The Beking roast duck

Those ducks are one of the China most famous food !

Last summer I went to Beijing together with my father .We enjoyed our trip with eating Beijing’s specialty .Surely we eagered to the Quanjude,which is famous for Peking Roast Duck.

Quanjude (Chinese: 全聚德) is a famous Chinese restaurant known for its trademark Quanjude Peking Roast Duck and its longstanding culinary heritage since its establishment in 1864 in Beijing, China .

We ordered half of the duck for two of us ,then waited for a long time.When the waiter came to our table with that mouth-watering duck. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the duck when the chef was cutting the duck for us.One thing to mention,the cutting of the duck just like a nice performance that the chef have to cut the duck in front of the customer.

Traditionally, the duck’s crispy skin (with a small amount of meat attached) is shaved off at the table and served with steamed “lotus leaf pancakes” (Chinese: 荷叶饼; pinyin: héyè bǐng), slivered green Chinese onion, and sweet noodle sauce (Chinese: 甜面酱; pinyin: tiánmiànjiàng). Pieces of duck skin are placed on the pancake, along with the sauce and scallions. The pancake is then rolled up and eaten. the rest of the duck meat, as well as the extremities, are served separately. In restaurants, dripped grease from the duck and the remaining bones are prepared for the patron to take away and use in cooking at home. Alternatively, the bones can be used to make a broth.

There is, however, now considerable variation in the serving of Peking duck. This is especially the case in the West, where the dish is often served by Cantonese restaurants. In carving the duck, some restaurants serve the skin separately from the meat. Mu xu pancakes (Chinese: 木须饼, pinyin: mù xū bǐng; or 薄饼, pinyin: báo bǐng, literally “thin pancakes”) are often used in place of lotus leaf pancakes. Other restaurants use pocket bread or mantou (steamed bun) in place of pancakes. A piece of cucumber is sometimes served along with the scallions to balance the strong flavour and grease.

Some restaurants serve the duck “three ways”. In addition to the pancake wrap and the broth, the remaining meat will often be simply stir-fried, or diced, stir-fried, and eaten wrapped in fresh lettuc.

If you are fancy in these amazing dish you can read more about the recipe here .

And if you are so luck that you get a chance to visit Beijing . You can not miss it ,or it will be a regart .You probably could read this article to help you to find where to eat the best Beijing roast duck!

Just take your time and enjoy~=)!

The fruit from China -peach

Many people like peach while they seem never get a close look at this fruit.

I was just thinking about this lovely-looking  fruits yesterday.And was wondering how long I haven’t taste that  succulent fruits .Although I could buy they in Macao from the supermarket or those fruit store .Frankly ,I even don’t notice if there is fresh peach.I have seem the peach tin everywhere.But I still miss the fresh ones

.

This is a kind of peach ,and we call it Nectarines.

TIPS FOR NECTATINES 

The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though grocers treat fuzzy peaches and nectarines as different fruits, they belong to the same species. Nectarines have arisen many times from fuzzy peaches, often as bud sports. Nectarines can be white, yellow, clingstone, or freestone. Regular peach trees occasionally produce a few nectarines, and vice versa. Their flesh is more easily bruised than fuzzy peaches. The history of the nectarine is unclear; the first recorded mention is from 1616 in England, but they had probably been grown much earlier in central Asia.

The city of Feng Hua ,which near my hometown Ningbo  is famous for it’s high quality juicy peach.

I still remember we went to the peach hills to pick them during that summer holiday ,probably eight or night years ago.That’s really a life-long-memory!The peaches are so fresh that I ate a lot till my stomach was suffering =)

The history of peach 

The scientific name persica derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia (now Iran). The modern botanical consensus is that they originate in China, and were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the Silk Road in early historical times, probably by about 2000 BC (Huxley et al. 1992)

 Culture

Peaches are known in China and Japan not only as a popular fruit but for the many folktales and traditions associated with it.

In China, the peach was said to be consumed by the immortals due to its mystic virtue of conferring longevity on all who ate them. The divinity Yu Huang, also called the Jade Emperor, and his mother called Xi Wangmu also known as Queen Mother of the West. Xi Wangmu ensured the gods’ everlasting existence by feeding them the peaches of immortality. The immortals residing in the palace of Xi Wangmu were said to celebrate an extravagant banquet called the Pantao Hui or “The Feast of Peaches”. The immortals waited six thousand years before gathering for this magnificent feast; the peach tree put forth leaves once every thousand years and it required another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen. Ivory statues depicting Xi Wangmu’s attendants often held three peaches.

