Soy Rice Fire, inspirations from classic Chinese recipes and techniques - Part 8

Daylilies have been used in Chinese cooking for centuries. In the refreshing salad, the subtle flavor of daylilites works harmoniously with the cucumber and carrots.

Cold dishes and salads• Vegetables• [Boiling/Poaching]

Daylily salad with cucumber and carrot

In this dish, freshly ground Sichuan pepper creates a flavored oil that is tossed with poached and cooled shrimp. The oil accentuates the alluring characters of this unique spice, giving vigor and excitement to the shrimp.

Cold dishes and salads• Fish and shelfish• [Boiling/Poaching]

Sichuan pepper shrimp

In China, medicinal and culinary usages of mugwort, called Ai Cao (艾草) in Mandarin, date back for thousands of years. Its floral aroma, reminiscent of chrysanthemums, makes this soup unique and refreshing.

Soups and stews• Vegetables• [Simmering]

Mugwort soup with fingerling potatoes and beech mushrooms

Eating spring pancakes (春饼) is a time-honored tradition in northern China, to celebrate the arrival of spring and pray for a good harvest. A bite of the pancake symbolizes a bite of spring (咬春).

Dumplings, dim sum, and snacks• Vegetables• [Pan-frying]

Spring pancakes with asparagus, eggs, and Chinese sausage

Braising tofu sticks with pork belly is a signature dish from Jiangxi Province of China, where the first tofu sticks were made over 1,000 years ago.

Meat• Soybeans and tofu• [Simmering]

Braised pork belly with tofu sticks

In Shanghai and its surrounding region, steaming whole fish with ham, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms creates an exquisite dish fit for a banquet.

Fish and shelfish• [Steaming]

Shanghai-style steamed fish with ham, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms

When you cook broccolini to a point that it begins to char and caramelize, you get more concentrated flavor and bring out its natural sweetness and nuttiness.

Vegetables• [Stir-frying]

Wok-charred broccolini with garlic and walnuts

This Fujianese chicken dish with shacha sauce (沙茶酱), also known as sacha sauce, is umami-rich and intensely aromatic.

Poultry and eggs• [Simmering]

Braised chicken in shacha sauce (沙茶鸡), Fujian style