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~=)!

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

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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 =)

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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 !

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.

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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.

Chinese new year cake

God of Wealth and Gold Ingot

Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is the most significant festival for Chinese around the world. It marks the beginning of spring, hence it is also known as the Spring Festival. During this festive period, New Year Cake (Nian Gao) is in the home of every Chinese. The main ingredients is glutinous rice flour and it symbolizes cohesiveness. The rising effect of the cake during baking symbolizes advancement thus Chinese will desire to eat New Year Cake. Nian Gao in Chinese also means improving year by year.

God of Wealth (Cai Sheng Ye) is very popular as he symbolizes Fortune and Prosperity. Dressed in Dragon Robe, he is often carrying Gold Ingot (wealth). Placing Status of the God of Wealth facing the main door at home or behind where you sit in the office will bring you both wealth and protection.

Chinese Sticky Cake Recipe
3 1/4 cups (1 400 gram bag) glutinous rice flour
2/3 cup brown sugar or 2 slabs (about 5 ounces) Chinese brown candy(pian tang in Mandarin; peen tong in Cantonese)
7 ounces boiling water
1/2 cup Chinese dates, softened in water, cut in half, pits removed, or 1/2 cup other dried fruit or 1/4 cup dates and 1/4 cup nuts
1 tablespoon milk
Water, as needed
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
1. Prepare the wok for steaming.
2. In a bowl, mix the boiling water and the sugar, stirring to dissolve. (If using peen tong, break the candy into several pieces, so that it will dissolve more easily in the boiling water). Cool. Soak the Chinese dates in hot water for at least 30 minutes to soften. (You can also soften them quickly by placing them in a bowl with water and microwaving on high heat for 30 seconds). Cut the dates in half and remove the pits.
3. Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and stir in the sugar and water mixture. Add the milk and begin shaping the dough. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the dough at a time, until you have a smooth dough with a satiny texture. Incorporate 1/2 – 3/4 of the Chinese dates, nuts or other dried fruit as you are adding water and working with the dough.
4. Grease a 7-inch square cake pan with vegetable oil or a non-stick cooking spray. Place the dough in the cake pan and spread it out to the edges. Decorate with the remaining dates, lightly pushing them into the dough. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
5. Steam the cake over medium-high to high heat for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan. Remove the cake from the heat and cool.
6. Use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove the cake. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.
7. To serve: Cut the cake into quarters, and then into thin slices 2 – 3 inches long and 1/4-inch wide. You can serve the cake as is, or reheat it in the microwave (the amount of time will depend on the size and power of your microwave – start with 10 seconds and then microwave an extra 5 seconds if needed) or re-steam it for 4 – 5 minutes.
You can also pan-fry the cake, dipping the cake slices in an egg wash before frying. Use a small amount of oil so that the cake will not taste oily. Heat the oil on medium-high to high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and brown the cake slices briefly on both sides.

Chinese Roast Chicken

Ingredients

3 tbsp Chinese rice wine
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 roasting chicken (1.3-1.6 kg), cleaned

Preparation

Mix all ingredients but the chicken in a bowl. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and seal. Place in refrigerator for up to two hours, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 180. Remove chicken from bag, reserving the marinade. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up, and roast for 35 minutes, basting occasionally with the marinade. When the chicken begins to brown, cover it loosely with tinfoil. Turn the chicken and roast for another 35 minutes, basting occasionally. Turn again and roast until the meat near the bone is no longer pink when cut, about another 20 minutes.

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.