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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Nian Gao (年糕), also called Chinese New Year cake, is a must-have festive dessert during the Lunar New Year. The name nian gao sounds like 年高 (nián gāo), meaning “a higher year,” symbolizing success, prosperity, and growth in the coming year. In many Cantonese families, this sweet, chewy rice cake is not just food, it’s …
I’ve just made these Pineapple Tarts for the upcoming Chinese New Year, and they are truly irresistible. The crust is buttery and crumbly, breaking under your fork with a satisfying crunch, while the pineapple filling is reduced into a dense, flavorful jam. In Hokkien, pineapple is pronounced “ong-lai (旺来)”, which sounds like “prosperity is arriving.” …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …