Who in their right mind would actively seek bitterness? But actually, kǔ (苦), or bitterness, is very much a taste embraced in Asia, where a large variety of traditional recipes have developed for various bitter plants.

One of the staples on a menu in a typical restaurant in Beijing is the liángbàn kǔguā (凉拌苦瓜), bitter gourd salad – usually a cold, hostile plate of insipid, bitter slices. Looking at a bitter gourd, you’d wonder whether it is actually meant for human consumption. Its lumpy green surface, more reptilian than culinary, may not be the most inviting, but its nutritional benefits have made it one of the most popular vegetables in Asia from China to Vietnam to India.

Bitter gourd contains high amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2 and C, and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper and potassium. It enhances digestion, detoxifies, and stimulates the liver. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known as a powerful cooling vegetable, beneficial to those with too much heat and moisture in their bodies.

Another bitter but more easy-to-cook vegetable is jiècài (芥菜), the Chinese mustard green, available almost year-round in Beijing’s markets. Its long, curved stems and large furled leaves are an elegant contrast to the bitter gourd. As with all other bitter vegetables, the mustard green is considered a potent cooling food in traditional Chinese medicine. Cooking mustard greens makes them meltingly tender, but it does not lessen its bitter bite.

While there are some tricks to reducing bitterness in vegetables, such as soaking them in salt or vinegar before cooking, the best way to balance the yin of bitterness is with the yang of sweetness – mustard greens can be tempered with pumpkin or other sweet starchy tubers like butternut squash or sweet potato, while bitter gourd cooked with coconut milk is a popular combination in Southeast Asia.

Bitter Gourd in Mild Coconut Curry

(serves 8)
Ingredients:
• 200g black lentils or your favorite type of pulse
• 4 medium-sized bitter gourds
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, crushed
• 1 tsp coriander seed
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 1 curry leaf
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder, optional
• 1 can of coconut milk
• Salt to taste

Note: For those who don’t like spiciness, chilli powder can be replaced with a bit of brown sugar or a swirl of honey before serving.

Cook the black lentils in plenty of water until just soft. Drain water and set aside.

Slice the bitter gourds in half and remove the white pith and seeds. Sprinkle salt over the inside flesh and leave for 15-20 minutes. The longer you soak the bitter gourd in salt, the less bitter (and saltier) it will get. Bitterness can be further reduced by scraping away the lumpy skin of the gourd with the back of a knife until the surface of the gourd is smooth. Rinse the gourds free of salt and chop into 1-inch-thick pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic and ginger until soft. Add the coriander, mustard and cumin seeds. Stir occasionally and cook until the cumin seeds release their aroma and the mustard seeds start to pop and hiss. Add the rest of the dried herbs and spices and heat thoroughly.

Add the lentils to the spice mixture and coat evenly with the spices. Add the coconut milk and bring to a slight simmer. If the mixture is too thick, add water. Allow the lentils to cook in the coconut curry until they are soft.

Finally, add the bitter gourd to the coconut curry. Cook until soft. The longer the gourd is cooked, the less bitter it will be, though overcooking it will cause the flesh to become mushy.

Serve piping hot over rice.

Mustard Greens and Pumpkin Claypot

(serves 4)
Ingredients:
• 500g spare ribs
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 200g pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato, chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 250g mustard greens, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced
• Broth or water for cooking

Marinate the spare ribs in corn starch, salt, ground white pepper, sesame oil, and a splash of rice wine for about 15 minutes. Place the mustard greens in a large claypot and set aside.

In a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and place on high heat. Brown the pieces of pumpkin on all sides. Place the browned pumpkin on top of the mustard greens in the casserole.

In the same pan, sauté ginger and garlic over medium heat until they start to release their aroma, then remove from the pan and add these seasonings to the claypot with the mustard greens. Turn the heat up and brown the spare ribs thoroughly. Remove them from the pan and arrange on top of the pumpkin in the claypot.

Still using the same pan, heat up the water or broth until it simmers; pour into the claypot, covering the mustard greens and some of the pumpkin. The greens will wilt and give up water as they cook.

Cover the claypot and allow it to cook on the lowest heat for about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve hot with white rice.

To the Chinese, watercress is known as xiyang cai (西洋菜), which literally means “Western vegetable.” And yet, even though its moniker clearly associates it with overseas roots, the vegetable has become such a common ingredient in the kitchens of China and grows in such abundance in southern provinces that many Chinese themselves mistake it for a native plant.

The many fables of the debut of watercress in China are all variations of one story: A Chinese man’s quest to seek fortune in the West goes awry, and he is saved from starvation by watercress. He ultimately brings the plant back to China with him where it becomes a household staple.

A closer-to-reality version of history is that European missionaries introduced the plant in the 19th century, when it was one of the most commonly consumed vegetables in the West. It is claimed that sailors ate it to combat scurvy, while laborers bought bunches of it by the side of the road for breakfast.

In Western culinary history, watercress is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables to be consumed by humans and one of the first used for medicinal purposes. The Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC), often regarded as the “father of medicine,” is said to have chosen the location for his first hospital based on its proximity to a stream so that he could grow watercress to treat his patients.

The tiny, delicate and clover-like leaves of watercress are indeed a treasure-trove of nutrition. Today, it is marketed as a “superfood” and is revered for its significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid. Raw watercress has more Vitamin C than oranges, and when compared to other superfoods, such as raw tomatoes and cooked broccoli, it is substantially higher in vitamins A, B1, B6 and E, as well as beta-carotene. It is also touted as an anti-carcinogen.

In traditional Chinese medicine, watercress is a cure-all when it comes to respiratory illnesses. Coughing, sore throats, phlegm, dry mouth, extreme thirst and bad breath can all be cured by consuming a simple soup made from watercress and arhat fruit (luohan guo 罗汉果). Even pneumonia and bronchitis patients are recommended the soup to speed up recovery.

But this delicious, heartwarming soup is not only for those who are ill; many Chinese meals regularly begin and end with a bowl of this piping-hot broth. As watercress is considered a cool and moist food, it is popular during the hot and dry summer months to balance an excess of “heat” in the body.

When choosing your watercress, look for small, crisp leaves of a dark emerald color. Before eating or cooking it, be sure to soak the vegetable in plenty of water with a couple tablespoons of salt to tease out any organisms; since it is a semi-aqueous plant usually grown near livestock, the chance of germs or parasites hidden amongst the leaves can be high.

The bitter and peppery taste of raw watercress might be difficult for kids to enjoy, but this can be tempered by cooking it to bring out its sweetness. Instead of the usual watercress salad or sandwich, try a quick stir-fry with a dash of soy sauce and plenty of garlic. Add a sprinkle of sugar to mask any remaining bitterness. Or make a creamy potage cressonniere – a French standby that can be as simple as a couple of potatoes and a bunch of watercress thrown in the food processor with some stock.

Arhat Fruit and Watercress Soup

(serves 8)
This dairy and fat-free recipe is incredibly silken in texture and can be served cold as the months warm up ahead. Kids will be so distracted by the velvety mouth-feel that they won’t realize how good it is for them!

Ingredients:
• 500g watercress
• 200g pork (shourou 瘦肉)
• Half an arhat fruit (luohan guo 罗汉果)
• Thumb-sized piece of dried mandarin peel (chenpi 陈皮)
• 6 cups of water

Soak the dried mandarin peel in warm water until soft. Remove the peel from the water and scrape the inside of the peel with the blunt edge of a knife to remove the bitter pith.

Place the pork in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a bare simmer. Leave to cook for one hour.

Add the arhat fruit, mandarin peel and watercress (whole), to the pork stock. If you like, add four dried, sweetened dates (mizao 蜜枣) for flavor – be sure to first rinse the crystallized sugar off the surface of the dates.

Bring the soup back to a high boil, then turn the heat down until barely simmering. Leave to stew for another forty minutes. Alternatively, place everything in a pressure cooker and leave to cook for one-and-a-half to two hours.

Ladle into serving bowls while hot and distribute the watercress evenly. The pork can be served separately, accompanied by soy sauce mixed with ground peppercorns (either white or Sichuan) for dipping.

Potage Cressonniere

(serves 6)
This creamy soup is a simple-to-make French classic that the entire family can enjoy.

Ingredients:
• 500g watercress
• 3 medium potatoes
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 2 leeks (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and leeks. Bring the stock to a boil and add the chopped potatoes and leeks. Let boil until the potatoes become very soft. Add the watercress and simmer for about three minutes or until just wilted. Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. The soup will be quite thick but can be made thinner by adding hot water. Return the puree to the pot to heat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls and drizzle sour cream or crème fraîche on the surface to garnish.

With warm spring weather comes plenty of juicy, crunchy fruits and vegetables to add to the menu. Here in Beijing, many people turn to liangban (凉拌) dishes, which are cold dishes usually of raw vegetables accompanying tofu or noodles. A liangban dish is essentially a salad without a heavy dressing, adorned instead with flavors commonly found in a Chinese pantry: a little sesame oil, a little vinegar, and a dash of soy sauce, perhaps. This combination of flavorings can be used to dress any raw vegetable – even nutrient-rich sea kelp – and also makes a great sauce for a bowl of noodles. For a bit of extra heft, sesame paste can be a much healthier alternative to mayonnaise or cream sauces.

But if your kids don’t feel as passionately as you do about a fresh plate of raw veggies, try livening up any dish with a few vegetable critters, which can be made with ingredients available in any local market and all year round.

Ladybug

Ingredients:
• Cherry tomatoes
• Carrots
• Preserved, seedless dates

Slice carrots into tiny slivers. Using preserved seedless dates – preferably the kind that is for snacking, as these are soft, sticky and easy to shape – take one and cut off the tip for the ladybug’s head. Make a small incision in the headpiece and place two carrot slivers inside to form the antennae.

Slice the remaining part of the date in half lengthwise to form the torso, and shape one end of the torso into a pointed tip. Take one cherry tomato and slice it lengthwise into quarters. Make two small incisions on the surface of each quarter and place a small piece of date in each to form the ladybug’s spots.

Assemble the ladybug by placing the tomato wings on each side of the pointed end of the date torso. Lastly, place the head and antennae at the front.

Caterpillar

Ingredients:
• Wolfberries (aka gouqi berries)
• Carrots
• Bitter gourd

Soak some wolfberries in water and slice carrots into slivers. Using a slice of bitter gourd, which has a naturally bumpy surface that makes for great caterpillar bodies, follow the uneven edges with a knife to create a ribbed effect. It may be a good idea to salt the melon beforehand to draw out some of the bitterness.

Slice the end of the gourd to form a slanted plane for the caterpillar’s face. Cut one wolfberry into halves and place them on the face to form the caterpillar’s eyes.

Make a small incision above the eyes and insert two slivers of carrot to form the antennae.

Bumblebee

Ingredients:
• Preserved dates
• Tofu sheets
• Carrot slivers

Take one date and cut it into three parts. One tip of the date will be the head of the bee, the middle part will be the torso, and the end tip can be pinched into the shape of a sting.

Slice pieces of the tofu thinly to make the bee’s stripes. Cut leaf shapes to make wings. The wings can be left by a window to dry, as this will cause them to curl and gives the effect of wings in flight, but remember that tofu sheets will dry out and become brittle, so make sure to place them in an airtight container when not using them.

Wrap the date torso with three tofu sheet stripes. Secure the stripes by pressing them into the sticky flesh of the date. Make an incision in the date head and insert two slivers of carrot to form antennae. Assemble the pieces together to form the bee.

Eggs are the perfect food to get kids eating healthy. They can be cooked in umpteen different ways to create umpteen delicious dishes. And despite all the bad press they’ve received in past years, eggs are extremely good for you! They are high in protein and iron and packed full of vitamins.

Yes, raw eggs can sometimes contain salmonella bacteria, but only the careless (or unlucky) cook stands a chance of suffering its adverse effects. Meanwhile, the tried-and-true method for testing the freshness of an egg is to plop it into a cup of cold water: If it sinks horizontally, it’s fresh. The older an egg gets, the more air it absorbs and stores in its fatty end, so an egg that’s around a week old will lie semi-horizontally in the water. A stale egg, however, will float in a vertical position. Also, when you crack an egg open, you can tell right away that it’s fresh if it has a rounded, plump and pert yolk and the egg white (albumen) is thick. A stale egg, meanwhile, will have a flatter yolk and a thin, watery albumen.

Now that you’ve got the facts straight, get cracking!

Tea Eggs (makes 12 eggs)

A dozen jumbo eggs
3 tablespoons of black tea leaves
8 cups of water
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 stars of anise
3 cloves
Sprinkle of fennel seed
Sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorns
Several dashes of dark soy sauce

Place eggs in a large pan and cover with water. Bring water to a gentle boil for 10 to 12 minutes. When the eggs are cooked, gently lift the eggs out of the pan and place them under cold running water.

Next, combine black tea leaves, water, salt, light soy sauce and spices in a large pan. Add dashes of dark soy sauce to deepen the color. Bring the liquid to a boil and then gently simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the hard-boiled eggs are cool enough to handle, gently crack the eggshells all over in a spiderweb pattern (without allowing the shells to detach from the egg) by tapping the egg on a hard surface. Kids can help by rolling eggs on a thin towel while gently applying pressure.