The peach often plays an important part in Chinese tradition and is symbolic of long life. One example is in the peach-gathering story of Zhang Daoling, who many say is the true founder of Taoism. Elder Zhang Guo, one of the Chinese Eight Immortals, is often depicted carrying a Peach of Immortality. The peach blossoms are also highly prized in Chinese culture, ranked slightly lower than mei blossom.

Due to its luscious taste and soft texture, in ancient China “peach” was also a slang word for “young bride”, and it has remained in many cultures as a way to define pretty young women (as in English, with peachy or peachy keen).

Continue -Shengjian &Dou hua

Yah,the Douhua is a kind of breakfast usually eaten by the eastern parts of China ,while the southerner perfers to service it as a dessert or snack for the breaktime.

I used to have Douhua with shengjian or xiaolongbao or Cifantuan quite often during the past time,say we can still see many small breakfast inn.But now most of the little booths are replaced by noshery-chain

.

In Taiwan, douhua is served with toppings like cooked peanuts, azuki beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans and a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.

In Hong Kong it is known as bean curd dessert, or by the name dau fu fa (豆腐花) in Cantonese. There, it can be served with ginger or syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black sesame paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk. Traditionally it is made with wooden bucket, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花). Dau fu fa is also sold as packed cold dessert at supermarkets.

Guangdounese have these kind of dessert for hundreds of years while the people in northern China

eat douhua with soy sauce as a breakfast , thus making a salty flavour.

As in my hometown we usually have salty douhua plus a plate of shengjian baozi or a steamed boxs of xiaolongbao- a rich breakfast.

Of course we eat those as a breakfast set out ,but you can still make it at your home.

All your need is very simple:a bowl ofsoyabeam milk and a spoon of lactone. 

You need to pay attention to the among of the lactone you ues .It can be the most important part of the making.Be patient if you are not so successful for the first times.Try to practice =)

)

Then add water in the lactone,see not too much.

Next ,pull in liquor of the lactone into the soya beam milk,mixed it. And after 20mintes.it’s done!That simple.

Not finish yet ,you can continue !

Add some soy sauce ,luxuriantly green and a1/4 spoon of sesame oil.Well that’s perfect!!

Can’t wait ?Try it yourself to make some chinese style breakfast !And enjoy it !

we are what we eat-breakfast of the chinese -1.Shengjian &Douhua

 

Pan-fried Bao(zi)

So ~~~~~~~~~ mouthwatering ? aren’t they?!This is a kind of Chinese breakfast called Shengjian ,and in english we can say pan-fried Baozi.

Look carefully ,and you will find the Shengjian in these two pictures are quite different.

Yes,the shape of them.The second ones just looks like snoball that have no drapes on the surfaces.

You need a local guider to help you to find some small stores that service the best shengjian (the price is reasonable as well)Make sure not visiting those expensive restaurants ,they can not provide the shengjian that wonderful!

Have a lookkkkkkkk at those shengjian from different places!I’m sure you will not satisfied if they are only a feast for eyes,right.I admit that even I am a Chinese I might not  enjoy the best shengjian in China .

Since ,you never know what is the NEXT!!

!

Yes,the Xiaolongbao.A kind of Baozi  while they have a smaller sizes and they are succulent  when you bite them~~~^^Another different between shengjian and xiaolongbao is that the way they are cook.

As you see the xiaolongbao are served in the steamed box ,usually contain 10-15 per box.But you order shengjian by individual for you had already saw that they are fried in a big pan.

Ok,surely this is not the end .We  will continue the  shengjian and xiaolongbao’s helpmate -Douhua next time~

Have a cup of Hakkas tea:the Lei tea

I was just reading the comment from a acquaintance whose nick name Children ,put on yesterday: “u r make me hungry, at this chill night…”

=)I hope that he could realize his mistake in English grammar .( chortle)^^

I admit that I’m born to have a kind of blindness,say sensible ,I mean.Or a little bit crazy that I might be infatuated with the name of a person like Children. Even I have never seem him before.I don’t know who he is .And have no idea about what kind of person he might be .However the instinct had already gave me the outline of him.It’s hard to describe the special feelings.Because it’s out of thin air appeared in my life .But I’m sure indeed if the God give me a chance to meet him.I will not refuse to open the nearly dead fire.And I promise it’s my own true feelings.

Ok ,those seems definitely too far from the topic I want to say ,that is the tea!!Oh, my god,so you can tell that I am a person like pursue freedom.Why I mentioned so much outlying stuff ??

Oh,yes!Continue the comment I was reading .I was suddenly inspired when I read the phrase “at this chilly night” Then a topic I want to talk about on my blog today jump out of my mind–Have a cup of Hakkas tea at this chilly night!

Sounds weird !Isn’t it?How can the chilly night remind you of the tea.No connection .Hemmmmm, It is said that the students studying in art has a fast jumpily thinking.^^

Ok, return to my muttons :The Hakkas tea .

