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Asian Soups
Soups in East Asian culture are eaten as one of the main dishes in a meal or in some cases served straight with little adornment, particular attention is paid to the soups' stocks. In the case of some soups, the stock ingredients become part of the soup. They are usually based solely on broths and lacking in dairy products such as milk or cream. If thickened, the thickening usually consists of refined starches from corn or sweet potatoes. Asian soups are generally categorized as either savoury or sweet. The quality of a savoury soup is determined mainly by its fragrance and umami or "''xian''" flavour, as well as, to a lesser extent, its mouthfeel. Sweet soups such as ''tong sui'' are enjoyed for their aroma, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. Many soups are eaten and drunk as much for their flavour as for their health benefits and touted for their purported revitalizing or invigorating effects. In Chinese language, noodle soups are generally considered a noodle dish instead of a soup, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soup
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews. In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two main groups: ''clear soups'' and ''thick soups''. The established French classifications of clear soups are ''bouillon'' and ''consommé''. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: ''purées'' are vegetable soups thickened with starch; '' bisques'' are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and '' veloutés'' are thickened with egg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Herbology
Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that the most obvious reason why it has not delivered many cures is that the majority of its treatments have no logical mechanism of action. The term herbology is misleading in the sense that, while plant elements are by far the most commonly used substances, animal, human, and mineral products are also utilized, among which some are poisonous. In the ''Huangdi Neijing'' they are referred to as () which means toxin, poison, or medicine. Paul U. Unschuld points out that this is similar etymology to the Greek '' pharmakon'' and so he uses the term "pharmaceutic". Thus, the term "medicinal" (instead of herb) is usually preferred as a translation for (). Research into the effectiveness of traditional Chinese herbal therapy is of poor quality and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niboshi
Niboshi (煮干し), often called iriko (炒り子) in Western Japan, are Japanese dried infant sardines (sometimes incorrectly translated as anchovies). They are one of many varieties of small dried fish used throughout Asia in snacks and as seasoning for soup stocks and other foods. In Japan, ''niboshi dashi'' is one of the more common forms of dashi. It is especially popular as the base stock when making miso soup. Niboshi dashi is made by soaking niboshi in plain water. If left overnight or brought nearly to a boil, the flavor of the small sardines permeates the water to make the stock. Niboshi are also cooked and served as snacks and as one of the symbolic foods making up the Japanese osechi during New Year. Tazukuri (fried sweet and savory sardines) are made by frying the dried sardines and then adding a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and roasted white sesame seeds. File:Driedniboshi.jpg, Dried niboshi File:Niboshi, called Iriko in Hawaii.jpg, Called iriko in Haw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kombu
''Konbu'' (from ja, 昆布, konbu or kombu) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' ( ko, 다시마) or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icelandic; however, the largest consumers of kelp are the Japanese, who have incorporated kelp and seaweed into their diets for over 1,500 years. Prominent species There are about eighteen edible species in Laminariaceae and most of them, but not all, are called kombu. Confusingly, species of Laminariaceae have multiple names in biology and in fisheries science. In the following list, fisheries science synonyms are in parentheses, and Japanese names follow them. * ''Saccharina japonica'' (''Laminaria japonica''), * ''Saccharina japonica'' var. ''religiosa'' (''Laminaria religiosa''), * ''Saccharina japonica'' var. ''diabolica'' (''Laminaria diabolica''), l * ''Saccharina japonica'' var. ''ochotensis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mirin
is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation process; no sugars are added. The alcohol content is further lowered when the liquid is heated. Three types of mirin are common. The first is ''hon mirin'' (literally: true mirin), which contains about 14% alcohol and is produced by a 40 to 60 day mashing (saccharification) process. The second is ''shio mirin'' (literally: salt mirin), which contains a minimum of 1.5% salt to prevent consumption in order to avoid alcohol tax. The third is ''shin mirin'' (literally: new mirin), or ''mirin-fu chomiryo'' (literally: mirin-like seasoning), which contains less than 1% alcohol, yet retains the same flavor. In the Edo period, mirin was consumed as ''amazake''. O-toso, traditionally consumed for the Japanese New Year, can be made by soaking a spic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Katsuobushi
is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (''Katsuwonus pelamis'', sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes. ''Katsuobushi'' or similarly prepared fish is also known as . Shaved ''katsuobushi'' and dried kelp—''kombu''—are the main ingredients of ''dashi'', a broth that forms the basis of many soups (such as miso) and sauces (e.g., ''soba no tsukejiru'') in Japanese cuisine. ''Katsuobushi''s distinct umami taste comes from its high inosinic acid content. Traditionally made ''katsuobushi'', known as ''karebushi'', is deliberately fermented with ''Aspergillus glaucus'' fungus in order to reduce moisture. ''Katsuobushi'' has also been shown to impart "kokumi" (i.e. enhances flavor). Traditional production process The fish is beheaded, gutted, and filleted, with the fatty belly, which does not lend well to being preserved, trimmed off. The fillets are then arranged in a basket and simmered just below boiling for an hour to an hour and a h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kezurikatsuo
A is a traditional Japanese kitchen utensil, similar to a wood plane or mandoline. It is used to shave , dried blocks of skipjack tuna (). The technique used to prepare the cooking ingredient is pulling and pushing a block of across the blade in the device in a back-and-forth movement. The resulting shavings are captured in a wooden drawer at the bottom of the instrument and retrieved by opening and emptying the shavings that are roughly sorted into two sizes for different uses. The shavings are a staple of Japanese cuisine. Larger, thicker shavings, called , are boiled with to make . Smaller, thinner shavings, called , are used as a flavoring and as a topping for many Japanese dishes, such as . Today, many Japanese households no longer use the , opting instead to buy packages of already-shaved or at supermarkets. See also *Mandoline file:Cooking Mandolin with Carrot.jpg, A mandoline used for slicing a carrot A mandoline (US, ) or mandolin (British, /ˌmandəˈlɪn/, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kelp
Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwater forests" (kelp forests) in shallow oceans, and is thought to have appeared in the Miocene, 5 to 23 million years ago. The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between . They are known for their high growth rate—the genera ''Macrocystis'' and '' Nereocystis'' can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching .Thomas, D. 2002. ''Seaweeds.'' The Natural History Museum, London, p. 15. Through the 19th century, the word "kelp" was closely associated with seaweeds that could be burned to obtain soda ash (primarily sodium carbonate). The seaweeds used included species from both the orders Laminariales and Fucales. The word "kelp" was also used directly to refer to these processed ashes. Description In most kelp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Szechuan Cuisine
Sichuan cuisine, alternatively romanized as Szechwan cuisine or Szechuan cuisine (, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan Province. It has bold flavours, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of Sichuan pepper. Some examples are Kung Pao chicken and Yuxiang shredded pork. There are many local variations within Sichuan Province and the neighbouring Chongqing Municipality, which was part of Sichuan Province until 1997. Four sub-styles of Sichuan cuisine include Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong and Buddhist vegetarian style. UNESCO declared Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to be a city of gastronomy in 2011 to recognise the sophistication of its cooking. History Sichuan in the Middle Ages welcomed Middle Eastern crops, such as broad beans, sesame and walnuts. Since the 16th century, the list of major crops in Sichuan has even been leng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wonton Soup
A wonton () is a type of Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of Chinese cuisine. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in transliteration from Cantonese () and wenden from Shanghainese (). There are many different styles of wonton served throughout China, though most foreigners are only familiar with Cantonese wontons because of the predominance of Cantonese restaurants overseas. Originating from China, wontons have also become popular in other East and Southeast Asian cuisines. History Yang Xiong from the western Han Dynasty mentioned "bing wei zhi tun", which means wontons are a type of bread. The difference is that wontons have fillings inside and are eaten after being steamed or boiled. Ancient Chinese thought wonton were a sealed bun, lacking "qi qiao" ('seven orifices'). So it was called " hun dun" (混沌), which means 'turbidity' or 'chaos'. Based on the Chinese method of making characters, the radicals are changed from water to food, then it b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shark Fin Soup
Shark fin soup is a traditional soup or stewed dish served in parts of China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. The shark fins provide texture, while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients. It is commonly served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item.Keith BradsherDisneyland in China Offers a Soup and Lands in a Stew 17 June 2005 ''The New York Times'' However, it has been condemned by the Humane Society International, which states that approximately 72 million sharks are killed each year for their fins. Currently, international concerns over the sustainability and welfare of sharks have impacted consumption and availability of the soup worldwide. Recently, health concerns about the high concentration of BMAA in shark fins have arisen. Shark fin soup substitutes have lately appeared on the market which do not require any shark fins, thus avoiding the environmental damage caused by the shark finning practice. Preparation Traditional shark ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinhua Ham
Jinhua ham () is a type of specialty dry-cured ham named after the city of Jinhua, where it is produced, in Zhejiang province, China. The ham is used in Chinese cuisines to flavor stewed and braised foods as well as for making the stocks and broths of many Chinese soups. The ham was awarded first prize in the 1915 Panama International Merchandise Exhibition. Production Jinhua ham is traditionally produced using the hind legs of a breed of pigs native to China known as the "two ends black" (兩頭烏), which have black hair growing on their heads and hindquarters with white midsections. This breed is quick to mature; it has excellent meat quality and thin skin. Ham production begins when air temperatures drops below . The process takes approximately 8 to 10 months to complete. Ham production is separated into six stages, starting in the winter and ending the following autumn: #Meat preparation: Well-developed and undamaged legs are selected and the "open" side of the leg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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