Place the cracked-shell eggs into the simmering liquid. If needed, add additional water – enough to cover the eggs. Bring to a slow boil again, then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Allow the eggs to marinate in the sauce until the flavor seeps in.

Store eggs in refrigerator overnight for better color and flavor. When you remove the shells just prior to serving, you will see the marbled pattern on the surface of the egg.

Chocolate Mousse (serves six)

Raw eggs in this dessert are safe to eat because the recipe includes whipping cream, which has a high fat content that inhibits bacteria growth (in the same way that oil does with the raw egg in mayonnaise).

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat. Before the chocolate melts completely, remove from heat and beat the mixture with a spoon until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a different bowl and add the egg yolks. Beat together using a whisk. Keep the mixture cool by refrigerating (or placing by a window in cold seasons).

Next, beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks. Separately, beat the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks. Both of these steps can be fun for children to do by hand. Make sure to use a high-rimmed bowl and to place a towel underneath it to prevent slipping.

Stir several spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites thoroughly. Lastly, fold in the cream and refrigerate until chilled. Serve within a day or two of making.

How to bring this classic Chinese culinary tradition into your own home

Legend has it that when Kublai Khan was leading his troops on a long journey into battle, he suddenly craved mutton stew. So he ordered his troops to set up camp, and the cook began preparing the dish. But as the sheep were being slaughtered, the enemy suddenly advanced upon them. Kublai Khan ordered the mutton to be served immediately so that he would not go into battle on an empty stomach. The cook decided to slice the mutton paper-thin so it could be cooked quickly in boiling broth. He served it to the general and – of course – Kublai won the battle. From then on, the flash-blanched mutton became a celebrated dish. Though the verity of this tale may be doubtful, the popularity of mutton hot pot, or shuanyangrou, is a certainty, especially in Northern China.

Nothing is more simple and perfect than the concept of hot pot: Take a vessel of any kind, fill it with liquid such as water (though gourmands will demand broth), and heat it up any which way you can. When the liquid reaches the boiling point, submerge bite-sized pieces of fresh meat or vegetable, cook for a minimal amount of time, dip into a sauce for extra flavor, and eat! There couldn’t be a more no-frills method of cooking.

And yet, hot pot can also yield some extraordinarily flavorful and tender results. Today, this basic Chinese method of dining has morphed into a myriad of forms, with many regions across China boasting their own signature style, each more tantalizing than the next.

Mutton hot pot is a favorite for Beijingers, as mutton is believed to be especially effective in heating the body; in the depths of an icy northern winter, a hot pot dinner is a great way to keep warm with family and friends. Chongqing, on the other hand, may never see ice during the winters, but hot pot is nonetheless a quotidian practice there. One of the Four Great Furnaces of China, Chongqing is perennially hot and muggy, so locals love to eat their mouth-numbing, tongue-burning foods to induce sweating, which they believe rids the body of excess heat and moisture. It should surprise nobody that Chongqing-style hot pot is considered one of the spiciest gastronomical experiences around.

To make this hot pot base, an incredibly diverse variety of spices are first gently stir-fried to release their flavor before the broth is added. An authentic Chongqing-style hot pot will have an oil-to-water ratio of 6:4, and the oil should be dyed a bright scarlet from all the chili peppers. The different flavors should be balanced and in harmony so that none of the spices dominates the others. The robust flavors of this aromatic broth are perfect for masking the gaminess of innards, and Chongqingers like to dunk tripe, blood pudding, lung and other delicious organs that can be stewed for a long time in the hot pot.

When you’re having hot pot at home, it is probably best to go with Cantonese. This southern-style hot pot, with its emphasis on the nutritional value of the broth and a minimal amount of additives, can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Start by buying a cut of lean pork and simmering it with a few carrots for a simple homemade broth. Alternatively, you can simmer a whole chicken, or even an abalone, for a richer and more impressive taste. Investing in an electric hot plate with a built-in hot pot setting means you don’t have to worry about accidents involving little fingers and naked flames. Lastly, stock your hot pot pantry to include these basic ingredients for dipping sauces: sesame paste diluted in sesame oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, chili paste, fermented tofu, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions and garlic.

