Oh, Chinese food!
These are my personal favorite: Bāozi (包子) and Beijing Duck (北京烤鸭). These two dishes are relatively unknown overseas, where “Chinese food” is often a synomym of “Fried Rice”, “Chow Mien” and “Egg Foo Yung”… and other dishes that cater to Western taste and are everything but Chinese!
Bāozi (steamed filled buns) can be found in pretty much any restaurant or food stall. It can be filled with vegetable, meat, broth etc. We ate the best bāozi at a restaurant called Goubuli (狗不理包子): the name literally means, “Baozi that dogs ignore“! This is where I took the pictures.
This is of course Beijing’s most famous dish: Beijing Duck (北京烤鸭). We ate ours at Quanjude (全聚德), a famous local restaurant.
The duck was sliced in front of us. We ate the meat with steamed pancakes, onions and plum sauce.
Yum!!!
I make a variation on Peking Duck taught to me by an old boy-friend who was chinese. First course is the skin and pancakes dish, second is soup and third is the meat stir-fried with beansprouts. I havent made it for years as I’m too lazy to cook the duck myself and I cant get them here. But looking at your post has made me really hungry for it 🙂
Pennys last great read…Le footing!
And tofus, spring rolls, dimsums, herbal soups, stir-fried bakchoy and etc.
If you have the chance, you can try Malaysian Chinese food, which is distinct and different from the ones you had! 😉
kyhs last great read…Burma Lane’s twin gems
Looks good. But it’s true about the western view of Chinese food. I have a Chinese friend who simply shakes her head in disbelief at what passes for Chinese food in the US.
Arts last great read…Lipstick On A Pig…
*Drools* I don’t remember the last time I hate Beijing duck…
Dim Sum is just the best thing in the world!! The steamed buns are really considered the mark of a good cook, they are rated on thier buns LOL! I have even made these filled with pork at home once. One of my best friends is Chinese and we have tried a lot of crazy stuff. Tonight as it would happen we visited one of her friends (also Chinese) and we ate home made fresh won tons….oh my gosh they were to do for!!!
DianeCAs last great read…Release party! I am published!
I LOOOOVE the Bāozis and I just found a Loblaws where they sell it, I have to go and buy some! Couldn’t do it the day I found them
Aiglees last great read…Movie theaters
Zhu … coming over to your blog is like going to the discovery channel.
I LOVE THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL !!!
I find you to be one interesting duck 🙂
(sorry, I could not help that one)
Eric “Speedcat Hollydale”s last great read…Ms Q
Yuuummmmmm! Chinese food!!!
I am feeling hungry now 😉
Just a update-
In India to be specific in one of the states called Maharashtra. They have same thing like Bāozi, its called “Modak” (ckeck- http://foodcourt.wordpress.com/2006/08/27/ukadiche-modak-sweet-stuffed-rice-flour-dumplings/) Only but BIG difference between them is Bāozi is made of Veg/Meat and Modak is a sweet dish. It has a stuffing of coconut and Jiggery! 🙂 These Modaks are favorite of one of the Indian God. Afterall Asian foods are somewhat alike 😉
My takeaway favourite is Chinese chicken curry. I know it’s not “authentic” as such, but the Chinese curry is totally unlike anything Indian, and takeaways up and down the length of Britain make curry sauce that’s pretty much the same. Now I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for a recipe for this and still have yet to find a satisfactory one. You certainly cannot make it using garam masala or madras currypowder. I have some Chinese curry powder that’s far more suitable (it always has an orangey-yellow tinge to it) I’ve been told star anise might be the secret ingredient… also it’s v heavy on onion/garlic. I think I asked you this before, but have you any ideas or better still a recipe for this elusive Chinese curry sauce? I’d be ever so grateful as the search is doing my head in! Many thanks
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Gledwoods last great read…Sick in the Night
Oh My… Hi Zhu,
I shouldn’t have come here today, and at this very time. I just had a terrible lunch that consisted of mushy overcooked vegetables that were overripe to start with, and it was so utterly tasteless.
Now I see all these photos of Chinese food whose taste and aroma I can feel and it churns my stomach! Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgh!
I think I’ll have a glass eggplant juice. It’s the only drink available. Perhaps adding a little snake egg sauce will make it tastier. LOL! 🙂 –Durano, done!
Steam filled buns…wow! I’d love to try them stuffed with meat. If they taste anything like dumplings, I’ll go for seconds!
Scarlets last great read…based on looks
@Penny – I think that<s exactly how you’re supposed to eat “Canard Laqué” 😉 You must be a good cook (or in love with the then-boyfriend), duck is not easy to cook right.
