Welcome to The Larder, where you’ll find my research into the origins and background of certain foods and ingredients, particularly Chinese ones.
Please feel free to leave comments within individual posts if you have any questions, suggestions or thoughts…
HI there Helen! Your site is amazing! I was looking for a recipe for Chinese Hot Pot which led me to your site! After reading and printing the hotpot recipe, I ended up browsing your site for hours and ended up putting you in my favorites list! Thank you for writing about your food-travel experiences. It inspires me to do something similar when I travel. My husband and I love to eat and try new restaurants! Luckily, I live in Southeast asia where I can easily get ingredients for your japanese and chinese recipes. Have a gastronomic 2009!
[Reply]
Love Feria – thank you for adding me to your favourites! Yes, there are currently many searches for hot pot and dumplings. It’s that time of the year. You’re so lucky that you can find all the ingredients so easily. It must be much cheaper there too.
Happy Chinese New Year to you!
Helen Yuet Ling
[Reply]
Hi Helen,
As you know I love all the information I find on your blog, its full of information, which is why I come to you with a question. I understand, or rather suspect, that dim sum differs by the different regional cooking in China and Hong Kong, but have not found a source that identifies the difference. I was curious if you had any ideas or sources to refer me to?
Thanks!
[Reply]
OysterCulture – are you referring to the regional differences in dim sum preparation, styles & ingredients, between Guangdong and Hong Kong? I’m not sure I can help you out, I’m afraid. I mean, there must be some differences, but I haven’t done enough research in this area to even begin to answer your question! But if I do come across any information, I’ll be sure to let you know! It’s an interesting subject.
Helen Yuet Ling
[Reply]
Hi Helen,
Thanks – I am researching it, but have yet to come across anything difinitive – I have tied Hakka dim sum and Cantonese Dim Sum, and so on, but the dishes are all alike, to my uneducated eye at least, so I was really curious as to what are their distinguishing traits. Likewise – if I find some information, I’ll share with you.
[Reply]
Whilst dim sum tends mainly to be Cantonese, the menu in most dim sum restaurants includes dishes from different parts of China and even outside China e.g. Xiao Long Bao from Shanghai and Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I’ve even seen Veg Samosas and Pasteis De Nata on dim sum menus before !
I hope I don’t sound too pretentious but imho the term dim sum describes how the dish is served. For example, if you order Xiao Long Bao in a typical dim sum joint, you’ll get a steamer of 3 or 4 dumplings but in a Shanghainese restaurant, the same dumpling will be served in multiples of 9 or 12.
Hope this makes sense and helps ! I’m now dying for a fix of dim sum !
[Reply]
OysterCulture – as you’re doing research already, please feel free to share any information about it. It’s really interesting to me…
Sung – thanks for your thoughts on this subject! Samosas and pasteis de nata on a dim sum menu?! I love them, but perhaps not when I’m having my har gau…
Helen Yuet Ling
[Reply]
Hi Helen and Sung,
I am researching, although not very actively as present, as I got fustrated and side tracked (as evidenced by my blog postings)
Sung may be right, but at least in SF, and I can’t recall from my recent trip to HK if it was the same – dim sum places proudly proclaim serving Hakka style dim sum, or Mandarian, or of course Cantonse, or many other styles, which made me suspect there were some regional variances. It might be a marketing ploy, but I am determined to get to the bottom of it =).
Like Sung, I’ve encountered somosas and other surprises, but the samosa I put down to possibly being from the Xinjing region with its outside influences.
But Helen, I promise to return with answers.
OysterCulture
[Reply]
I love reading your blog and I know you’ve done a lot of work on compiling different types of food all around the world already, but I’m wondering if there is specific type of flour that Chinese restaurants use to make their dumpling wrapper. I’ve been told that their flour is different from regular all-purpose flour like many recipes say. Or is there something that needs to be added additionally? Help~
Thank you!
Nicole
[Reply]
hey helen. thank you for the tips to make stuff but i got one problem. Can u comment and tell how to MAKE the xo sauce in steps plz thank you so much
[Reply]
nicole – thanks! There are different flours used depending on which dumplings you’re referring to – rice flour, glutinous flour, wheat flour etc etc. It’s definitely not regular all-purpose flour, though there are combinations of flour usage as well. Sorry I can’t be more specific, but there are so many different types of Chinese dumplings!
michael lam – I haven’t made XO sauce before, as I’m sure you’ve read from my post. I’m sure there are plenty of recipes online though. Sorry I couldn’t help you…
[Reply]