Something Yummy for Your Tummy

Peking duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is eaten with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside, and other sauces (like hoisin sauce) can be used. History of Peking Duck It is thought that the dish, like the tradition of roast turkey in America, owes its origin to the roast goose that is still popular in Europe on festive occasions. Westerners like Marco Polo brought certain European customs to China and may have introduced the concept of roasting poultry to their Chinese hosts during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). Ducks had long been dome...

Japchae or chapchae, 잡채 (Korean glass noodle stir fry with meat and vegetables) is a very popular Korean dish. It is the number one sought after dish during the Korean festive holidays (e.g. New Year’s day and Harvest festival) but it is also enjoyed on any other common day as well. It is typically served as a side dish but it can also be served on a bed of rice (Japchae-bap, 잡채밥) as a main dish. In this case, I normally serve it with Korean black bean sauce, just like a Korean-Chinese restaurant in Korea. – I will cover that variation at some other time. Preparing for traditional Japchae is a lot like making traditional Bibimbap. It typically requires meat and vegetables (unless you make a vegetarian version) and they are individually prepared and cooked. Some might argue that this separate cooking process is unnecessary (I hear you! It’s cumbersome!) but by cooking them separately you can enhance their individual flavour, texture and colour better (This is really tru...

Bibimbap 비빔밥 (BEE-beem-bop) literally means "mixed rice." The dish is served as a bowl of warm steamed/fried rice topped with namul (seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste),soy sauce, or doenjang (a fermented soybean paste). Common additions include: a raw/fried egg and slices of meat. The hot dish should be stirred together prior to eating. The presentation of the dish varies, but most often the separate vegetables and meat are arranged on top of the rice and everything is mixed together before eating. Korean barbecue may be a favorite in the U.S. right now, but bibimbap is sure to become one of the most popular Korean dishes. The word bap (bahp, bob, bab) refers in Korean to cooked grains, including rice, and the word bibimbap means "mixed rice" but can also be said to mean "mixed meal" since "bap" is also used in a general sense to mean meal. Bibimbap - Origins and Brief History The earliest written recor...

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Japanese food is probably sushi. But Japanese food tradition is far richer than most people assume, and it includes an incredible variety of dishes prepared with a wide range of ingredients and cooking techniques. Today we are going to focus on another famous Japanese recipe, Ramen (ラーメン). Ramen consists of noodles in a broth prepared with vegetables, meat or fish, and often flavored with soy sauce or miso. Ramen (ラーメン, らーめん, 拉麺) is a Japanese dish of noodles served in broth originating from China. It differs from native Japanese noodle soup dishes, in that it is served in broth based on meat such as chicken, as well as in the type of noodles and toppings used. Ramen is served with a variety of toppings, such as sliced pork (チャーシュー chāshū), seaweed, kamaboko, green onions, and even corn. Almost every locality or prefecture in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu ramen of Kyūshū to the miso ramen of ...

Bunny Chow -Deliciously Tasty South African Street food with made with aromatic spices, meat , chickpeas and potatoes served in hollow bread. A one of a Kind Sandwich. Bunny Chow is a very unique, portable and popular South African street food that exemplifies the natural fusion of South African Cuisine. A highly spiced curry that would get any spice lover excited, my kind of peeps. Rest assured no bunnies are involve in this dish. It’s usually made with some sort of protein; Lamb, chicken or vegetables and oh so delicious! Served in a hollowed out bread bowl, makes it even more appealing for carb lovers. The term bunny is another variation from the word “Bania“, an Indian class of traders who sold this tasty street food. History of the bunny chow This only-in-South-Africa combination of Asian curry, European bread, and South African apartheid was originally created in Kapitan's Vegetarian Eating House on the corner of Victoria and Grey streets in Durban....