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Chinese Food 25 : Lettuce in Oyster Sauce 蚝油生菜

Sautéed Lettuce in Oyster Sauce蚝油生菜
Style of cooking: Guangdong cuisine菜系：粤菜
Flavor: salty and fresh口味：咸鲜
Characteristics: Sautéed Lettuce in Oyster Sauce is a common dish served in restaurants. It is made of lettuce and oyster sauce, processed and fried with some additional minor ingredients. This dish is rich in nutrition and is fresh, tender, tasty and smooth.特色：蚝油生菜是一道饭店内常见的菜肴。用生菜及蚝油配以辅料加工炒制而成。该菜营养丰富，鲜嫩可口、清鲜润滑。
Ingredients:原料：600g lettuce, 30g oyster sauce, 60g vegetable oil, 1g pepper, 3g chopped garlic, 10g soy sauce, 10g white sugar, 20g cooking wine, 1g salt, 10g starch liquid, 3g MSG, 5g sesame oil and an appropriate amount of soup.生菜600克，蚝油30克，清油60克，胡椒面1克，蒜末3克，酱油10克，白糖10克，料酒20克，盐1克，水淀粉10克，味精3克，香油5克，汤适量。
Cooking method:制作方法： 1. Remove the old leaves of lettuce, and clean the lettuce. Put water into the boiler, and put in salt, sugar, oil, and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, put the lettuce in. Drain the water and put the lettuce on the plate.1．把生菜老叶去掉，清洗干净。坐锅放水，加盐、糖、油，开后放生菜，翻个倒出，压干水分倒盘里。2. Put the wok on the fire and Put in a spoonful of oil, and add some garlic to fry,. Then put in oyster sauce, cooking wine, pepper, sugar, MSG, soy sauce and soup. When they are boiling, add the starchy sauce. Pour the sesame oil in and then pour the sauce on the lettuce.2．坐勺放油，加蒜炒一炒，加蚝油、料酒、胡椒面、糖、味精、酱油、汤，开后勾芡，淋香油，浇在生菜上即可。 

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The holiday with 节（jié ）

If you learn Chinese festival, you must know the common word 节（jié ：it means festival or holiday）. The character 节 is, in a word, an instant party—attach it to the end of just about anything and you’ve got yourself a holiday. Tack it on to 劳动 (láodòng), or labor, and you’ve got 劳动节 (Láodòngjié), Labor Day; add it to 妇女 (fùnǚ), woman, and you’ve got 妇女节 (Fùnǚjié), Women’s Day. Add it to spring, 春 (chūn), and you’ve got the biggest holiday of the year: 春节(Chūnjié), or Spring Festival. 节, in other words, has the power to transform the dead of winter into a raging, baijiu-fueled, firework-popping celebration.
Given its alchemical powers, you might be surprised at 节’s rather prosaic roots—its original meaning, as recorded in bronzeware inscriptions (1300 BC-200 BC), was “bamboo joint,” the ridges along poles of bamboo. At that time, 节 was written as 節, which combined the radicals at the top of the character for bamboo, 竹 (zhú), with the pronunciation character 即 (jí).
The appearance of the character started to change during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC), when cursive writing simplified the ⺮ at the top of 節 to 艹. Later still, people started leaving out the left side of the character 即, simplifying it into the modern 节.
The meaning of 节, on the other hand, took a much more convoluted path. Around the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), dictionaries began listing a second definition for节, “bamboo cord,” thanks to the resemblance between bamboo ridges and knotted up bits of twine.
Here’s where the semantic gods of Association begin to run wild. Because twine was used as a restraint, 节 gave birth to 节制 (jiézhì), which means “restrict” or “moderate.” This spun off a host of new words related to restraint or restriction: 节约 (jiéyuē) and 节俭 (jiéjiǎn), for example, both refer to frugality; 节食 (jiéshí) means to diet; 节欲 (jiéyù) is abstinence and节哀 (jié’āi) refers to overcoming grief. When people pass away, we often say 节哀顺变 (jié’āi shùnbiàn), which is short for 节制哀伤 (jiézhì āishāng) “restrain grief,” and 顺应变故 (shùnyìng biàngù) “accept misfortune. ”
节 took another interesting turn with the word 符节 (fújié), which in ancient China referred to the bamboo certifications given to royal envoys. Diplomats came to be called 使节 (shǐjié), which in turn gave way to an army of terms related to the messengers’ supposedly noble characters. Among these are 气节 (qìjié, integrity) and 节操 (jiécāo, moral principles). In ancient Chinese culture节操 was extremely important, a sentiment expressed in the phrase,“饿死事小，失节事大”(È sǐ shì xiǎo, shījié shì dà), which means that starving to death is nothing compared with losing one’s integrity.
A third line of semantic evolution was based on the observation that bamboo joints occur one after the other. As a result, 节节 came to describe something that occurs steadily or in succession. During a war, two defeats followed by a retreat is called 节节败退 (jié jié bàituì). When prices continually rise it’s called 节节上升 (jié jié shàngshēng). The saying 芝麻开花—节节高 (zhīma kāihuā—jié jié gāo, sesame flowers open—and grow steadily tall) means that things are always changing for the better, like a sesame flower blossoming upwards.
Because bamboo joints divide the pole into sections, 节 is also used to describe things in life that have stages. Book chapters and sections are called 章节 (zhāngjié); performance order is called 节目 (jiémù); and seasons are called 季节 (jìjié) and 节气 (jiéqì). It’s this that led to the use of节 to refer to holidays, which were originally used to mark seasonal changes. In addition to 春节 (Chūnjié), there’’s also 清明节 (Qīngmíngjié）or Tomb Sweeping Day, 端午节 (Duānwǔjié) or Dragon Boat Festival, 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié) or Mid-Autumn Festival, and so on. Go ahead, try and invent your own. My first nomination: 巧克力节 (Qiǎokèlìjié, Chocolate Festival)…
Welcome to China and enjoy all kinds of 节.

