At Home with Chinese Cuisine (39 page)

56
    The hypocotyl is the part of the embryo plant that lies between the radicle and the cotyledon. The radicle is the part of the embryo plant that develops into the primary roots. The cotyledon is the part of the seed which becomes the first leaves of the seedling. Further information can be found from online dictionaries and websites such as
www.sciencedaily.com
.

57
    The latticed bamboo mat can be found in some Chinese or oriental grocery stores. In areas where fresh sugar cane is available, latticed peeled sugarcane is a good substitute.

58
   
The Classic of Rites (
禮記
).

59
    Such as Red-braised Chub Whisker, a dish that needs a considerable number of fish to provide enough whisker for a dish.

60
    YiBin is a southern city in SiChuan Province. A small sachet of ready-to-use YinBinYaCai is available in Chinese or oriental grocery stores.

61
    Rudimentary steaming tools were first discovered in the Neolithic period along the Yellow River (known as the YangShao Culture) and in the lower basin of the YangTze River in today’s Shanghai (known as the SongZe Culture).

62
    Saul H. et al., Phytoliths in Pottery Reveal the Use of Spice in European Prehistoric Cuisine. PLoS ONE, August 21, 2013.

63
    Mustard seeds come in white/yellow, brown and black varieties. Brown mustard plant belongs to the Brassicaceae family. Vegetables such as Chinese leaves, broccoli, horseradish and cabbage all come from this family.

64
    The trace of mustard seeds used as paste for culinary purpose was found in the archaeological site in TanShiShan in FuJiang Province dated back around 2500-2000BC. Mustard powder used for the blending of tastes was mentioned in
The Classic of Poetry
(
詩經
). This book contains the oldest collection of Chinese poetry written by a group of unknown authors dating back to the early Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century BC.

65
    In the preparation of the aubergine caviar, for example.

66
    Rice crust in the bottom of the wok used to be a common affair when rice was cooked over open flame. With the popularity of the non-stick electrical rice cooker in the domestic kitchen, rice crust is now almost a thing of the past.

67
    Long grain rice includes the regular long grain rice, basmati rice and Jasmine (fragrance) rice. Jasmine rice is a variety of long grain rice with the fragrance of jasmine flower, hence the name. Even though it has slightly more amylopectin than the regular long grain rice, it is not a substitute for short grain rice with a glutinous texture that many Chinese enjoy.

68
    This recipe reminds me of Persian rice pilaf with a crispy crust that uses white basmati rice. Spices are stir-fried in melted butter (or its equivalent). The par-boiled rice is then added and holes poked. When the rice is cooked, a golden rice crust is formed in the bottom of the pan. The crust is cut into wedges and laid on top of the rice to serve.

69
    In comparison with whole grain rice (brown rice) that has the husk removed, white rice has the husk, bran and the germ removed. Consequently, the oil in the rice bran, vitamins, dietary fibre and mineral are also been removed. As the white rice has smoother mouth feel, it has been perceived by many as a finer ingredient than the more rustic whole grain version and is a sign of improvement in living standard.

70
    The two major tomb sites are in LuoYang and the village of DaHuTing in MiHsien, HeNan Province. The tombs on the former site dated back the Western Han Dynasty and the latter from the Eastern Han Dynasty. For detailed discussion, please see Yu, Ying-Shih, Han, in
Food in Chinese Culture – Anthropological and Historical Perspectives
, Chang, K. C., (ed.), New Heaven: Yale University Press, 1977, pp. 53-85.

71
    As seen on the wall paintings from Tang Dynasty discovered in the cave in DunHuang, GanSu Province. They were thought to be introduced to China by ethnic groups from the West and the North around the 3rd and 4th centuries.

72
    The earliest documentary evidence is from
The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
. There are also archaeological finds that provide information on the possible dietary practices during the Neolithic Period in China. The evidence remains inconclusive.   

73
    Such as sites near GuaoYo and LianYunGang in JianSu Province.   

74
    WuChang rice and XiangShui rice from HeiLongJiang Province, PanJin rice and HengRen rice from LiaoNing Province and MeiHe rice and YangBian rice from JiLin Province all have GIP status in China.

75
    Religion often plays a part in shaping our culture. Similar religious beliefs were told in Greek mythology whereby the gods were thought to enjoy the offerings of the smoke of incense and the aroma of cooked meat from burnt animals. Classen, Constance, David Howes, and Anthony Synnott,
Aroma
,
The Cultural History of Smell,
London: Routledge, 1994.

76
    The phalanges are the bones in the fingers. As they do not have individual names, they are identified by the fingers they represent and their relative locations from the centre of the body. Distal phalanges are the tips of the fingers, proximal are nearest to the palm and middle or intermediate is between the two.

77
    Many table manners were dispensed with during the Cultural Revolution due to negligence or indifference. To address this issue, elementary schools in China started to offer courtesy/etiquette classes in 2010.

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