Wok Fusion Flavor

New Asian Emperors.
Authors: George T. Haley, Usha C.V. Haley and Tan Chin Tiong; Publisher: John Wiley and Sons

Thousands of business delegations enter China every year. Most of these delegations comprise Overseas Chinese who live in other parts of Asia, and the West, who now sees an opportunity for trade and business in Mainland China.

Although they may not know the language and business culture there, the Overseas Chinese are somehow drawn to the familiar, or what they perceive to be familiar. In all likelihood, much of their aspiration may be due to a pining for their roots.

Be it a search for one’s history or clan, the authors of New Asian Emperors delve into the subjects of roots, shoots and harvests that may arise as a result of the differing business strategies of the Overseas Chinese.
More

No Comments Yet

For soups, you can go white wines and go rich. Hot and sour, won ton, spicy ginger.

Not surprisingly, whites worked better than the reds. The sweet German riesling that I pulled from my cellar easily handled the hot and sour, its sweetness acting as the ideal foil to the heat of the chilies. It received a thumbs-up from everyone, including our German guest May’Britt, who confided in me earlier that she hates German wine. Hah! Another convert.

But the real surprise was that the wine that worked best with all three soups was a Californian chardonnay: high alcohol, loads of oak and so buttery that we nicknamed it “the fatty.” A wine that I figured would be a write-off wins round one.

Dumplings with peanut butter sauce and spring rolls: rich whites, fresh and fruity reds

Whether the richness came from the peanut-butter sauce served with the dumplings or the oil that cooked the spring rolls, the best wines were the same. Again, the German riesling, with its sweetness and acidity proved to match the richness while providing enough acidity to refresh. Our gewurztraminer wasn’t totally out of place, though it was a touch too aromatic. “Fatty,” again, was surprisingly good.
More

No Comments Yet

Mexican macaroni and Chinese carrots were returned back to the State of California which part of a food giveaway in the Central Valley.

The Community Food Bank distributed the food in Mendota about on August 25th at a giveaway attended by Fresno Congressman Jim Costa. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer joined Costa, and he noticed that some of the food came from China.

Local leaders got angry, since many of the people receiving food have lost jobs in the food industry.

See more video about this story.

No Comments Yet

In Chinese culture, food, and medicine are closely related. The practice of traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on achieving balance in one’s body for the regeneration of the body’s systems and organs.

Over 3,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor wrote in his classic book on internal medicine, “Huangdineijing,” that if people wanted to obtain health and longevity, they should eat food with “five colors, five tastes, and five fragrances.”

White (metal) food: White-colored foods give people a clean feeling and purify the lungs.

Green (wood) food: Green is the color of life and impacts the liver. It is a fundamental link in the food chain, and green food is the food source of both people and animals.

Black (water) food: Black impacts the kidneys. The kidneys are the fatal organs among the five organs, and the origin of life.

Red (fire) food: Red impacts the heart. Eating more red-colored food can help one’s immune system and prevent colds.

Yellow (earth) food: Yellow corresponds to the spleen. The spleen transforms and transports the energy from food and drink throughout the body. Yellow foods also correspond to the stomach.
More

No Comments Yet

Fisher and Paykel Appliances designers got a taste of their own cooking yesterday when they took part in “Stir Fryday” to celebrate the opening of the new design center kitchen. Manager Michelle Read said the day was designed to be a bit of fun but with a serious side.

There were about 100 product designers in the new Wall Street Mall site, in central Dunedin. As cooking products were designed, they would be tested by the designers themselves. “They get to make sure they know how to use their products.”

Yesterday, teams of designers formed themselves into teams to cook Chinese food in recognition that Chinese company Haier was a significant shareholder in the company, she said. Having the designers learn more about the different cooking styles on the appliances they designed, made them think more about their products.
More

1 Comment

Malaysia has a rich food history, offering exotic delights with a touch of spice. Try these simple recipes to bring a taste of Asia to your dining table. Malaysian cuisine is a tempting potpourri of Malay, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese and Sri Lankan foods. The style of cooking is similar to Indonesian where spices are ground to a paste with a pestle and mortar and stir-fried to bring out the flavor. In addition, Portuguese explorers brought their own ingredients and cooking techniques to Malaysia in the 16th century, adding further appeal to a range of exotic dishes.
More

No Comments Yet

Unlike most farms in China, no heaps of blackened sewage sludge are piled on the fields at the Green Cow farm. No workers spray pesticides from pumps strapped to their backs. No animals are in quarantine.

