Fan tuan: sticky rice roll It's a Chinese breakfast burrito! Glutinous rice is wrapped around different fillings. Common insides include you zha gui, shredded pork, and pickled vegetables. These rice rolls are great for breakfast on the go because they usually end up pre-wrapped from the preparation process (think: sushi). I love the way the gooeyness of the outside rice pairs with the crunch of vegetables and the Chinese doughnut. What a great way to start the day! Any breakfast treat … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Pickled Cucumber Salad
April 24, 2015 4 Comments
Pickled cucumber salad: cucumbers marinated in a sweet and salty mixture I hate pickles. They're too sour for me. Often, they make my mouth pucker. However, I really enjoy pickled cucumber salad. It's marinated in rice vinegar. There's a hint of tartness, but that's counterbalanced by a sweet (and sometimes spicy) flavor. The key to a nice cucumber salad is in its crispness. This salad is often served as an appetizer, and with its mix of contrasting tastes, it whets the appetite for the … [Read more...]
Spiral Mooncake
April 17, 2015 2 Comments
Spiral mooncake: puff pastry version of the mooncake Sometimes you can elevate mooncakes into works of edible art. When I first discovered these spiral-shaped pastries, I was fascinated. I have a love-hate relationship with mooncakes. Some taste just okay, but I love the symbolism behind them. Usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, they're circular, dense treats. The beauty of spiral mooncakes is in their fluffy layers. Think: phyllo dough. Shaping the dough requires skill, and I … [Read more...]
Tomb-Sweeping Day
April 13, 2015 Leave a Comment
"Love is a warm fire to keep the soul warm." April 5th marked Ching Ming, a time when families gather together to honor their ancestors. The literal meaning of the festival is "clear and bright," which offers an odd juxtaposition of cheerfulness with solemnity. Traditional rituals include sweeping graves, along with warm weather activities like kite flying (because the festival happens near the coming of spring). I'm not one for mandated holidays, but I think it's important to recognize and … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Fried Shrimp Ball
April 3, 2015 4 Comments
Fried shrimp ball: crispy shrimp delicacy served at dim sum This was one of the dim sum treats that I fell in love with as a child. They reminded me of eating pom poms. Of course, the most exciting part of the food was the crunchy little tentacles that stuck out of the ball. (One of my kids insists on just eating the "crunchies," which kind of defeats the purpose of eating a shrimp ball.) It's a deep-fried delicacy, so I imagine it's highly unhealthy. But once in a while, you're … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Peking Duck
March 13, 2015 Leave a Comment
Peking duck: renowned Chinese dish, consisting of roasted duck, served with pancakes Turns out that my brother’s a big fan of Peking duck, so this post is for you, bro! While I’ve debated the merits of roast duck and Peking duck before, I’m concentrating today on this imperial dish. Indeed, Peking duck was known to be served to the emperor during the Yuan Dynasty. And in the mid-20th century, it became a national symbol of China’s culinary delights to tourists and diplomats. Peking duck … [Read more...]
What is the Lantern Festival?
February 17, 2015 10 Comments
"You will have many bright days soon." Right at the end of the Chinese New Year celebration is the Lantern Festival. This happens the 15th day of the first month in the lunar year. It happens to fall on March 5, 2015 this year. It marks the last day of the Spring Festival. People go out at night and watch brilliantly lit lanterns in the sky. Sometimes riddles are placed on these lanterns. Participants of the festivities who can guess the right answer win a prize. Tang yuan (sticky rice balls … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Deep-Fried Ghost
February 13, 2015 7 Comments
Deep-fried ghost: you zha gui (Cantonese) is basically a long Chinese doughnut Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, patriotic hero General Yue Fei was persecuted by the wicked Qin Hui and his wife. The traitorous couple even had the general executed. In anger, a baker decided to make two dough sticks, which represented the cruel husband and wife, and fried them up. Traditionally, the doughnut is made from two-foot long rolls joined in the middle. Bland by itself, you zha gui is … [Read more...]
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival?
January 26, 2015 9 Comments
"The Chinese ancient civilization attracts you." This year Chinese New Year lands on February 19, 2015. Since it's based on the lunar calendar, the start date of CNY shifts annually. The celebration typically lasts about fifteen days. A "Wood Goat" year is slotted for 2015, an event that only happens every 60 years. Since the 20th century, this festive time period has also been known as the Spring Festival in China. This is because when the Chinese adopted the Gregorian calendar in … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Tofu Fah
January 9, 2015 1 Comment
Tofu fah: smooth pudding-like tofu snack A versatile dish, tofu fah can be served in either warm or cold weather. (People enjoy it iced in the summer months or heated in the winter season.) Apparently, in northern China it's called "tofu brains." Thankfully, my family's from the southern region, where it's known as fah or "flower." The best way to think of this dish is as a kind of tofu soup. It can be salty or sweet, depending on the accompanying liquid. I prefer the sugary version. The … [Read more...]
