Milk Tea

Well it didn't take long for me fall in love with one of the gabillion different types of bottled milk teas here in China. It's sort of overwhelming with all of the different varieties and most having little to no English on the labels.

Kirin makes lots of different flavors but I happen to the partial to their basic Milk Tea. If you see some it's a must try. It's slightly sweet and floral. A perfect refreshment without the guilt of a can of soda.

Congee Porriage

As much as I love fancy pants food... there is something really wonderful about simple peasant food. I have been enjoying Congee porridge the past couple of weeks for breakfast. It's kinda like oatmeal meets rice meets soup.

There are many variations and different regions make it in different ways. Essentially it's rice that is cooked for a long time (overnight in many cases) until it begins to break down. Different recipes call for different amounts of water and/or stock to be used altering the consistency from dense to loose.

From there it becomes a canvas to which you can add chicken or beef or duck or vegetables or just leave it plain. It's also traditional to add a variety of pickled vegetables and/or eggs to your liking.

If you get the chance to try some, it's definitely worth it.

Xiao Long Bao

Photo Credit: TS Perspective

Sorry, it's been a little while since I have posted... I have recently relocated to Shanghai China. Every day I'm surprised by the great and diverse food all over the city. You can't talk about the amazing food of Shanghai without mentioning Xiao Long Bao, AKA "Soup Dumplings".

These little pockets of pork and steaming hot broth are as dangerous to eat as they are delicious. Eating them can prove to be difficult and messy. You have to gently bit into them and at the same time slurp up some of the scorchingly hot broth - all with chopsticks mind you. All of that may seem like a lot of work, but believe me it's all worth it.

I won't even pretend to provide a recipe.. sorry. From what I have been able to research there are lots of steps and pork fat that go into the addicting dumplings - as with all things delicious. There is also a beautiful dough folding/pinching technique that I'm far from mastering. At the many Xiao Long Bao stalls that pepper the city streets you can watch the masters at work and for about $3 US you'll be one step closer to heaven - and a burnt tongue.