An oasis in a Beijing suburb, the organic farm’s modest 6 acres boast pepper and tomato plants, fields of corn and wheat, and sunflower patches that pop up in between. Two rotund cows chomp on grasses; under a grove of fruit trees, three young pigs slurp water.

Restaurateur and environmentalist Lejen Chen started Green Cow with her husband in 2004, fearful of the pesticides, chemical fertilizers and sewage sludge used in the cultivation of most domestic produce.

In China, the organic food movement is growing steadily, led by Chen and a small, dedicated group of like-minded farmers. It’s a battle in a country of recurring food scares, loosely enforced regulations and skepticism about paying more for produce that looks the same as regular market fare. But interest in natural food is on the rise.
More

1 Comment

It’s supper-time, and you’re sitting down to a take-out meal — a double cheeseburger with fries and a Coke.
The damage? Roughly 1,000 calories.
On the other side of the world, a Chinese family is having a light breakfast of home-made dumplings and white rice.
Note the difference? I did.
You hear it all the time; The differences between Western food and Chinese food are vast. Well, after my overseas adventure, I’ve come home with the knowledge to crack this myth open.

As it happens, real Chinese food, (as opposed to chicken balls and fortune cookies), is about three-million times better for you than anything we eat here, for the most part, anyway. It’s a sad and inconvenient truth, but it’s the truth nonetheless.

That isn’t to say that everything they eat in China is 100 per cent healthy; it just doesn’t ever leave you with a feeling like you’re going to have a stroke immediately after consumption (a problem I sometimes face after eating our greaseladen food).

To put it lightly, the food in China is vastly, almost infinitely, different from what we Canadians are used to. Not only is the food there about a million times less greasy and fattening, but it all comes in much smaller portions, as well.

Dinner, most of the time, consisted of plain white rice, stew, steamed vegetables, and some kind of chicken or beef dish. And it was all delicious! Well, most of it was, anyway. I can’t say I was totally nuts about everything, (You can just imagine my surprise when my Chinese buddy offered me her version of chicken fingers, gnarled claws and all, or the look on my friend’s face when she found an entire chicken’s talon in her soup), but to each their own, I suppose.
More

No Comments Yet

Most travelers to Beijing will stick close to the well-beaten paths of the Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street. For those lucky enough to visit Beijing on a second trip or have more time to spend in the city after seeing the Great Wall, I offer some interesting alternative suggestions:

Attend a service at Chongwenmen Church. The Chongwenmen Church is one of the largest Christian Protestant churches in Beijing. Many foreigners who visit Beijing end up seeing the Catholic Church at Wangfujing Street, but the Chongwenmen church is smaller and more intimate. President Clinton attended services here when he visited Beijing in 1998. Although a little difficult to find, the church warmly welcomes foreign guests and offers earphones to listen to an English translation of the service. Most interestingly, is seeing the number of Chinese congregants who arrive at the church as early as 6:00 am in hopes of getting a seat. You won’t know it but more people are sitting in the basement to watch the services via television.

Souvenir shopping at Lost & Found. Skip the mob scene that is known as the Silk Market and head to this small gift shop, located not far from the Yonghegong Lama Temple. The store offers unique t-shirts and vintage items such as old pencil boxes that were used by Chinese children. For those who are looking for one-of-a-kind gifts, this is the place to shop.

Take a cooking class. ChunYi Zhou offers small cooking classes in a hutong specializing in Guangzhou and Sichuan style dishes. Participants have commented that they learned more about Chinese cuisine after taking these hands-on classes. In addition to making food, an alternative “market tour” takes participants to local shops and vendors to introduce ingredients and spices that are vital to making Chinese food. All classes are taught in English.
More

No Comments Yet

Epicurean adventures into five Chinese provinces await World Showcase travelers at the 250-seat Nine Dragons Restaurant where servers from China enjoy interacting with guests. (Placemats are a conversation starter with Chinese writing symbols and their evolution through centuries.)

The menu showcases authentic Chinese cuisine, but with a lighter, contemporary touch. You can still order traditional appetizers such as pot stickers and eggrolls, but a favorite is the Dioa Yu Tai cucumber salad, with a light spice and sweet-and-sour vinaigrette. Or the crisp shrimp and taro “lollipops,” deep-fried and served on a stick.

