Food

Chinese food pantry-BEAN THREAD NOODLES BEAN THREAD NOODLES. These needle-like threads, also called vermicelli bean threads, cellophane noodles, or simply bean threads, are made by moistening, mashing, and draining mung beans and then forming them into thin, white strands. They come dried, in 1-pound packages, divided...

Chinese food pantry-BOK CHOY, SHANGHAI BOK CHOY, SHANGHAI. Generally smaller than bok choy, and with pronounced bulbous stalks, Shanghai bok choy is called the “greenish- white vegetable” by the Chinese. The description is apt, for its stalks are not as white as those of bok choy...

Inside the red walls of Changsha’s Fiery Palace in central China’s Hunan Province is one of the unique dishes I’ve ever tasted or seen made – stinky tofu. The dish dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when a local woman began frying discarded tofu in...

Chinese food pantry-BEAN SAUCE BEAN SAUCE. A Cantonese staple, this thick puree is made from the soybeans that remain after soy sauce is made. The fermented beans are mixed with wheat flour, salt, and sugar, result- ing in sauce that also contains bits of beans. The...

We love to eat. And fortunately, my husband loves to cook. Even before we moved to China, he cooked many Chinese dishes at home – really tasty! Now in China, it is even easier than before, with easy access to cheap local ingredients. We found great...

Chinese food pantry-BEAN SPROUTS BEAN SPROUTS. There are two varieties. The more common, mung bean sprouts, are white and plump and have a decided crunch. The second, soy bean sprouts, are also white, but they are longer and have a yellow soy bean at the tip....

Chinese food pantry-BEAN CURD, RED WET PRESERVED BEAN CURD, RED WET PRESERVED. Theseare cubes of reddish bean curd, fermented with salt, wine, and red rice. They are packed in jars or crocks and are labeled either “wet bean curd” or “red wet bean curd.” The cakes,...

Chinese food pantry-BEAN CURD JUICE BEAN CURD JUICE. A relatively new ingredi- ent, this bottled “juice” is a boon to Chinese cooking. It is a mixture of fermented red wet bean curd liquid, rice wine, red rice, salt, and sugar—ingredients traditionally used separately to flavor and...