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Chinese Food 24 : Fermented Glutinous Rice 醪糟

The famous Yinjiapo Fermented Glutinous Rice in Xuyong County has a history longer than one hundred years. Dozens of medicinal herbs are used in making the yeast. After the glutinous rice is steamed well, add an appropriate amount of yeast and ferment it. This is the method for making the sweet smelling Fermented Glutinous Rice. The Yinjiapo Fermented Glutinous Rice is neither dry nor sour, and maintains a rich and strong sweetness. Then put this fermented mixture into water to boil. The boiled soup will be clear and the fermented rice will stay in small masses, and it tastes mellow and has a delicate fragrance, either it is cool or hot. It attracts endless streams of customers all year round.远近驰名的叙永城区殷家坡醪糟，已有上百年历史。采用几十种草药制成曲药，待大糯米蒸熟后，放入适量曲药发酵制成香甜扑鼻的醪糟。殷家坡醪糟不燥不酸，保持浓郁的甜味，放入水中煮沸，水清明晰，米粒成团，冷食热食均醇和和清香。一年四季上门的顾客络绎不绝。
As early as the Qing Dynasty, Liu Hongfa in Yinjiapo picked dozens of medicinal herbs and made them into yeast. After soaking the glutinous rice for a moderate period of time, he steamed it on high heat. Then he cooled it and maintained it at a certain temperature before adding the appropriate amount of yeast and fermenting it. From then on, the sweet smelling Fermented Glutinous Rice became a very popular dish.早在清代时殷家坡刘洪发，采摘了几十种草药制成曲药，用大酒米浸泡适度以后武火蒸熟，摊凉保持一定温度，放入适量曲药发酵而成香甜扑鼻的醪糟，从此吸引了市民。
At first, a small number of people at Liu’s restaurant tried the dish, but word of mouth spread across the province. Mr. Liu, however, did not pass on his recipe to his daughter-in-law until he was over eighty years old. His granddaughter- in-law, Wei Kefen, has taken over the family business. Their Fermented Glutinous Rice is neither dry nor sour, its soup is clear and the rice remains in small masses and its sweet flavor lingers either it’s hot or cool.开初少数人带着尝试的心情，到刘家小食店食之，继而一传十、十传百，很快驰名省内外。刘老八十多岁才传技于儿媳，现已继传到第三代孙媳魏克芬。其醪糟特点：不燥不酸，较长时保持浓香甜味，放入水中煮沸，水清明析，米粒成团。冷热服食均是甜味清香扑鼻。 

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What do Farmers do in Autumn Begins?

