Eating Around the World - A Map of Chinese Cuisine

Author: Zhao Jikang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This book is a culinary essay written by Ms. Zhao Jikang after her time living in the United States. It aims to introduce folk snacks from various regions of China, with the flavor of a food guide, while also incorporating elements of folklore. From the author's pen, all kinds of regional snacks are covered. Examples include Sichuan's fermented glutinous rice balls, sesame sugar, and Dan Dan noodles; Yunnan's rice noodles and wheat cakes; the Ten Delicacies of West Lake; Ningbo pickles; and local delicacies of ethnic minorities such as eating bee larvae and bamboo worms. Additionally, the author further discusses the drinking and tea customs of ancient Chinese people. Is food culture unique to China? Chinese cuisine is simply too rich—not to mention the glorious Eight Great Cuisines, but just the countless snacks alone are enough to dazzle you. Let's mention a few Hangzhou specialties: cat ears, crab-stuffed oranges, happy doubles, and scallion pancakes—just hearing their names is enough to make your mouth water, right? This book is a culinary essay by Ms. Zhao Jikang, written after her time living in the United States. Being an outsider in a foreign land, she often recalls the "flavors of her homeland," and it's likely that the folk snacks of various regions of China frequently enter her dreams. This is more like a food guide, with a touch of exploring folklore.
Shanxi's Taste
In Shanxi, vinegar and coarse grains are indispensable in every meal. Don't underestimate them—they can be transformed into delicious dishes when prepared well. If you talk about food with a Shanxi person, they will first mention vinegar. Vinegar is just one of the five flavors, yet it's called a delicacy? At first, it may sound absurd, but it's true. When Shanxi people attend a banquet with an array of delicacies, you'd never guess that the only thing they praise is the vinegar. After finishing the meal, an old-timer might say, "Hmm! This banquet is great, the vinegar is excellent! Choosing vinegar is really flavorful!" That's the highest praise an old-timer can give to a banquet.
Vinegar for Difficult Labor
During difficult childbirth, Shanxi women often struggle to deliver their babies. The family might suggest, "What if we use vinegar to help?" It's said that placing a bowl of vinegar under the mother sometimes works—when the baby smells the vinegar, it might cry out and be born. Of course, this is all just a joke. Shanxi people are famous for loving vinegar, and their locally produced old vinegar is almost on par with the famous Zhenjiang vinegar. Compared to other provinces' rice vinegar or white vinegar, it's truly a premium product. When visiting a Shanxi family during the New Year, bringing two bottles of vinegar as a gift is never a mistake.
Elegant Scholars and Shanxi's Love for Vinegar
Elegant scholars once said, "One can live without meat but not without bamboo." But Shanxi people could change those words to, "One can live without meat but not without vinegar." As long as vinegar is on the table, peeling two cloves of garlic, eating dry bread with millet porridge, and drinking it becomes incredibly aromatic. If the porridge is cooked with lotus leaf water, it's called lotus leaf millet porridge, which is even more fragrant and soothing. Adding a bit of vinegar to the porridge makes it even more delicious. Shanxi is a land of high mountains and rocks, with Taiyuan in the middle, meaning "a vast plain," but it's only a few hundred miles in diameter, unlike Henan and Hebei's Central Plains, which stretch for thousands of miles. In the towering Taihang Mountains, basins appear only occasionally, so Shanxi people adapt to their environment by eating more coarse grains and less rice and wheat. Millet porridge is considered the best among coarse grains.
The Best Corn Variety: "Golden Queen"
Among Shanxi's coarse grains, the "Golden Queen" variety of corn is the best. After generations of selective breeding and cultivation, this premium variety has become renowned. The Golden Queen corn cob is exceptionally long, golden in color, large in size, with big grains that taste slightly sticky, sweet, and delicious, similar to glutinous rice. It's widely grown in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi. Freshly harvested corn, boiled briefly, is a delightful dish.
French Fries Originally from Shanxi
Among Shanxi's coarse grains, potatoes (known as "shan yu dan" in Shanxi) are even more common. Shanxi people call potatoes "shan yu dan" because eating them is like taking a supplement. If grown properly with ample fertilizer and fertile soil, a single potato can weigh half a pound or even a pound. Boiled and peeled, dipped in salt, it fills you up in one meal. With sweet bean sauce, the flavor is even better. Americans also believe potatoes are healthy, which is why they are essential in hamburgers, hot dogs, alongside sausages and tomatoes. When eating toast, they love to pair it with fries. Shanxi people also eat fries, but they prefer slicing them and stir-frying with vinegar—it's a home-style dish. And when it comes to Shanxi's banquets, dishes like fried pork and mixed shredded vegetables are always cooked with vinegar.