese characteristics.

 

However China, despite generally loathing the Japanese, have a yen for some Japanese Yen (and their electronic goods and cameras). Today, wasabi is grown in various parts of China. Most is exported to Japan, although I do manage to get hold of some escapees.

 

I’ve never seen it in any store, but can get it by express delivery online. It comes with dire warnings as to storing it correctly. I am advised to store it between 0℃ and 6℃ for a maximum of 14 days. It should not be frozen or stored at room temperature.

 

This bag, from Yunnan province, contains 36g of vacuum-packed fresh wasabi root and cost approximately $4 USD. However delivery cost another $3.20. Still, to me, it’s worth it. I could buy a 100g bag with no increase in the delivery charge, but I wouldn't get through it in 14 days.

 

 

Of course, it tastes much better when grated properly using my sharkskin wasabi grater.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 25 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

... and here for your perusal is 500g of donkey meat. Not cheap; ￥88. About double the cost of beef.

 

 

The julienned ginger is added as it is thought to prevent 'off smells' or 'gaminess' in some meats. Lamb often gets the same treatment.

 

Guess what's on my menu tonight.

 

(Thinking about it though, some donkey sashimi might go well with the wasabi above.)

 

 

Edited June 25 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

I guess it would be dishonest of me to omit this. It is a Chinese ingredient and some eat it, although very few. For home cooking, it is usually only available in 'farmer's markets' but there are restaurants serving dishes containing it, especially hotpots. In fact, many of those restaurants sell little else. I’ve never seen it in any supermarket.

 

You won't easily find the restaurants selling it any of the popular tourist places but they can be found, particularly in Jilin Province in NE China by the North Korean border and here in Guangxi where I live. I have seen them in Beijing, although those there were ordered to temporarily close during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. There are such restaurants within fewer than five minutes walk from my home. They never closed despite the Olympics’ historic link with Liuzhou*.

 

Today, I was perusing my grocery delivery app for some meat for dinner when, to my surprise, I saw a listing and photograph for 香肉 (xiāng ròu). 肉 (ròu) means meat, while 香 (xiāng) means ‘fragrant’ or ‘aromatic’. Together they are a dialectal euphemism for dog meat, more standardly 狗肉 (gǒu ròu). I’ve never seen it advertised in this way before.

 

Don’t worry! I didn’t buy it. Not out of any ethical concerns or sentiment, but simply because I don’t consider it to be good meat. Carnivorous mammals seldom, if ever are.

 

Anyway, it’s ¥38 / $5.33 USD for 500g / 1.1 lbs.

 

* 李宁 (lǐ níng), Li Ning, is a gymnast who was the People’s Republic of China’s first Olympic champion when he won three gold, two silver and one bronze in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. This was also the first Olympics in which the PRC participated.

 

After retiring from gymnastics he founded what is now one of China’s largest sports’ goods companies. He also lit the Olympic torch at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

 

He is a native Liuzhou citizen and returns often. The local sports’ stadium, the building of which he mainly sponsored, is named after him. I have met him several times. We didn't eat 'fragrant meat'.

This is the image from the online listing. Why it's coloured like this, I don't know.

 

 

Edited August 24 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Somewhat inspired by the turkey-free Thanksgiving topic, I thought I’d look at what birds are available to me here apart from chicken and duck which I have looked at before.

 

Turkey 🦃 is available but takes a bit of searching out. It is not a popular meat in China or in my mouth! It is known as 火鸡 (huǒ jī), literally ‘fire chicken 🔥🐔’. I’m told nearly all turkey goes to pet food manufacturers. The rest goes to ex-pat Americans in Shanghai around this time of year. I’ve never see it sold in markets or supermarkets here in Guangxi, although a few restaurants do have it on their menus, but always in a Chinese style preparation. Few have ovens! That said, there is a turkey farm on the outskirts of the city which is where I got the pet food information.

 

Turkeys currently on sale today range through $35 for a 5-6 kg bird; $60 for a 6-7kg; $70 for a 7-8 kg. The latter two are imported from Russia, whereas the first is domestically produced.

 

Goose

 

Goose, known as 鹅 (é) is more popular, especially in the south and in Hong Kong. Cantonese restaurants throughout China have it on their menus, roasted. They do have ovens. Again I’d say few people cook it at home. Even fewer people have ovens at home. Whole birds are anywhere between $25 and $50.

 

Roast Goose

 

鸽子 (gē zi), pigeon or 雏鸽  (chú gē), squab are considered medicinal in TCM and are often used to make restorative pigeon soups. Wildly available for home cooking in supermarkets and on-line delivery, live or dressed. Prices for uncooked pigeons range from $4.50 to $13 depending on size. They are also roasted in Cantonese restaurants as well as appearing in other Chinese style dishes such as hot pots and stir fries.

 

Pigeons in my Market

 

Pigeon

 

 

 

Roast Pigeon

 

Another common alternative bird is 鹌鹑 (ān chún), quail. These are much easier to find. For home cooking, they can be found in larger supermarkets but I can also buy them from the delivery food companies. They come live or dressed, as you prefer. Quail tend to cost around $4.50 to $5.50 per bird. There is no cost for dressing them. Grilled quail on a stick is a common roadside or food street snack.

 

Quail

 

Roast Quail

 

I very occasionally see people selling pheasant on the streets like this man.

 

 

They are wild caught; the pheasants not the men. I’ve never bought any here in China. I’m not sure exactly what type of pheasant they are; China has several native species. Also, there are literally dozens of different names for the birds in Chinese. The most common is 雉鸡  (zhì jī). Despite the plethora of names, the actual birds are rare. Be careful! 野鸡 (yě jī) means pheasant, but is also slang for prostitute. I’ve never bought any of them either.

 

 

[liuzhou]

Somehow, I for got to mention 鸵鸟 (tuó niǎo), ostrich in my last post above. Although I've never seen it in any store or market here, it is widely farmed, even in Liuzhou, mainly for their feathers. However the meat is available although most seems to go to pet food.

 

I can, however, buy it online for delivery. The problem is what is used for human consumption goes to the restaurants and I have to buy most cuts, including their offal, in bulk from 1kg to 10 g in some cases. Way too much for little me. I have eaten it in restaurants several times.

 

The only practical size for me is leg meat which I can buy in 500g (1.1 lb) packs for around $8 USD. Other available cuts include neck, belly, ribs and wings. Offal includes liver, gizzard, heart, palms tendons and intestines. Eggs are easier to find.

 

The meat is very similar to beef in appearance and texture, but gamier. Used in stir fries and hotpots.

 

Ostrich Leg

 

I can have live baby ostriches delivered should I take the notion to start an ostrich farm in my spare bedroom. $90 to $270 depending on age.

 

Peacocks are also available but not for eating so  far as I know. Although I bet some people have. Peacocks are around $300 with the rare white variety much more.

 

 

Edited Monday at 01:37 PM by liuzhou (log)

[Smithy]

9 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I can have live baby ostriches delivered should I take the notion to start an ostrich farm in my spare bedroom.

 

Thank you for this entertaining mental image! 😀