To farmers the Autumn Begins is especially important. It is said that if it thunders on the day of the Autumn Begins, corps will fail in winter. If it is sunny on the day of the Autumn Begins, the weather will be favorable and the crops will do well. If northern wind blows before Autumn Begins, it will probably rain afterwards. If northern wind blows after Autumn Begins, there will most probably be a winter drought. In the ancient feudalist society of China, the emperor, accompanied by his officials, would hold an autumn welcoming ceremony on the day of the Autumn Begins. Autumn is also the season for war affairs. Thus, you can tell how important the weather on the day of Autumn Begins is.

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Tides of Change— —Wild China Episode 6

第六集《潮涌海岸》
中国是一个海洋大国，拥有全世界第三长的海岸线和近三分之一国土面积的海域。那里充满无数奇妙的鸟类和海洋生物。由北向南，会遇见翩翩起舞的丹顶鹤，以海草为食的大天鹅，飘浮于海面柔软发光的水母群，栖息在湿地沼泽中的麋鹿，飞往香港米埔越冬的黑脸琵鹭，长江下游的中华鲟和东海鳗鱼……看蛇岛蝮蛇如何捕食过往候鸟，还可以钻入水下，看渔民如何闭气采集龙虾和牡蛎。从寒带到热带，从湿地到城市，跟随鸟类的足迹，学习如何与动物在有限的空间里相处。
Episode 6. Tides of Change
The final programme features China’s 14,500 km coastline, home to 700 million people. Despite decades of rapid urban development, it is still an important migration route for birds. Endangered red-crowned cranes depart their northern breeding grounds to overwinter at Yancheng salt marsh, the largest coastal wetland in China. Shedao Island is an important stopover on the migration route, but the resident Shedao Island pitvipers, stranded by rising sea levels, lie in ambush in the branches. A snake strikes a songbird, and another is filmed swallowing a kingfisher. All along the coast, traditional forms of cultivation allow wildlife and people to live side by side. Crops vary from seaweed and cockles in the north to prawns further south, allowing birds such as whooper swans and black-faced spoonbills to prosper. Kejia tea-growers and Hui'an women harvesting oysters are also shown. China’s rivers and seas are heavily polluted. Sewage and fertiliser washed into the Bohai Gulf cause plankton blooms, attracting jellyfish, which in China are a commercial catch. In the Yangtze estuary, the migrations of creatures such as Yangtze sturgeon and mitten crabs are being impeded by upstream dams. In the tropical South China Sea, where coral reefs are under threat, whale sharks are rare visitors. Other rare creatures filmed include Pere David's deer and Chinese white dolphins. On Hainan island, macaques are shown jumping into a hotel swimming pool, epitomising the uneasy coexistence of wildlife and people in China, and the challenge of continuing its traditional harmonious relationship with nature.

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Chinese Food 23 : Luoyang Water Banquet 洛阳水席

