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How to make Youtiao (油条) – a comprehensive guide

Youtiao (油条) is a hugely popular Chinese street food, a deep-fried breadstick crispy outside with a spongy interior. It is commonly served with soybean milk or porridge and has a universal appeal to everyone regardless of race and origin. Youtiao is sold everywhere down the street, wherever there is a large Chinese population. If you …

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Castella Cake – How to make (with detailed instruction)

Castella (Kasutera カステラ) catches my attention when I realize that it is a cake made with bread flour.  So is it a cake or bread?  The Portuguese merchants introduced castella to Japan in the 16th century. It is derived from a Portuguese recipe Pão de Ló. Since it is also called Pão de Castela, meaning …

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Authentic Chinese Scallion Pancake (Cong You Bing) Recipe

When I first heard about Chinese scallion pancake (Cong You Bing, 葱油饼), I was genuinely surprised. Growing up, the only pancakes I knew were the sweet, fluffy ones served at breakfast with syrup, butter, or fruit. So the idea of savory pancakes, which are crispy, flaky, and packed with scallions, felt like an entirely different …

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Sausage rolls (Hong Kong style) – How to make it at home

Hong Kong style sausage rolls (also called hot dog rolls, hot dog buns) is a hybrid of hot dog bun and the western sausage rolls wrapped in puff pastry. It is the inevitable outcome of the western cultural assimilation into the local culinary, which emerged as a new variant as a soft bun with sausage …

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Nian gao 年糕 – How to make (the quick and easy way)

Nian gao (also known as kuih bakul)- is the must-have delicacy for Chinese New Year. Why? Since the character nian gao in Chinese is 年糕 is the homonym of the other two words 年高 (nián gāo), which means ‘a prosperous new year’, nian gao is most appropriate to serve during this auspicious festival. It is also …

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Pineapple tart – How to make this Chinese New Year delicacy

I have just made the Pineapple tart for the forthcoming Chinese New Year. This pineapple tart (黄梨挞, 黄梨酥)  is intertwined with flavor and texture  The crust is so crumbly you can hear it break under your fork (handle with care!) and the filling is the result of condensing the pineapple to a dense jam with …

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Japanese sponge cake – How to make the most cottony and bouncy cake

Finally, after many attempts, I am getting everything right to make the Japanese sponge cake. The cake is bouncy like a sponge, with a soft and delicate texture that resembles cotton when you tear it apart. I also added the cake batter to the chocolate Japanese milk bread dough. Here is the result- my delectable …

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Whole wheat bread – How to make it soft, fluffy (Asian method)

The biggest challenge of making whole wheat bread is to get the soft, and fluffy texture with good volume. In this article, I want to share with you how do we make our whole wheat loaf in our cafe, by using the TangZhong method similar for the Japanese milk buns, one the most fluffy and …

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Peanut sauce – How to prepare from scratch with 3 simple steps

Who doesn’t like the authentic peanut sauce made from scratch? I am referring the umami-rich peanut sauce for satay.   This Asian peanut sauce is so versatile that besides for satay, can be used as the gravy for noodles, making Indonesian style salad (Gado-Gado) and even as the sauce for tacos and wraps. The sauce is …

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Beef stir-fry with ginger and scallion (with 12 important tips)

Beef stir-fry with ginger and scallion (姜葱牛肉) takes only fifteen minutes to prepare. Follow the ginger beef recipe below, which rivals any ginger and scallions beef stir-fry from Chinese restaurants. The recipe is easy, but the flavor is addictive. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice, which will take you halfway to paradise. You can get …

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