At Home with Chinese Cuisine (38 page)

Apart from being an eating tool, chopsticks can also be used as musical instruments, gambling tools, self-defence weapons,
medical devices, to list just a few. There are chopstick museums scattered around China with fascinating collections of different shapes and designs made from different materials. Some have a smooth surface while others are elaborately carved with inlay. They can be rounded or squared in shape with blunt or tipped end. They can also be made of porcelain, animal bone, ivory, precious metal, coral, agate, jade, or the more common materials of bamboos or woods. Hand-carved chopsticks using more precious materials and inlaid with precious stones or mother-of-pearl are a symbol of power, social status, and wealth. Some of the well-crafted old pieces are very much sought after as collectors’ items.

Choosing chopsticks of good quality is important because they come into direct contact with our mouth and the food we eat. We need to identify a reputable shop to purchase them. Do not buy them from an unknown source. We also need to know the material of the chopsticks we are buying. These days, quality ones for daily usage are mostly made of bamboo or hardwood. They could be in their natural form oiled. They can also be coated in paint or lacquer. If they are made of wood, the wood should be from species that are relatively impervious to water. Pay attention to the colour and the grain of the wood because they are the indications of quality and craftsmanship.

The length of the chopsticks we normally find is about 23-25 cm. They are suitable for adults. For the little ones, choose a pair by measuring the length of their palm from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger, plus 3 to 5 cm. This shorter version makes manoeuvring easier for their little hands.

It is advisable to hand-wash the chopsticks. A sponge is better than a scourer to prevent, for example, well-polished hard wood surface turning dull in colour too soon. Dry them thoroughly before storing them away to prevent them from picking up odours and becoming mouldy. Sun-drying chopsticks in the mid-day sun is a common practice in China. If your chopsticks are made of plain bamboo or wood, towel-dry them after washing, and leave them to dry naturally. Or they can be placed in the microwave for 10-15 seconds on high heat. Lacquer used for quality chopsticks is a non-toxic natural substance and has long been used as a decorative wood finish, but it tends to peel off or crack after a while. They are not suitable for microwave drying. It is worth considering, for hygiene reason, to replace them when the surface loses its smoothness. Chopsticks are not forever.

Disposable chopsticks are mostly made of bamboo, pine, or aspen. They were hailed as a step forward towards more hygienic dining when they first appeared. But it became an environmental issue in recent years following reports of wasteful foresting practices by the disposable chopstick industry. The issue of the hygiene standard, or rather the lack of it in disposable chopstick production also caused public health concerns in chopstick–using countries. The criticism and the boycotts of using disposable chopsticks have led to the bring-your-own-chopsticks movement in recent years. The Chinese government has joined in the act encouraging citizens to use chopsticks made of recyclable materials when eating out. Easy-to-carry foldable chopsticks made of different materials in eye-catching designer’s box are now fashion accessories available in shopping malls all over China.

Endnotes

1
   One important reference book is
The Essential Skills for Daily Living or Important Arts for the People’s Welfare
(
齊民要術
), written by JiaSiYi around the sixth century. The book recorded the variety of agriculture produces, the recipes, and the analysis of food preparation techniques by people from the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River basin.      

2
   HangZhou in ZheJiang Province was the capital for the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279).

3
   NanJing in JiangSu Province was the first capital of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). It was later moved to Beijing during the rein of the Emperor YongLi in 1403.

4
   It was in its formative years in the Sui Dynasty in the fifth century and became well established in the Tang Dynasty in the seventh century.

5
   The royal households unwittingly participated in the equivalent of a large-scale TCM clinical trial over the centuries that provided the evidence-based data we make reference to today.

6
   It was due to the proximity of the then capital Beijing to the ShanDong Province.

7
   The Qing Emperors KangXi and QianLong were known for their fondness of the southern cuisine. They had travelled to the regions in plain clothes during their reigns. The recruitment of local chefs to the palace was to be expected.

8
   The Qing imperial household was from the ethnic group of Manchu.

9
    See the book
Food in Qing Court
, written by FuYi’s sister-in-law. FuYi was the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

10
    For example, White’s Courtyard and FangShan Restaurant in Beijing.

11
    It is one of the fastest growing industries with a year-on-year growth rate of 16.9 per cent in 2011. See
www.ccas.com.cn
, the website of the China Cuisine Association.

12
    For example, the ZheJiang cuisine as we know today was divided into at least four gangs along the city line: the HangZhou gang, the ShauXing gang, the NinPo Gang and the WenZhou gang.