Entrées range from traditional such as fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and kung pao chicken, but more contemporary Asian fare include peppery shrimp with spinach noodles, spit-roasted Beijing chicken with mashed taro and a mix-and-match noodle sampler.
More

No Comments Yet

My name is Lim Lay Beng, and I am a 56-year-old female suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (Gerd) and often experience a burning sensation in my throat, gums and lips. The symptoms subsided within one week of taking medication but they have since returned.

Gerd occurs when the lower oesophageal sphincter opens or does not close properly and stomach contents rise to the oesophagus.

It is caused by a deficiency in the functions of the liver and stomach, insufficient qi, poor blood circulation and a stagnation of qi. Pathogenic factors such as phlegm, heat and dampness are also responsible.

Chinese medicine, acupuncture, cupping therapy and ‘tui-na’ massage can improve your condition by strengthening your organs and dispelling the pathogenic factors.

Chinese herbs such as Golden Thread (huanglian) and Chinese Dandelion (pugongying) are usually prescribed to reduce the burning sensation and stomach heat.

Arca Shell (walengzi) and Cuttlebone (haipiaoxiao) can reduce stomach acid and produce a layer of tissue in the stomach and oesophagus to prevent inflammation. Common Vladimiriae Root (muxiang), Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome (xiangfu) and Turmeric Root- tuber (yujin) are effective in improving the circulation of qi to reduce pain.

Inula Flower (xuanfuhua) and Hematite (zheshi) help to reduce vomiting, while Chinese Eaglewood Wood (chenxiang) and Fresh Ginger (shengjiang) help to reduce burping.
More

No Comments Yet

I keep many different types of rice on my pantry shelves: lots of basmati (both white and brown), medium-grain brown rice, red rice from Bhutan and Chinese black “forbidden” rice, which is really purple. Dig deeper into the back shelves, and you’ll find starchy Spanish rice, Italian arborio rice (for risotto) and jasmine rice from Thailand.

Rice has a long storage life — indeed, in some cultures older rice, such as basmati, is prized. But like flour, rice will attract grain moths if left sitting around for too long, and I like to get to it before they do.

Rice is a thoroughly sustaining food. According to Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid in “Seductions of Rice,” a beautiful, well researched survey of rice traditions around the world , “Rice has the highest protein digestibility and energy digestibility among all the staple foods.” In most rice-consuming cultures, rice is supplemented with vegetables and legumes, small amounts of meat and fish, and oil.

I don’t share the current national aversion to white rice. True, nutritionists prefer brown rice because the high fiber content slows down the carbohydrate absorption rate. But you can get the same benefit by combining rice with high-fiber vegetables and legumes.
More

No Comments Yet

In his masterly book, “The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea” (The Penguin Press, $25.95), master tea blender Michael Harney says that from the original six teas carried by his family’s business, which were doubtless mostly blends at the time, they now sell over 300. In 1988, after a career in France with the venerable brandy firm Camus Cognac, Harney joined his father’s tea company as buyer and blender. Harney’s book offers a more succinct overview of the history of tea, and instead delves into the intricacies of tasting tea. He divides the six basic categories of tea (white, green, oolong, yellow, black and puerh) into eight chapters: White, Chinese Green Teas, Japanese Green Teas, Oolong Teas, Yellow Teas, Chinese Black Teas, what he dubs British Legacy Black Teas (Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Assam, Ceylon, Kenyan and British Black tea blends), and Puerhs. Harney explains his five-step tasting guide, and for each tea profiled in each chapter, he offers detailed descriptions of the teas and extensive tasting notes.

How would I compare these two books? They are both excellent and should be part of your tea library. Indeed, they could be your tea library, and you would have all the information you would ever need. The best way to compare them then is to say that while “The Story of Tea” brings to life the tea gardens, culture and personalities of the tea-growing world, and most importantly the teas themselves, making the reader not only want to immediately make tea but also to get on a plane bound for China, India or Ceylon, reading “The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea” is like taking a master class from a master buyer/blender. If God is in the details, Harney’s book is a holy manifesto indeed. Like the best wine writers, he has a gifted way of describing the flavors in the cup, such as this comparison of Chinese and Japanese green teas: “Compared with the darker, more mouth-filling Japanese green teas, Chinese greens have the gentler vegetal flavors of steamed leeks, green beans, or bok choy. And where Japanese greens have no sugariness, Chinese greens have charming sweet notes of cooked carrots, jasmine, and sometimes a subtle hint of honey.”
More