The best thing about hot pot is that anything goes: thick- or thin-cut meat, meatballs, fresh or frozen seafood, tofu, dumplings. Vegetables can be either green and leafy or hearty winter types like pumpkin, lotus root, kale, winter melon and sweet potato. Ingredients cut thin and left to boil for just a few minutes are ready to eat in an instant. Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to separate utensils for eating and cooking, and water should be kept at a steady boil to ensure a sanitary cooking temperature.

Inside, find a few recipes for some basic hot pot staples. What are you waiting for? Get dunking!

Meatballs (Makes about 20)

Ingredients:
250g ground pork (shourouxian)
2tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2tsp cornstarch (dianfen)
2tsps sesame oil
1 egg white
1tsp salt
1tsp ground white pepper
One inch of lettuce root (wosun), finely diced – Optional

Mix the ground meat with the ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, egg white, salt and white pepper until it is thoroughly combined and becomes a thick paste. Add the diced wosun and mix well. (Alternately, any kind of vegetable that holds its shape after boiling can be used, such as celery, water chestnuts or carrots. Though optional, they will give the meatball more texture and bite.) To form the meatballs, hold some of the mixture in your fist and squeeze it out between your thumb and forefinger.

Pork Wonton (makes 25-30)

For the wrappers:
2 cups flour
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Mix the beaten egg with 1/4 cup water. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the egg and water mixture and stir together with the flour. Gradually add water to form dough. Knead the dough for about five minutes until smooth. The dough should be quite dry and firm with good elasticity. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out as thin as possible. Cut into squares about 2 1/2 inches on each side. Sprinkle both surfaces of the wrapper with a generous amount of flour before stacking them up. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

For the filling:
150g ground pork
1tbs dried shrimp, minced
1tsp ginger, chopped
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp ground white pepper
1/2tsp cornstarch

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly until they form a thick paste. Before you wrap the dumplings, you will need to prepare a dish of beaten egg yolk. Place a teaspoon of meat filling in the center of the wrapper (not too much, or else the wrapping will burst). Dab egg yolk along two adjacent edges of the square wrapper, then fold in half and squeeze the edges to seal in the filling. Dab more egg yolk along the new edges and fold into a dumpling shape.

Veggie Wraps

Ingredients:
Assorted vegetables
Meatball mixture
Bean curd, cut into squares
Toothpicks
Chinese wolfberries – Optional

Collect several vegetables that will hold their shape after boiling; choose ones with different colors, such as enoki mushrooms, yellow and green pepper, spinach or kale stems or wosun. Slice the vegetables into thin strips. Take a square sheet of pressed bean curd, spread on some of the meatball mixture from the previous recipe, and place some of the slices of vegetables diagonally across the square sheet. Roll up the sheet and secure with toothpicks. Decorate the points of the toothpicks with vitamin-packed Chinese wolfberries ( gouqi). Soak the wolfberries in hot water for several minutes before using.

Spring Festival marks that point in the cycle of the lunar calendar where one year ends and another one begins. In the past, it was customary in China for everybody to mark their birthday at the New Year, and for this reason, a special dumpling known as yuanxiao – which can be translated as ‘first night’ – are traditionally eaten during this time. Yuanxiao are spheres of glutinous rice dough filled with sweet or savory mixtures of preserved fruits, beans, nuts and spices.

Here in Beijing, yuanxiao are made from rice dough that is usually quite thick and tough, while the filling is dry. In most other places in China, yuanxiao are known as tangyuan, which literally means ‘soup ball’ and refers to the cooking method of boiling the balls in plenty of water. Coincidentally, the name tangyuan sounds similar to tuanyuan, which means ‘a family reunion.’ The spherical shape of the sweet snack also symbolizes completeness, adding to the auspiciousness of the food.

Nowadays, yuanxiao are eaten all year round as a sweet snack or dessert. Each region of China claims its own way of serving it. For example, the Sichuanese serve theirs with rice wine, and in Shanghai, leisha tangyuan, or ‘soup dumplings in sand,’ are popular. Filled with red bean paste, the cooked tangyuan are rolled in browned soy flour, which resembles sand, and are served dry. The tangyuan eaten most commonly today are Ningbo-style, which can usually be found in the frozen food section of Chinese supermarkets around the world. These are filled with a sweet paste – made of ground black sesame seeds, sugar, and lard – which oozes out of the glutinous rice dough casing when you bite into it.