13
   
QingBaiLeiChao (Qing Petty Matters Anthology
清稗類鈔
) has a discussion on the topic of gangs. And it records northerners’ love for pungent taste from scallion and garlic. People from western and southwestern regions of SiChuan, YunNan, GuiZhu and HuNan provinces liked spicy food. Those from the southern coastal areas such as GuangDong Province preferred food with light flavour. And those from SuZhou and the area near the Pearl River delta enjoyed food with a sweeter taste. This book was written by XuKe, a Qing civil servant who turned author and editor after the demise of the Qing court.

14
    The literary translation of the title of this ancient classic is
Mr Lu’s Spring and Autumn
(
呂氏春秋
). LuBuWei, the prime minister of the state of Qin, compiled it during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). The book consists of a collection of writings by Mr Lu’s houseguests and followers with the aim to give advice to the imperial court of Qin on the issues of governance. This book has been translated into English and is available in the UK. There is another Chinese classic with the title
Spring and Autumn Annals
(
春秋
). They are two different books.

15
    The time to the onset of rigor and the time for the resolution of rigor vary between and within species depending upon the size, the slaughter methods, the pre-slaughter stress, the temperature, and more.

16
    The tenderness of the meat is affected by many factors, among them the breeds, the age, the feed, the slaughtering process, the ageing process, and the way it is prepared in the kitchen.

17
    The reactions were found to take place at low-temperature chalk cellars of the Champagne region in France. The temperature in those cellars is about 10°C on average all year round. Because of the much longer reaction time in low temperature, only vintage champagnes are being affected. See Lersch, Martin, Maximizing Food Flavor by Speeding Up the Maillard Reaction, Vega, C. et al., (eds.),
The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking
, New York: Columbia University Press, 2012, p. 95.

18
    In accordance with Chinese government regulation GB/T 13662-2000 on the definition of Yellow wine.

19
    The discoveries of a large amount of wine drinking instruments gave indications of a relatively sophisticated wine-making industry in the LongShan culture dated back around 2800–2300 BC during the late Neolithic period. The wines were grain-based and were used mainly for religious activities, drinking, and cooking. See Chang, K. C. (ed.),
Food in Chinese Culture – Anthropological and Historical Perspectives
, New Heaven: Yale University Press, 1977, p. 30.

20
    The ShauXing wine from ZheJiang Province, the DangYang wine from JiangSu Province, the JiuJiang wine from JiangXi Province, and the LanLing wine from ShanDong Province are recognised as four of the best yellow wines in China.

21
    The water from Jen Lake is said to be rich in trace mineral elements that are conducive to the growth of microbes for grain-based wine fermentation that contributes to the flavour of the ShauXing wine.

22
    It is also gaining popularity in the West. It is of interest to note that the soy sauce is used as one of the bases for Western condiments such as Worcestershire sauce.

23
    Inscribed bamboo slips discovered in the No. 1 Han tomb in the archaeological site of MaWangDui in HuNan Province recorded the seasonings used to include salt, sugar, honey, soy sauce (jiang), and fermented black beans. The tombs dated back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 25). See Yu, Ying-Shih, Han, in
Food in Chinese Culture – Anthropological and Historical Perspectives
, K. C. Chang (ed.), New Heaven: Yale University Press, 1977, p. 30.

24
   
The Compendium of Materia Medica
(
本草綱目
) by LiShiZhen. Hippocrates also used vinegar for its medicinal property in Roman times.

25
    ZhengJiang rice vinegar was given the PGI status under the EU quality scheme in 2012. PGI covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to a given geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation, has to take place in the said area.

26
    JiaLing River is a tributary at the upper reaches of the YangTze River.

27
    With reference to hygiene, groups of scientists had conducted experiments by applying bacteria on the surface of both the plastic and wooden cutting boards. They found more bacteria on a used plastic surface than on a used wood surface. The bacteria found to be alive inside the wood gradually died, but that was not the case with the plastic ones. AK, N. O. et al., “Cutting Boards of Plastic and Wood Contaminated Experimentally with Bacteria”, Journal of Food Protection 57 1994, pp. 16–22. Park, P. K. et al., “Disinfection of Household Cutting Boards with a Microwave Oven”, Journal of Food Protection 59, 1996, pp. 1049–1054.

28
    This period began approximately three million years ago and ended ten thousand years ago.

29
    The tools for boiling seawater were discovered from the excavation sites in the southern coastal province of FuJian. They could be dated back to the same period as the YangShau Culture from the fifth to third millennia BC.

30
    Chang, K. C., Ancient China, in
Food in Chinese Culture – Anthropological and Historical Perspectives
, K. C. Chang (ed.), New Heaven: Yale University Press, 1977, pp. 23–53.

31
   
Dictionary of Chinese Cooking
, Chinese Business Press, 1992.