@kyh – I don’t think I ever tried. I’m sure there are some Malay immigrants in Canada but no restaurants in Ottawa to my knowledge… too bad.
@Art – Oh, same here! People keep on asking me where to find the “best chinese food in Ottawa” — I don’t have a clue, I don’t really go to Chinese restaurants here!
@Bluefish – Something to look for in… Denmark? 😆
@DianeCA – Dim Sum (Cantonese jiaozi) are my favorite too. I ate them for breakfast almost everyday in HK!
@Aiglee – Isn’t it great to live in an immigrants’ country!
@Eric “Speedcat Hollydale” – Me a duck? Please, don’t eat me! 😆
@Annie – Interesting, I had never heard of it! I know some jiaozi/ baozi (dumpling) can also be sweet but mostly in Southern China. Southerners have a sweet tooth! I really have to try more Indian food.
@Gledwood – You know, it’s funny, I had never heard of Chinese curry. I’m wondering if this is “Chinese-English” food, like ‘General Tao’s Chicken” in Canada or the USA. Looks like English like curry, so it’s likely.
@durano lawayan – Even I get hungry when I see these pictures again! 😆
@Scarlet – Taste like dumplings… you’d love them!
I think Beijing Duck is world-famous, but there are few chefs in North America who are good in it.
Baozi is common in my country (Malaysia). Even Muslims have learned from Chinese and make their ‘halal’ boa.
Khengsiongs last great read…Tom Yam Coup
I mean I ate…maybe Chinese New Year in Taiwan 16 years ago…
I was walking along a shopping street in Copenhagen and noticed this Chinese restaurant that offers Beijing Duck.
it would seem that steam-filled buns would burn the mouth!
but seriously, there is another difference between american and chinese ‘chinese’ cooking. look how clean the chinese kitchens are! i love that the food server wears a face mask while chopping food at the table (although, i feel sorry for the duck).
Seraphines last great read…Talk Only to the Girls that Turn You On
oop, i forgot to mention your wonderful photography! it’s alive. you convey enthusiasm and love in these photos. that’s not easy to do.
Seraphines last great read…Talk Only to the Girls that Turn You On
Hi Zhu,
You have been named one of the recipients of the Brillante Weblog Award. Check it out at:
http://spittingvessel.blogspot.com/2008/09/buttressed-by-brillante-blog-award.html
Well deserved! 🙂 –Durano done!
durano lawayans last great read…Buttressed By Brillante Blog Award
That’s it, the missus and I are off to dim sum tomorrow. Is Peeking Duck (Beijing duck) the same as Crispy Duck that we get in the UK and Europe? (served crisp and shredded off the bone, with pancakes, hoisin sauce, onions and cucumbers)
beaverbooshs last great read…Big Bang
Thanks for presenting this Chinese food in an excellent way. Of course you can get it in restaurant in Norway too, but the original is always the best.
However, like Diane (my wife) says: having an expert with us to pick the right course is a great help 🙂
RennyBAs last great read…Fresh Vegetables at farmers market in Norway
Hmmmmm! I totally agree with what you said regarding “Chinese” food here in the Western world. There is one such joint in campus, and yes, there’s Lo Mein, there’s General Tso’s Chicken, but as you said, it isn’t Chinese.
Sad to say but the last time I really ate real Chinese food was in a Japanese shopping street. I got those steamed buns filled with meat, and then they had deep-fried chicken bits as well. Reading your entry made me crave.
Linguist-in-Waitings last great read…Phases
Pancakes, duck meat, onions, plum sauce..interesting!
Baozi so fit the description of momos. Momos are like steamed dumplings with different kinds of fillings in them and I had eaten it first in the State of Sikkim. Loved it.
Celines last great read…Monsoon Magic
@Khengsiong – Chinese has a Muslim minority too (the Hui) and I believe it’s quite easy to find ‘halal’ baozi. I really have to taste Malaysian food!
@Bluefish – Lucky you! I can’t find a proper Beijing Duck restaurant in Ottawa…
@Seraphine – To be fair, not all kitchens are that clean. In big and famous places yes, anywhere else… you just eat on the street, and they cook on the street too! 😆 Thanks for the photo praise 😉 I sure hope the ducks don’t come alive though.
@durano lawayan – Thank you so much for the award! I’m going to check this out right now.
@beaverboosh – I believe it’s the same thing… just a different name.
@RennyBA – I found some great Chinese food around the world but I must say that Beijing duck always tastes better in Beijing for me!
@Linguist-in-Waiting – It’s really really hard to find some “real” Chinese food. Even in Chinatown…
@Celine – From the comments, I gather every culture seems to have an equivalent to baozi. Funny! Now I wanna taste them all of course 😉