Chinese Cuisine

China has many dishes which delight the senses. Equally, there are many things which bring no delight at all. Stinky tofu for example, overloads your senses so it is best to hold your breath within a one mile radius. We have been told that it tastes much better than it smells, but even I have not the courage to test this theory.

Chengdu is known for it's hotpot. A large vat of oil or white broth or both is set into the table. The oil is red with hot chilies. There are numerous items from which to choose that are each dropped into the liquid which is heated by the furnace beneath the table until it is boiling hot. Then, you dig in. Lotus root, mushrooms, lamb meatballs, thin slices of beef, tiny quail eggs, tofu noodles and rice noodles for example. The chili oil was too hot for me, I blistered my mouth with the oil and the peppers left my lips buzzing. The white broth was spectacular. It improved with each thing dropped in and after everything had been consumed but the noodles the broth was perfect. So much flavor. I ordered the quail eggs even though none of the others wanted them. They were a fine addition. Even in the chili oil, they were delicious. Make sure you drink beer with this meal to tame the heat or order yogurt. They did provide a spoonful of what I believe was supposed to be ice cream at the very end, to cool the tongue. I would recommend this experience to anyone.

There are many familiar things too, in the meat market. Chicken feet, pig intestines, cow stomach, and rabbit. I guess southern cooking is similar no matter where you are. There are some additions though. The rabbit head is smoked as is the pig's tail, it's snout, lungs and other unmentionables. Gizzards are popular here, I was happy to find, and they taste just as good grilled on a stick as they do fried. Deeeeelicious!

I tried my hand at stir fry today. I used mushrooms, some type of greens similar to collards but much more tender, thin slices of mystery meat, "chicken"? I seasoned it with sauteed garlic, then added lemongrass, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, etc. That, with our first pot of rice from our newly acquired rice cooker, was lunch. It was great!!!

There are so many things to experiment with. Wal-mart has actually become a helpful place. Did I say that out loud? I mean, where else can I buy toothpaste, toilet paper, dehydrated squid, a dead chicken (with feet and head) and live bullfrogs? So many choices. What's for dinner? - mandy

The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.

-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin