Notice as of July 2023: There aren’t any new itineraries for Culinary Tours of China at the moment.

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After a fantastic two years organizing my Culinary Tours of China, I’m excited to introduce my new program which I’ve tweaked to offer an even better experience: more food-related activities and a more relaxed schedule. I’ve taken on board my previous tour members’ valuable feedback. My own experiences on tour and further research over the past two years have also influenced my new program.

The new program embraces my original idea of providing a small group of participants with ample opportunities to explore Chinese cuisine first hand in several distinct regions. As always, I will be your guide and companion (Read more about me) throughout the 14-day journey, together with my trusted assistant Jo.  

To learn more about my previous Culinary Tours of China, please scroll down to read testimonials from some of my tour members.

You may also check my Instagram posts and stories (@red.house.spice / #culinarytourofchina ) to view photos and videos that I took along the journey.

TOUR DATES

May Tour: 5th-18th May 2020

October Tour: 11th-24th Oct 2020

Note: Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, my 2020 tours were canceled.

GROUP SIZE

Maximum 10 persons

DESTINATIONS & ROUTE

Beijing — Lanzhou — Xi’an — Chengdu — Shanghai

ITINERARY

DAY 1 to Day 4 · BEIJING

Our exclusive culinary tour of China will start in BEIJING, where I spent several years as a local journalist and a city I know intimately. We will explore the culinary delights of this ancient capital and visit some of its most important cultural heritage sites.

DAY 5 & Day 6 · LANZHOU

LANZHOU, the capital of Gansu province, is where I grew up and a place which holds many happy food-related memories for me. Although less known on the tourist atlas of China, Lanzhou was adored by all of my previous tour members and was praised as a real hidden gem.

DAY 7 & Day 8 · XI’AN

The third stop of our Culinary Tour of China is XI’AN, the capital of thirteen Chinese dynasties and the home to the Terracotta Army. Renowned for its street food culture, it’s also an unmissable location on the gastronomic map of China. 

DAY 9 to Day 11 · CHENGDU

Here comes the “hottest” part of our culinary tour of China: CHENGDU, the capital of Sichuan province. It holds the title of UNESCO City of Gastronomy for being the land of spices and the home of China’s most famous cuisine.

The post Culinary tour of China with a food blogger appeared first on Red House Spice.

The recipe I am sharing today is not typically Chinese. It was created accidentally a few years ago when I was living in Switzerland. Once I cooked too much spaghetti and kept the leftover in the fridge. Next day I had a bite of the cold spaghetti and noticed that its texture resembled the round noodles used for Chinese cold noodle dishes (凉面).

In some senses, I think it’s even better as it’s firmer and more springy. This experience answered a question that I was asked by a few friends: “Can you replace Chinese noodles with spaghetti?” — “ Yes, we can!” At least in this case.

I guess some of you might be new to making thin omelette. It’s widely used in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. I noticed many recipes call for oil, whereas I find it’s better to simply use a good quality non-stick pan without oil. I always have fun making thin omelette and we all love its fluffiness which makes this salad richer in texture.

The key flavour of this Chinese-style spaghetti salad comes from sesame, precisely sesame paste, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds (read my post on Chinese sesame paste for more information and substitute suggestions).

The use of homemade Chinese chilli oil will make this dish outstanding (see my effortless recipe). Earlier I wrote a recipe on famous Sichuan street food “Dan Dan Noodles” in which similar ingredients are used as seasoning.

Like the easy Chinese dressing I described for Cucumber salad, you can make this sesame dressing in bulk also. Mix everything thoroughly in a tight jar then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just make sure you leave out garlic, toasted sesame seeds and fresh chilli (if using). Add them when you are using the dressing.

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Chinese-style spaghetti salad (凉拌意面)

Give Italian pasta a Chinese character. This Chinese-style spaghetti salad with sesame dressing is bursting with flavour. 

Course Salad

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 199kcal

Author Wei Guo

Ingredients

• 150 g dried spaghetti 5oz
• 2 slices ham
• ¼ red bell pepper
• ½ courgette/zucchini
• 2 eggs +2 teaspoon water

For the dressing

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1-2 fresh chilli finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste thinned with 1 tablespoon water (see note 1)
• 1.5 tablespoon black rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoon Chinese chilli oil or to taste
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

• Cook spaghetti following the instruction on the package. Drain and rinse under running water until completely cool (see note 2).
• Cut ham into long stripes. Finely slice red bell pepper. Make courgette noodles using your preferred method (see note 3).

Make thin omelette

• Beat the egg and water until the egg white and yolk are well combined.
• Pour half of the egg mixture onto a non-stick frying pan (over medium heat). Give it a good swirl. Turn the omelette over when there is no liquid remaining. Cook for a further few seconds.
• Repeat the procedure with the other half of the egg mixture. Then cut the omelette into long stripes.

Assemble the dish

• Put all the prepared ingredients above into a salad bowl. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, fresh chilli (if using).
• Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the salad. Stir well before serving.

Notes

1. Pure Chinese sesame paste has a very thick consistency. Add 1 tablespoon of water to 1 tablespoon of paste. Mix with the back of a spoon until smooth.

2. Leftover spaghetti is great for this salad. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the cooled spaghetti then stir well. Keep it refrigerated until the moment  you start to prepare the salad. 

3. Four ways to make courgette noodles: 

• Use a julienne peeler. 
• Use a spiralizer. 
• Use a regular vegetable peeler. Peel the courgette into long ribbons. Stack the ribbons on top of each other then cut them into noodles. 
• Use a grater with large holes. Trim the end of the courgette. Grate courgette at a narrow angle slowly and carefully.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 199kcal

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Like many Chinese, I love bony pieces of meat. They are more flavoursome and it’s fun to eat. The other day, a local butcher chopped some pork ribs into small pieces for me. With butternut squash which I found in my larder, I made steamed pork ribs seasoned with Chinese fermented bean curd (腐乳, aka soy cheese). Everyone in our Red House enjoyed it a lot even though it made our fingers greasy.

In Chinese cuisine there are three main ways to prepare pork ribs: braised in soy sauce, stewed in clear soup or steamed. The steamed version has a more chewy texture and a more intense flavour as all the seasoning stays on the surface of the ribs instead of being diluted in liquid.

I like placing some vegetable underneath the ribs when steaming. Butternut squash is a great choice since it stays in shape after a long period of steaming, and its naturally sweet taste gives a nice addition to this salty dish.

In this recipe, pork ribs are firstly marinated with soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch and ground Sichuan pepper (can be replaced by black pepper). This procedure tenderizes the meat and allows the seasoning to penetrate. Afterwards, the pork ribs are coated with fermented bean curd paste right before steaming.

Fermented bean curd (top left of the photo above) is a Chinese condiment made from soy beans, rice wine (or Chinese liqueur), salt, spices, etc. It normally comes in cubes (size of 1-2 sugar cubes), soaked in a jar of brine with different flavourings. You might hear people call it soy cheese or tofu cheese because it somehow resembles the taste and texture of certain types of cheese.

It’s salty, winey, pungent, aromatic, with a hint of sweetness. All in all the flavour is quite intense, unique and (in my opinion) addictive. For steamed pork ribs with butternut squash, I use white fermented bean curd with chilli flavour by a reputable Chinese brand named “Wangzhihe/王致和”. It can be found in most Chinese shops.

Now let’s talk about steaming. It’s good news if you have a steamer. But what if it’s too small to hold a plate inside (like mine)? I solved this problem by placing a small bowl in a wok, then put the rib plate on top. Since my wok has a non-stick coating, I also put a piece of cloth underneath the bowl to avoid scratching. This works perfect, just like using a shop bought steamer rack, but costs nothing!

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Steamed pork ribs with butternut squash (南瓜蒸排骨)

Seasoned with “soy cheese”, these steamed pork ribs leave a unique aroma in your mouth. Butternut squash underneath collects all the flavour from the meat.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Wei Guo

Ingredients

• 400 g pork ribs 14oz
• ½ butternut squash about 400g/14oz
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pinch ground Sichuan pepper or ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ginger, cut into thin strips
• 5 cubes white fermented bean curd
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 stalk scallions, finely chopped

Instructions

• Wash pork ribs then pat dry with kitchen paper. Marinate them with light and dark soy sauce, rice wine, corn starch, ground Sichuan pepper and ginger for at least half an hour or overnight in the fridge.
• Put fermented bean curd and sesame oil into a bowl. Mash it into a smooth paste with a fork. Coat marinated ribs with the paste.
• Peel and deseed butternut squash. Cut into slices (about ¼ inch thick). Evenly place them onto a deep plate. Then top with ribs (avoid overlapping). Sprinkle spring onion over.
• Place the plate into a steamer filled with water. Bring water to a boil then turn down the heat to low. Steam for 40 mins or so. Check water lever half way through. Add more if needed.

The post Steamed pork ribs with butternut squash (南瓜蒸排骨) appeared first on Red House Spice.

The weather has picked up in the last few days in Bedford. You can definitely feel that spring is in the air. Over the weekend I saw snowdrops thriving in a nearby wood, bunches of daffodils on supermarkets’ shelves, and lots of buds appearing on a shrub in front of our Red House. To welcome the warmer season, I’d like to share a recipe of cucumber salad with an easy Chinese dressing that goes well with many dishes.

Cucumber salad is very popular in China, especially in Northern regions. Take the capital Beijing for example, it’s probably the most ordered cold dish in bistros. The common way to prepare it is to smash whole cucumbers with the side of a Chinese meat cleaver then cut them into small sections. But it can hardly be done the same way to a cucumber bought from regular British supermarkets as they are much larger (both in length and in diameter), less crunchy and have harder skin than Chinese ones.

Instead of smashing them, I slice cucumbers with a vegetable peeler (inspired by a Jamie Oliver video years ago). Not only are those long, half-transparent stripes good-looking, they also create more surface to absorb the dressing. At the end of the peeling process, you will be left with the juicy, seedy part of the cucumber which can’t be sliced with a peeler. But don’t waste any! I always eat it while preparing this salad. It’s so delicious on its own.

Comprised of the most basic ingredients, my easy Chinese dressing may seem ordinary. However, it’s extremely versatile: as dressing for various salads and cold noodle dishes, as a dipping sauce for cold meat, dumplings and buns, or as seasoning for some stir-fries, etc. Here is my simple formula to make it without fail:

• Ratio of the key ingredients: 4 parts of black rice vinegar + 2 parts of light soy sauce + 1 part of pure sesame oil + 2 cloves of garlic
• Adjust the salt to your own taste and use the same amount of sugar as the desired salt
• No set rules for the quantity of chilli and sesame seeds. You may replace fresh chilli with homemade chilli oil.

Unlike the dressing I used for Chinese leaf salad which is seasoned with hot oil, my easy Chinese dressing doesn’t involve any cooking. To save more time, you can make it in volume and use it anytime you want to. Mix vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli, salt and sugar in a tight jar then store it in a cupboard. Since these ingredients are all shelf-stable, the jared dressing can last at least 3-4 months. You do need to add freshly crushed garlic every time you use the dressing though. Toasted sesame seeds are sprinkled onto the salad the last minute too.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:22]

https://redhousespice.com/cold-soba-noodles/

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The post Cucumber salad with easy Chinese dressing (拌黄瓜) appeared first on Red House Spice.