It is remarkably easy to make yuanxiao at home. You can get creative and hide all manner of things inside the glutinous rice dough, such as jams, fresh pieces of fruit, or even chocolate. In Guangdong, fillings are made from red beans, green beans, taro, winter melon, black and white sesame seeds, lotus seeds, walnuts and more. The possibilities for fillings are truly endless. Alternately, you can do away with the filling altogether and serve tiny, pearl-like pieces of the rice dough in a soup of fermented glutinous rice grains and sugar. This dish, called jiuniang tangyuan,needs only a swirl of beaten egg and a dollop of osthmanthus honey to be impressive at your next family gathering.

Recipe:

1/2 cup glutinous rice flour; best to use Dongfang Pai Tangyuan Fen, readily available in supermarkets
4tbsp cold water
3tbsp red bean paste, or dousha xian
Water for boiling
Brown sugar to taste

Sift the glutinous rice flour into a bowl. Make a crater in the center and pour in some of the cold water. Slowly mix the water and flour, gradually adding in the rest of the water. Use your fingers to gather the mixture into a sticky dough. You can knead the dough a few times to mix the flour and water thoroughly. The dough should be wet but not too sticky, and should peel easily off the hands.

To make tangyuan without filling, simply break off small pieces of the dough and roll into balls about one centimeter in diameter. These are ready for boiling. Some people like to add red food coloring to the dough, especially during Spring Festival, as red is an auspicious color.

To make tangyuan with filling, break off some of the dough and roll into a ball about two centimeters in diameter. Press flat in your palm to form a thick disk. Gently pinch the edges of the disk so that they are considerably thinner than the center.

Roll some red bean paste into a ball about 1/2 centimeter in diameter. Place this in the center of the disk of dough and fold the edges over. Gently shape the dough into a sphere with your hands. Don’t be too greedy with the filling, as the glutinous rice dough will break during cooking if your tangyuan are too full.

Using a deep pot, bring a generous amount of water to a boil and place the tangyuan into the water. The tangyuan will sink to the bottom at first; be sure to stir gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. When they start to float to the surface, it means that they are cooked through. It is best to continue boiling for about five minutes more, however, to ensure that the filling is hot. Serve immediately in plain cooking water, or add brown sugar to give color and flavor.

A spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down, and ginger tempered with sugar makes it much easier for kids to stomach the spicy root. Ginger heats up the body, gets the blood to circulate and induces sweating, all of which helps to ward off colds. At the end of each year, when the winds pick up and the air loses its summer humidity, ginger tea works as a great remedy at the first sight of a runny nose.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are two types of common colds: the “hot cold” (fēngrè gǎnmào, 风热感冒) and the “cool cold” (fēnghán gǎnmào, 风寒感冒). The symptoms of the former include a sore throat, coughing, extreme thirst, a yellow tongue and sweating, in which case ginger will aggravate the situation. But should you have aching muscles, no sweating and a thirst for warm liquids, then it is more likely that you have fenghan ganmao, for which ginger is a suitable remedy.  

Ginger also helps combat nausea, as mirrored in Western culture in the practice of drinking ginger ale for upset stomachs. It is said that the ancient Romans knew of the medicinal properties of ginger, and, while seldom using it in cooking, they would eat ginger wrapped in bread at the end of their meals to aid digestion. This may have been the beginning of what is now a seasonal favorite – gingerbread.

In Chinese cooking, ginger is used to mask unsavory flavors such as the marine tang of seafood and the gaminess of meat. For example, before cooking pork, flattened and roughly sliced ginger is first stir-fried to season the wok.

Fresh, unpeeled ginger (tightly wrapped) can keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or six months in the freezer. Alternatively, you can cover peeled and chopped ginger in cooking wine, sherry, or oil and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Here in Beijing, you can find boiled sweets flavored with ginger as well as candied ginger. But before gobbling them up, remember that ginger is potent in any form and be on the lookout for allergic reactions. When handling ginger, do not rub your eyes without first washing or wiping your hands – as with all spicy foods, it will cause irritation. That said, there really is nothing more satisfying than whipping up something sweet and spicy to warm up the whole family for the cold months ahead.

Recipes

Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 12-15 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup molasses or golden syrup
• 1 egg, beaten
• White granulated sugar for decorating

Cream brown sugar and butter. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to sugar and butter mixture. Add molasses or golden syrup and egg. Mix to form cookie dough. Wrap dough in cling film and chill for 20 minutes to an hour. Remove chilled dough from the fridge. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until about half a centimeter thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters (see our “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” feature on p47 for more gingerbread ideas). Sprinkle white granulated sugar on top and gently pat the sugar crystals into the surface of the dough. Bake for 5-7 minutes. For best results, store in a cool, dry place for several days before serving.

Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger
Serves four generously

Ingredients:
• 3 cups sweet potato, cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 cups water
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, with skin
• Brown sugar to taste

Place raw sweet potato into water and bring to a boil. When water reaches a rapid boil, reduce heat to a slow simmer. Lay the flat side of a cleaver against the piece of ginger and apply pressure until ginger is flattened. When the chunks of sweet potato become tender, add the ginger and continue simmering for another 20 minutes. Add sugar to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Meet shanyao (山药), the Chinese Yam, aka Tuber of Longevity, or Rhizoma Dioscoreae. Don’t judge a tuber by its appearance – they all look kind of funny anyway – because what shanyao lacks in color, shape and general botanical stylishness, it more than makes up for in nutrition and versatility. Any toothless, wrinkled, yet sprightly Chinese granny will tell you that this tuber is a source of good health and longevity. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends it for ailments related to most of our major organs – the lungs, liver, kidneys and reproductive bits – and combines it with other herbs in prescriptions for everything from diarrhea to impotence.

Sure potatoes and yams are great, but they’re heavy and will have you feeling full quickly. Shanyao, on the other hand, is surprisingly light and stimulates the appetite. What’s more, you can eat it raw: Diced into salads or simply dipped in honey, the raw shanyao is crisp and juicy like an apple, with a wickedly slippery coating of mucilage – the slimy substance produced by plants – which shanyao happens to produce tons of. Not only is this slippery substance fun to eat, it’s also good for the body’s mucous membranes, such as the respiratory and digestive tracts. The Japanese, known connoisseurs of goop, prefer their raw shanyao ground into a thick paste and poured over hot rice with soy sauce. 

At the market, you’ll recognize shanyao as hairy, dirt-covered stick-like things that can grow as long as one meter, but are more commonly 40-50 centimeters in length. There’s no real trick to picking shanyao: just think about how you want to serve it before you choose one. Thick cylindrical ones are good if you want to serve medallions, while flat ones are good for chopping into sticks.

After cleaning off all the dirt, put on gloves before peeling your shanyao, as the slimy secretion may irritate bare hands and make them itchy. If you get any on your skin, quickly wash several times with warm soapy water. If the itching persists, try heating the affected skin by holding it as close to a naked flame as you can bear. This “cooks” the mucilage and will stop the itching. When shanyao is cooked, you’ll notice that it loses its sliminess.

Mashed Shanyao

Ingredients:
One shanyao, about 40-50cm long
Water for boiling
Chicken broth, about 75ml
Garlic, one head
Five spice, a pinch
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Cilantro and spring onions
Cashew nuts
Carrots and green capsicum to garnish

Shanyao can pretty much be used the same way as a potato, with the additional option of eating it raw. Mashed shanyao is a great way to include younger cooks, as everyone can participate in the mashing. First, chop the shanyao into small pieces. Raw shanyao is slippery, so try using small clean towels to cover the chopping board and to hold the shanyao to help get a grip as you chop. Boil or steam the pieces until they are thoroughly cooked and falling apart.

While the shanyao is cooking, take one head of garlic and chop off the tip so the flesh of each clove is exposed. Pour olive oil over the garlic so that it seeps inside each clove. Wrap in foil and roast at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Alternatively, finely chop three cloves of garlic and stir-fry in a bit of oil until the garlic is just starting to turn brown.

Mash the cooked shanyao together with the garlic. Add hot chicken broth until the desired consistency is achieved. Next, add ground white pepper, salt, and a pinch of ground five spice (potent stuff!) to taste. Finely chopped cilantro or the green part of spring onions also works as a great addition. Shape the mash into a mound and sprinkle finely chopped carrot and green capsicum “confetti” on top before serving. Cashew nuts add a touch of crunch to the soft dish.

Candied Shanyao

Ingredients:
One shanyao, about 40-50cm long
Sugar, 300g
Water, about  30ml or one soup-ladleful
Oil for deep-frying

Basi shanyao (拔丝山药), or silk-thread shanyao, is one of northern China’s favorite desserts. Essentially candied shanyao, it requires some time to make but is a great treat for parties. Cut the raw shanyao into small pieces, or for more creative shapes use small cookie cutters. Deep-fry the pieces until golden brown. You’ll want to first fry it over medium-low heat for about five minutes, then heat the oil to medium-high heat to crisp the outside of the shanyao pieces.