32
    Raw stir-frying (
生炒
): The main ingredient is raw when it is put into the wok for stir-frying. Simple stir-fry
(清炒
): The main ingredient is stir-fried on its own without accompanying ingredient or sauce mixture.

33
    Cooked stir-fry (
熟炒
): The ingredient is already pre-cooked. It then goes back to the wok for the final touch. Sizzling stir-fry (
爆炒
): Cross-hatch the main ingredient and blanch it in water or oil before the final step of stir-frying it.

34
    The ding is a three or four-legged cauldron, and its usage could be dated back to the Neolithic period. It started as a humble ceramic vessel used for cooking, storage, and religious and ancestral worship rituals. The Shang Dynasty was known for elaborate pieces of large-sized bronze dings that had association with political power and wealth.

35
    A flat-bottom wok can be used on the electric or induction hob for preparing dishes that do not require high heat or quick temperature adjustment during the cooking process.

36
    See, for example, Lee, Chien-Hung et al., “The Heterogeneity in Risk Factors of Lung Cancer and the Difference of Histologic Distribution between Genders”, in Taiwan: Cancer Causes & Control 12, issue 4, May 2001, pp. 289–300.

37
    Following the application of nutritional science in food consumption at the beginning of the twentieth century, this word has been used as the direct translation for the word “nutrition” in Chinese.

38
   
SheYangZhenZhongFang
(
攝養枕中方
), compiled by SunSiMiao from the Tang Dynasty.

39
    In recent years, there is also an increasing international interest in TCM as an alternative medicine because of its efficacy and fewer adverse side effects. See Introduction,
WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Regions
, Regional Office for the Western Pacific, World Health Organisation, 2007.

40
   This book has been written based on the experiment conducted by the author(s) and their observation of the interactions between the nature and the human body. It was said to have been written during the period of Warring States (475–211 BC), and the authors remain unknown.

41
    Ibid., 39.

42
    Even though their pronunciations are the same, Yang
(陽
) of Yin and Yang is a different character with different meaning from Yang (
養
) of YinYang.

43
    It was compiled by LiShiZhen of the Ming Dynasty. He completed the book in the late sixteenth century. The compilation of food property in the book was based on the research done by the author and others before him of the consumption of the natural ingredients and their effects on human body. It involved subjective evaluation, and so one sometimes finds minor discrepancies of the food property attributed to some food items in different ancient scripts.

44
   Ibid., 39. This theory has also been relied on as the guiding ideology and methodology of physiology, pathology, clinical diagnosis, and treatment.

45
    Ibid., 39. Viscera are the internal organs where Qi is formed and storied. The Qi enables the viscera to perform their activities.

46
   
The Book of Rites
is an important collection of texts based on Confucian teachings, and it was first written around the period of Warring States (475–211 BC), the same time as when The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon was thought to be written.

47
   
BaoPuZi
(
Embracing Simplicity
抱朴子
) was written by GeHong, a scholar from the Jin Dynasty, in the fourth century.

48
    Detailed discussion of this topic is outside the scope of this discussion. Please consult TCM practitioners for expert opinions.

49
    Peaches from PingGu have been granted the PDO status under the EU quality scheme in 2012.   

50
    Brobeck, J. R., “Food Intake as a Mechanism of Temperature Regulation”, Yale J. Biol. Med. 20, 1948, pp. 545–552. Strominger, J. L. and J. R. Brobeck, “A Mechanism of Regulation of Food Intake”, Yale J. Biol. Med. 25, 1953, pp. 383–390.

51
    The green colour of the paste reminded me of the freshly made pesto sauce with sweet basil.

52
    The broad bean paste is known as Dou Ban Jiang. Several brands of the paste made in the city of PiXian have the GIP status from the Chinese government, but the flavour varies among the brands, especially in their salt content. The paste is usually sold in a plastic sachet or jar that is available from oriental or Chinese grocery stores.   

53
    JiuNiang is mentioned in the discussion of ShauXing wine. It is a fermented glutinous rice mash with mild alcohol content. It is used for the fermentation of the ShauXing wine. It is also used as a condiment for cooking all over China.   

54
    Areas with the GIP are: Beijing City (YenShan chestnuts), TienJin City (TianJin chestnuts), HeBei Province (JingDong chestnuts), LiaoNing Province (DanDong chestnuts), JiLin Province (JiAn chestnuts), HeNan Province (JiauShan chestnuts), HuBei Province (LoaShan chestnuts).

55
    In YuanMei’s book
The Cookery of SuiYuan
, he mentioned a dish of edible bird’s nests prepared with bean sprouts. He cooked the bean sprouts until very soft to match the texture and the colour of the bird’s nest.