Shui Xi, or Water Banquet, is a set of dishes in Luoyang. With carefully selected materials, strict cooking procedures, diverse dishes, and unique flavors, the Water Banquet is considered one of the Three Wonders of Luoyang, with the other two being the Luoyang peony and the Longmen Grottoes. It is one of the famous existent Chinese banquets and boasts a history of over one thousand years.“水席”是洛阳特有的地方风味菜肴，它风味独特，选料十分讲究，烹制认真精细，味道鲜美多样，口感舒适爽利，和龙门石窟、洛阳牡丹并称洛阳三绝。是中国迄今所保留下来的历史最久远的名筳之一，距今已有一千多年的历史。
It is said that in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, in order to obtain sponsorship from the aristocracy, Buddhist monks and nuns were devoted to the development of exquisite vegetarian dishes to entertain aristocratic donors. Bored with delicacies of various meats, the aristocratic donors found the vegetarian dishes refreshing. Then the recipes of the vegetarian dishes were brought to the imperial palace. After improvement and alteration, the vegetarian dishes were put on the tables of the court and the official circles together with other delicacies. Later, the common people who like to parade their wealth brought the vegetarian dishes to banquets for the common people. This is how the Water Banquet came into being.传说隋唐时期，为获取上流社会的支持，僧尼们潜心研制精美的素食斋饭，款待颇有地位的施主。王公贵族吃腻了鸡鸭鱼肉山珍海味，乍吃素食，倍觉清爽，味道新鲜，于是这素食汤菜和制作方法被带入宫中，传播到上流社会，经过改进加工，配上山珍海味，开始登上宫廷和官场的大雅之堂。随后一些讲究排场，摆阔气的庶民百姓又把这素食荤做的汤菜搬到民间的筳席上，这就是洛阳水席的起源和雏形。
There are two reasons for the name Water Banquet. One is that all the dishes are soupy. The other reason lies in the serving procedure. The dishes are served and then removed in order from the beginning to the end. The dishes are served only when the previous one is finished and removed, simulating the stream-like processing. The procedure is as smooth as flowing water.所谓“水席”，有两层含义。一是以汤水见长，二是吃一道换一道，一道道上，像流水一般，故名“水席”。
There are in total 24 dishes, namely 8 cold dishes, 4 big dishes, 8 smaller dishes, and 4 end dishes. First, 8 cold dishes, which includes 4 vegetable dishes and 4 meat dishes, are served as accompaniments to drinks. Then the 4 big dishes and 8 smaller dishes are served. These 12 dishes are divided into 4 groups, and each group contains 3 dishes. There is a big dish in each group, followed by two smaller dishes as side dishes. This is called "going to empire court with sons". The fourth big dish is sweet vegetable and sweet soup, followed by rice or noodles. At last, four "end dishes" are served. The last end dish is the Farewell Soup, indicating all dishes have been served. The dishes are always served exactly in this order.洛阳水席全席二十四道菜，即八个冷盘、四个大件、四个压桌菜。其上菜顺序是：席面上先摆四荤四素八凉菜，接着上四个大菜，每上一个大菜，带两个中菜，名曰“带子上朝”。第四个大菜上甜菜甜汤，后上主食，接着四个压桌菜，最后送上一道“送客汤”。二十四道连菜带汤，章法有序，毫不紊乱。
The saying “predestined emperor and fake swallow's nest” implies that the Water Banquet includes fake meat dishes cooked with vegetables. The famous Luoyang Nest, Fake Sea Cucumber and so on are made of turnip, vermicelli and other ordinary materials which take stunning shape after being processed and cooked by cooks with their superb skills.“真命天子假燕窝”，这指的是水席的另一特点——素菜荤做，以假代真。水席中有名的“洛阳燕菜”、“假海参”等，都是民间普通的萝卜、粉条、但经厨师妙手烹制后，便脱胎换骨，唯美异常，如奇花绽放，让人叫绝。
At the banquet, people who love cold food will find desirable cold dishes; sour and spicy dish lovers will find themselves sweating; and the sweet-toothed will love the fourth group of dishes. The Water Banquet is featured by soups. With vegetable and soup in turn, guests will feel comfortable. When the egg soup, the Farewell Soup, is served, guests familiar with local custom know all dishes have been served and the banquet has come to its end, and they will leave the table contentedly.在水席上，爱吃冷食的人可以找到适合自己的凉菜，爱吃酸辣菜的人，水席菜能让你辣的冒汗，酸的生津。有人喜食甜食，第四组菜足以让人吃得可口。水席独到之处是汤水多，赴宴人菜汤交替食用，能使人感到肠胃舒适，菜虽多胃口不腻。看到鸡蛋汤上桌，了解当地风俗的人都知道，24道菜已全部上完，这碗送客汤说明水席到了尾声，宾主皆大欢喜，纷纷起身离席。
As someone said, the soup of the Water Banquet is just like a piece of music; it tastes slight at first, then a little hot, a little spicy, and sweet, and sour… One can just describe it as “cool”.有人说洛阳水席的汤，就像一段舒缓有致的音乐，开始时味道淡淡的，然后加进点麻辣，再加糖变成甜咸味，再来醋的酸……几碗之后只能用“爽快”来形容。
With unique flavors, superb skills, vivid appearances, enchanting legends and rich culture, the Water Banquet became renowned all over China and it is reputed as a treasure of the ancient capital Luoyang.洛阳水席以其独特的风味、精湛的技艺、逼真的造型、美好的传说、渊源的文化积淀而引起轰动，被称作有洛阳古都地方特色的一朵奇葩。 

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