2 Comments

You’re going to soak those chips and prep that rub and monitor the smoking pouch and take an all-together chance on everything? You may think I’m being dramatic, but smoking ribs is a challenge indeed! I’ve had different friends make them on several occasions, and virtually every time they’ve been too smoky, undercooked or just generally not right. AND, they were using smokers as opposed to a homemade smoking pouch… They were however pork back ribs as opposed to beef ribs. This is a recipe by Matt Dunigan on Hunan Smoked BBQ Ribs.
More

1 Comment

Despite the rainy start, summer is officially here and that means prime time for grilling! Depending on your choices, grilling can be an artery clogging, blood pressure raising event, or in contrast, can be a delicious way to boost your health.

Instead of protein foods high in saturated fat and/or sodium, think of leaner protein options. This might include chicken breasts, ground turkey breast, fish, shrimp, scallops, firm tofu, veggie burgers, or lean cuts of beef.

There are a lot of healthy ways to add flavor to grilled items. Marinades have the added advantage of tenderizing proteins as well. A simple marinade might be olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and minced fresh rosemary. Another could be olive oil, a little red or white wine, minced garlic, ground cumin, and chili powder. How about combining olive oil, lemon juice, basil and minced garlic for marinating chicken. You can make a delicious Tandoori-style marinade using plain yogurt and Tandoori seasonings.

Experiment to create your own marinades — choose an oil (olive, canola, peanut), a form of acid (the many types of vinegar, wine, lemon or lime juice, plain yogurt, etc.), and seasonings (herbs, spices, hot sauces, wasabi, etc.).

Another way to add flavor is to use a “rub.” This is a dry mixture of seasonings used to coat the protein item. You can buy these mixtures at the store or create your own. Try combining a minced herb like rosemary or sage, dry mustard, black pepper, and minced garlic or garlic powder. Another might be cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and a dash of cayenne pepper for use on chicken or lamb.

You can also use a sauce or paste to coat the protein item. Try stirring a little curry powder into apricot or peach jam and spread on top of grilled salmon (grill on a piece of foil and do not turn the salmon — just cook until the fish is opaque all the way through). Another paste could be minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, Chinese five spice, peanut oil, a dash of sherry vinegar and a dash of low sodium soy sauce.
More

1 Comment

Sometimes restaurants just seem so easy. For those who seek more of a challenge from their dining experience, Hong Kong offers private kitchens — restaurant “speakeasies” in unlicensed spaces. The best private kitchens tend to boast the a set of rules that heighten their aura of exclusivity:

1. Seating is available only by reservation through an unlisted telephone number at least a week in advance.
2. A minimum of 10 to 12 people is required per reservation.
3. The establishment consists of just two or three private dining rooms in an otherwise non-descriptive building.
4. The chef will confer with you in advance on likes, dislikes and budget for a prix-fixe sharing menu.
5. Only cash is accepted.
More

No Comments Yet

Two foods commonly eaten as part of the traditional Chinese diet can reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer by as much as 90 percent, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Western Australia in Perth, and published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers compared consumption of mushrooms and green tea between two groups of Chinese women, one with breast cancer and one without. They found that women who ate at least 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of fresh mushrooms per day had a 64 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who did not eat as much. Those who also regularly drank green tea reduced their risk by a total of 90 percent. Dried mushrooms also reduced breast cancer risk, although they were not as effective as fresh ones.

The protective benefit of mushrooms and green tea remained significant even after researchers adjusted for other breast cancer risk factors, including weight, exercise, smoking and education level.

Breast cancer rates are four to five times lower in China than in most Western countries, a fact widely attributed to a different lifestyle.

“Breast cancer incidence rates do vary in different countries, and China has lower rates than the United Kingdom,” said Sarah Cant of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. “This is likely to be due to cultural and lifestyle differences such as having children earlier or exercising more [as well as diet].”
More

2 Comments

First of all, Ok I get it, orange beef is not “real” Chinese, it’s “american” chinese.

No Comments Yet

I really liked this picture so I wanted to share it with you. Here is an interest picture of Chinese food lego style.

1 Comment

We always want to stress eating the right foods and being healthy as well.   If you ever go out to eat to popular fast-food chain restaurant, you should be aware of the calories and the food ingredients of these places.  You need to take a look at PeerTrainer nutrition facts on Chinese food, fat, fiber and points.

No Comments Yet