Explode

Author: Huang Wen (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: April 1, 2005
Features: Gathering friends, family reunions, and a house full of guests are the scenes of Guangdong tea houses; using tea as a stage and dim sum as the performance, blending flavors from all over the world and across time, are the specialties of Guangdong tea snacks; listening to Nanyin music lingering in the air, savoring fragrant Cantonese dim sum, and enjoying a leisurely meal after hard work—these are the trends of Lingnan culture. Today, all of this can be enjoyed at home without leaving the house. Wake up with a pot of tea, have a bowl of congee for dinner. Dim sum accompanies the tea, and friends gather with the congee. The Guangdong tea market operates three sessions a day—morning, noon, and evening—where Cantonese dim sum blends flavors from all directions. Immersed in an exquisite tea house, savoring the lingering charm of dim sum amidst the rich Nanyin music—what a delightful experience! As the poem goes: "A pot and two pieces in the tea house, Nanyin and Cantonese dim sum, truly magical. The host finds comfort, softening the heart, slowly tasting and savoring." Among Guangdong tea snacks, fried varieties are abundant and loved by all. Common and representative examples include "Nanyin Salted Pancakes," "Soft Beef Lihua Pastry," "Golden Shrimp Saltwater Dumplings," and "Fragrant Sesame Fried Soft Jujubes," etc. The making methods of fried tea snacks generally fall into four categories: First is "dry frying," where the main ingredient is marinated with seasonings for a moment, then coated with dry flour and fried until golden and crispy. Second is "soft frying," where the main ingredient is marinated with seasonings, then coated with egg white or batter, and fried in warm oil until cooked. Third is "crispy frying," where the main ingredient is boiled or steamed until tender, then coated with egg batter or batter, and fried in hot oil until the outside is golden and crispy while the inside remains extremely tender. Fourth is "Western frying," where the main ingredient is cut and marinated with seasonings until flavorful, then coated in sequence with flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs, and finally fried in hot oil until cooked. These tea snacks are indispensable companions for tea and late-night meals.