China has a rich tea culture  

while the history of tea is really a long story.

The tea bush originated in the area where India, China and Myanmar meet, in the hot wet mountainous regions of the Eastern Himalayas. It was originally eaten and drunk by tribal groups in this area. Over two thousand years ago it was used as a medicine and aid to concentration in China, being helped by the expansion of Buddhism from India.

Origins of human use of tea are described in several myths, but it is unknown as to where tea was first created as a drink.

Ok, Let’s go back to the Lei tea–Origin from Hakkas.Frist of all ,let’s have a brief look about the Hakkas.

The Hakka are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who live predominantly in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian in China. Their ancestors are said to have originated in the Henan and Shanxi provinces of northern China over 1,700 years ago. In a series of migrations, the Hakka settled in their present locations in southern China, and then migrated overseas to various nations throughout the world. The Hakka have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and Overseas Chinese history: in particular, they have been a source of revolutionary and political leaders.

The Lei tea is a representative  thing in the Hakkas’ rich cultural cuisine.And has a function of the healthy body.

HOW TO MAKE THE LEI TEA

OK,believe it or not, only not drinking the tea can be a healthy way ,but also it’s a good exercise for you to make them.Different from the regular tea the lei tea also contain both the black and white sesame as well as the peanut .Well the first step is to twist the green tea leaves with cold water,then add the sesame and grind them until they become soupy .After that ,add the peanut and some extra stuff like caraway or something like that and continue grinding .This process lasts at least 15minutes ,so it might be a though work for those beginner .lThose whose do that at first time usually  exhaust themslve only after 2or 3minutes’ grinding .While a old-hand could finish that quite easily.

after grind that the whole work is half done .Just puring the hot water and add sugar or salt .And the traditional tea is salty.Anyway ,it’s up to you.

The

the chinese fascinate utensil:bowl and plate

I am just get crazy about the chinese utensil, I mean those various kinds of dishes and bowl.My friends even can’t understand why I bought back so many dishes which in their eyes have little difference .The reason is as simple as those utensil themself. They are so attractive to me. To me they have not the only one function. Also it is an art .Like very great kinds of masterpieces in any other where of the world.

Yesterday ,I went to a gift store that next to the Chengchang Supermarket in Taipa–the City Square.I’ve heard that goods are extremely expensive in that store .But they have discounts these days.So I was just walking about ,and see if there was anything I’m interested in.I found this green grass bowl there ,and the only one left.I felt it special because that I might be not have another chance to own this bowl if I miss it this time .Luckily I now have it.And this is the bowl later I had used to serve with salad to one of my friends P.^^She likes my fruits and vegetable salad very much~Of course here I want to thank Maomi and Xiao helan (another two friends og mine)’s salad dressing.Surely that I could not make such nice salad without those wonderful salad dressing.

It seems the vessel had combine the eastern and western style!

Another detail of the chinese vesses that interest me is its amazing and

exquisite design.I really hope that I could have my own camera soon so that I could upload the pictures of my vessels .But still ,I found some nice images from the internet.

Bowls are ubiquitous. Some bowls can be safe to use in a microwave oven, depending on the material that the bowl is made out of.While many Chinese vessels are made of China which can be used in a microwave oven.However some china can not ,because the lacework of the vessels are gilded

.

Some plates’ lines are simple .But like a magic tale that reflect our ancestors’ imagination and wisdom.These withe plate with the black lines is a wonderful piece.You can see the line at each side are different thought they looks like the same and symmetrical seeing from a distance .

So some plates are made as decorative items for display rather than used for food.That is what we consider life is beyond the realism.As I ‘d love to live my live to the fullest I admire those wonderful things and the chinese rich culture.

The traditional Chinese food:Dumplings（JIAO ZI）

I like these kind of food very much.And it’s really a traditional food of China.We Chinese called it Jiaozi in Pinyin.And it’s a kind of Chinese dumpling.

As we know ,it is quite popular in the north part of China.And most northern families in the mainland China can make them at home while the southern Chinese usual buy them in the supermarket.

Long time ago, Jiaozi were only eat during the Chinese New Year.At that time of the year family members would get together to make dumplings. Since my grandparents are both from North China ,we keep this custom -that is really a wonderful memory .And even my father -a typical southerner are enjoyed making with us .What’s more,he’s work is pretty good=)

The shape of a dumpling resembles a Chinese golden tael , therefore they symbolize good fortune in the coming year. In rural areas, the choicest livestock is slaughtered, the meat ground and wrapped into dumplings, and frozen outside with the help of the freezing weather. Then they are boiled and served for the Chinese New Year feast. Dumplings with sweet, rather than savoury fillings are also popular as a Chinese New Year treat.