After draining the shanyao thoroughly, heat a wok with just enough oil to coat it. Add 300 grams of white granulated sugar and a soup-ladle’s worth of water. Keep stirring the sugar until it turns to syrup.

When the syrup begins to brown, add the fried shanyao pieces and thoroughly cover each piece in syrup. Remove the candied shanyao from the wok and serve with a small bowl of cold drinking water on the side. When each piece is pulled apart, fine threads of sugar form. Dip the pieces in the cold water before eating, as this will prevent the candy from sticking to your teeth.

by Zoe Li; photos by Luna Zhang

If trees had ears, would you eat them? According to Chinese medicine, you’d be silly if you didn’t.

The Chinese fungi muer, which translates literally as "wood ear," is also known as tremella, or witch’s butter, by Western health food stores. It is commonly found in Beijing either as the black hei muer (黑木耳, "black wood ear") or the white yiner (银耳, "silver ear"). These are the yin and yang of fungi; the fungal king and queen; the Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li of eukaryotic organisms. One is black like a gracefully wilting rose, while the other resembles an elegant albino peony in full bloom, and both are believed to contain many wonderful nutritional benefits.

In particular, the silver fungi is best for those with Snow White aspirations, not because of any soporific properties but because the slippery, translucent appearance of cooked silver ear is the exaggerated ideal of fair skin. According to the tenet of Chinese shiliao (食疗, the practice of healing through eating), eating foods that resemble certain parts of the body will improve those parts. The brain-like appearance of walnuts means it must be good for the brain, as silken silver ear is for the skin. It’s easy to dismiss the hokey-ness of this, but poke your head into any home-style restaurant in town and don’t be surprised to find at least a couple of radiant, supple-skinned ladies slurping up silver ear soup religiously.

Both types of fungi are also believed to be good for the respiratory system, the heart and the stomach, and are thought to be blood thinners, thus preventing clots. As autumn draws near, many soups will be prepared with the fungi to help combat the coming of cold, dry weather.

To pick out a good quality muer, you should check the color, thickness, moisture and smell of the fungi. Top-quality fresh black muer should be a rich inky black color, and its large palm-sized ears should be quite thick and not too rubbery. It should have a low amount of moisture and be torn apart easily like a plant leaf. There should be no unpleasant smells to the fungi but maybe just a slight woodsy, soil-like pungency when held close to the nose.

Silver ear should be a natural-looking blond color. If it is too yellow then it will be bitter, and if it is too pale, it may have been chemically bleached. Go for the ones with thick, large folds, with no dirt particles on them. Both types of dried fungi should swell up to five times their size when reconstituted in water.

Black muer can be whipped into a Chinese salad simply by reconstituting it in drinking water, slicing it into bite sized pieces and letting it sit in a dressing of sugar, soy sauce, black vinegar and maybe a few Sichuan peppercorns. It can also be added into a meat stir-fry or stew. Cooking it for longer than 30 minutes will transform it from crunchy to melt-in-the-mouth, both desirable textures, depending on your own tastes.

Silver ear, on the other hand, is best when it is past the melt-in-the-mouth stage and nearer to the disappearing-into-the-liquid-completely stage. It imparts a viscosity to the soup or stew as if starch had been added, and it is believed that the nutrients are best absorbed this way.

Recipe

Silver ear dessert soup
For the complexion

(serves six)

• 1 medium-sized bouquet of silver ear, about 5 inches in diameter when dry
• 3 cups of water for boiling
• Handful of small dried jujubes
• Small bunch of wolfberries
• 2 thumb-sized pieces of rock sugar (冰糖, bingtang)

Soak the dried jujubes and wolfberries for about 15 minutes to soften them slightly and remove any dirt. Drain the water and reserve the fruits.

Soak the dry silver ear in cold water for ten minutes, washing out any dirt particles. Change the water and continue to soak for another 15 minutes or until it is completely moist and has expanded in size. While soaking, continue to add water to the silver ear so that it is always sitting in a shallow pool.

Shake off the excess water and cut the silver ear into bite-sized pieces, removing the bitter amber roots completely.

Place the silver ear in a large pot with the jujubes, wolfberries and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and leave the soup to simmer very slowly. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the silver ear is not sticking to the bottom. Add hot water if it starts to stick. When the silver ear has turned completely translucent, it is ready to eat. The longer you simmer, the thicker the soup, and cooking time can continue until the soup has achieved your desired consistency.

Before serving, add the sugar to taste. The soup is good either hot or ice-cold.