A History of Chinese Cooking
Wednesday Ramblings
Stabroek News
March 17, 2004
What an extraordinary meal WR staff had the other night at the Not Thriving Chinese Restaurant (no relation whatsoever to the award 'winning' restaurant).
We had pre-ordered from a special menu that turned out to be a walk through Chinese history.
For appetisers we ordered spring rolls. They were from the spring of 1343 under the late Yuan Dynasty but tasted amazingly fresh.
Next we all ate egg drop soup. The waiter explained the origins of the name which actually means that the cook drops the egg onto the floor first, mushes it in and then throws it into the pot. Fascinating! We did not know that, and while some of the WR staff decided to pass, others enjoyed the earthy cigarette ash taste.
It was time for the main courses; the waiters rolled them out on a trolley as we sat and applauded. What a selection!
Our favourite was the General Tso's Chicken and once again the waiter patiently explained that it was named after the great General Tso (1812-1885). What was more amazing is that this was the general's actual pet chicken, called Ding Ling. He had carried it around in a basket on his horse for 14 years while ruthlessly crushing the Taiping Rebellion.
The chicken had been preserved for 140 years and was to be served to us tonight. If he could have talked what stories he would have told. Instead he was cut into small pieces and sauteed with 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. It was a little chewy but we could taste the passing decades in each mouthful.
The meal was going so well and got even better when the Shuan Niu Rou (Mongolian Beef Fire Pot) was uncovered. The waiter assured us this was the genuine article smuggled across three continents in the underwear of a former shepherd. Fragrant. Pungent.
It was time for some Smoked Duck. The waiter assured us this duck had been smoking at least two packs a day up to last week before giving up and going on the nicotine patch.
Lake Tung Ting Shrimp from the northern Hunan province arrived on the dining table still steaming... having been detained by the local police for immigration violations.
The other seafood selection was Mandarin Fish with Noodles. The poor creature looked so tired having swum 5,000 miles from the mouth of the Lower Yangtse River to be served to us. We were honoured until we learnt the noodles were left over from a feast held by Emperor Tai Zu, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The waiter assured us they were still good and pointed to the date of manufacture, which was Chinese to us.
Question of the week
"Pssst you want to buy a four by four?"