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August 21, 2014

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Listen up! Food also sounds wonderful

By Xu Wenwen | August 21, 2014, Thursday | Print Edition

WHILE it’s safe to say almost everyone pays attention to the way food looks and tastes, the sound of different foods often goes unnoticed.

It ranges from the squeaky sound green beans make while being chewed to the cracking of crab legs and a sizzling platter of fajitas.

Chefs of Hangzhou cuisine, known for mild and light dishes, sometimes use sound to stimulate the appetites of diners.

Shanghai Daily introduces three classic Hangzhou dishes that not only taste and look good, but also sound fantastic.

Youtiao and cong bao hui

Fried twisted dough sticks known as youtiao are a breakfast staple in Hangzhou. Vendors can be seen at countless stalls in the narrow lanes making these long golden sticks every day. Youtiao was first created in Hangzhou around 1,000 years ago, but they are eaten nationwide even today.

The dough sticks are very crispy and sound best when bitten shortly after frying. Listen closely while chewing a dough stick and delight in the sound it makes.

Cong bao hui is derived from youtiao. When youtiao is overcooked it becomes too brittle. But a long time ago, some clever cook decided in an effort not to waste food to chop up an overcooked youtiao into small pieces and wrap it with shallots in a thin pancake. The delicious new snack cong bao hui was born. It’s got a great crunchy sound and remains a popular and inexpensive snack at street stalls around the city. Various sauces can be added for extra flavor.

Where to eat:

Usually on street corners and
near small lanes.

Sizzling rice in tomato sauce 番茄锅巴

This dish is also called “sudden thunder” in Chinese. The “thunder” comes from pouring hot tomato sauce on top of freshly fried guoba. Guoba is a small square of deep-fried rice. The rice used in this dish is usually the overcooked part from the bottom of the pot.

When the sauce is poured over the guoba, it sizzles as the dense tomato sauce infiltrates the crispy crust. The fruity tomato sauce also injects a sweet and sour flavor into the guoba.

The renowned dish can be found in Chinatowns of many foreign countries and was identified as one of the top 10 Hangzhou dishes in 1956.

It’s often served as an appetizer and remember to eat it quickly so the guoba crust doesn’t become soggy.

Where to eat:

• 1921 Lakeview Restaurant

Address: 82 Youdian Rd

Tel: (0571) 8888-1921

 

• Longtangli
There are about 10 branches of the restaurant in the city, here are some in downtown:

Address: 18 Longjing Rd

Tel: (0571) 8808-3178

Address: A301, 3/F, 258 Yan’an Rd

Tel: (0571) 8587-0518

Deep-fried stuffed tofu skin 干炸响铃

The Chinese name of this dish translates as “fried ringing bells.” Deep-fried tofu is really crispy and it makes a loud sound when people chew it, especially if a person happens to chew it with their mouth open.

The secret lies in the tofu skin, which is made of boiling soy milk. In an open shallow pan, a film or skin forms on the liquid surface.

This is collected and dried into yellowish sheets to make the skin.

The sheet is basically soft and a bit resilient, but once fried, it turns crumbly. It melts quickly in the mouth. A “ringing bell,” like a small cylinder that fits in a person’s mouth, is made of several pieces of sheets rolled together and then deep fried.

When in the mouth, the first layer of skin bursts when the teeth pierce it. It soon melts, but then the sound of teeth crunching into the second layer begins. This keeps repeating through every layer of skin. Of course, it happens so quickly that is just sounds like one big crunch to most ears.

Making the dish is somewhat tricky and it’s all about the timing. The chef has to make sure every layer is fried until crispy while ensuring the outside remains gold and not overcooked.

The traditional recipe calls for minced pork stuffed in the roll although bamboo shoots, mushrooms and mashed potato make for a nice combination. Some restaurants today just fry the tofu skin rolls.

In Hangzhou, the dish is often served with ketchup.

Where to eat:

• Louwailou Restaurant

Address: 30 Gushan Rd

Tel: (0571) 8796-9682

 

• Hangzhou Restaurant

Address: 205 Yan’an Rd

Tel: (0571) 8708-7123

 

• Huang Fan Er

Address: 53-57 Gaoyin St

Tel: (0571) 8780-7768

• Grandma’s Kitchen
There are a dozen branches of the restaurant in the city, here are some:

Address: 1 Huancheng Rd E.

Tel: (0571) 5682-9999

Address: 8 Qiushi Rd

Tel: (0571) 8763-5916

Address: 8/F, B Mansion, Hangzhou Tower, No. 1 Wulin Square
Tel: (0571) 8517-5778

Hangzhou


 

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