Mainly ,we have steamed Jiaozi and we also fried them .

By the way you maybe confused with the wonton: the jiaozi dumpling has a thicker skin and is a flatter, more oblate, double-saucer like shape (similar in shape to ravioli), and is usually eaten with a soy-vinegardipping sauce (and/or hot chili sauce); while a wonton has a thinner skin, is sphere-shaped, and is usually served in broth.

.

This is a Cantonese style shrimp wonton.

by the way an interesting variation on Chinese dumplings, known as dim sims can be found in Australia.

Japanese and Chinese chopsticks

Are we Chinese born to use Chopsticks?Obviously ,no.We use spoons when we are babies.Frankly,I am not a good chopsticks holder.I remember years ago ,when I was quite young,my grandma often asked me to change the way I hold chopsticks.Also they are wondered why I could have myself by using it that why–it seems so hard for them–I hold it just like holding two pens.

The right way,well,l I’d prefer to say the common way is to held at the thicker end about a third along their length for balance and efficiency.However it seems impossible for me to hold them that way.And also others are wondering why I still can pick food by holding the chopsticks in such a strange way-hold at about the middle or even lower of their length .

Surely ,I am used to that and can pick up food easily .While I don’t mind if my holding don’t looks pretty good.

Chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China.

In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

Traditionally, chopsticks have been made from a variety of materials. Bamboo has been the most popular because it is inexpensive, readily available, easy to split, resistant to heat, and has no perceptible odor or taste.

During the Middle Age , aristocrats often favored silver chopsticks since it was thought that silver would turn color if it came into contact with poison.

The traditional Chinese food:Rice dumpling

These kind of food is really a fantastic snack.

People in mainland China call it Zhong zi while In Cantonese , these rice dumplings are called joong. In Taiwan, the Minnan call them tzang. Laotians, Thais, Cambodians and Vietnamese also have similar traditional dishes.

They are made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling.

Zongzi are traditionally eaten during the Duanwu festival which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calender (approximately early- to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan’s grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Milou River . According to legend, rice dumplings were thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating the poet’s body. Another version states that the dumplings were given to placate a dragon that lived in the river.

The fillings used for zongzi vary from region to region.

Fillings may be sweet, with:

skinless mung pork,red bean paste,jujubes.

Or savoury with fillings such as:

red-cooked pork,Chinese sausage,Shiitake mushrooms, Salted duck eggs,Cooked peanuts,Dried shrimp,chestnuts.

Some types of zongzi contain no filling and are eaten with sugar or syrup.

Zongzi need to be steamed or boiled for several hours depending on how the rice is treated prior to filling. Once cooked, the zongzi can easily be frozen for later consumption. Frozen zongzi are available for sale in many Chinese markets.

Selfmade zongzi take a particularly long time to prepare.But it is really a funny thing  to make them with the whole family in a certain time.Here is a recipe for you to make it which is shown in the picture above .

Ingredients

300g black glutinous rice 650g glutinous rice 100g split green peas Dried bamboo leaves, boiled, washed and soaked Hemp strings Pandan leaves, washed and cut into 3�4cm long 200g candied winter melon, diced. 100g dried Chinese mushrooms, diced. 75g lotus seeds, soaked for 1 hour 3�4 tbsp oil Filling: 1 tbsp minced shallots 1 tbsp minced garlic 40g dried prawns, pounded 1.5cm cekur roots, cleaned, smashed and pounded 1 tbsp preserved bean paste (tau cheong) 2 � tsp coriander powder, mixed with a little water into a paste Seasoning: 1 tsp light soy sauce 2�3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp pepper Method To prepare rice, soak both types of rice and split green peas separately overnight with an addition of 1 tsp salt to each. Drain and add 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp sugar to each type of glutinous rice and set aside. To prepare filling, heat oil in a wok and stir-fry shallots, garlic and dried prawns until golden brown and fragrant. Add coriander powder paste, cekur and bean paste and fry until fragrant. Add mushrooms, winter melon and lotus seeds and mix in seasoning to taste and combine. To wrap dumpling, take two cleaned bamboo leaves and fold at the centre to form a cone. Line cone with 1 �2 tbsp glutinous rice mixture. Add in 1 tsp split green peas and 1 tbsp filling mixture. Cover with glutinous rice mixture again and top up with a pandan leaf. Using fingers, press down the rice to make it compact. Fold bamboo leaves over to form a pyramid shape and tie tightly with a length of hemp string. Bring dumplings to boil for 3�4 hours or pressure cook for 50�60 minutes until cooked through. Remove and hang up to dry.