ChinaFood Tutorial: China Special Flavour

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Braised Bull Penis (Hong Shao Niu Bian) – Detailed Recipe

Chinese Braised Bull Penis (Hong Shao Niu Bian) – Detailed Recipe

Braised Bull Penis is a traditional Chinese delicacy known for its rich gelatinous texture and nourishing qualities. The dish is typically prepared using classic red-braising techniques, resulting in a savory, aromatic, and deeply flavorful stew.
Below is a complete step-by-step recipe.

Ingredients

Main Ingredient

1–2 bull penises (cleaned and pre-processed)

For Pre-boiling

3–4 slices ginger
2 scallions
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)

For Braising

1 tbsp vegetable oil
5–6 slices ginger
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 scallions, cut into sections
1–2 dried chilies (optional)
1 star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf

Seasonings

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
1–2 tsp sugar (or rock sugar)
Salt to taste
Hot water or broth (enough to cover ingredients)

Preparation Steps

1. Clean the Bull Penis Thoroughly

Bull penis needs extra cleaning to remove odor and impurities.

Rinse it under running water.
Cut it open lengthwise to expose the inner parts.
Remove the white membrane and any connective tissues.
Rub with salt and rinse again.

Tip: Many markets sell pre-cleaned bull penis, which reduces prep time.

2. Pre-Boil to Remove Odor

Place the bull penis in a pot of cold water.
Add ginger slices, scallion sections, and cooking wine.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5–8 minutes.
Remove and rinse under warm water.

This step removes the strong smell and prepares the ingredient for braising.

3. Cut Into Sections

Cut the pre-boiled bull penis into bite-sized pieces or 3–4 cm sections, depending on your preference.

4. Stir-Fry Aromatics

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or deep pot.
Add ginger, garlic, scallions, dried chilies, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
Stir-fry until fragrant.

5. Add the Bull Penis and Seasonings

Add the chopped bull penis into the pot.
Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
Add:
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Cooking wine
- Sugar

Stir well to evenly coat the pieces with sauce color and aroma.

6. Simmer Until Tender

Pour in hot water or broth to fully cover the ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat.
Cover and simmer for 1.5–2 hours, or until the texture becomes soft, springy, and gelatinous.
Add salt to taste in the final 10 minutes.

7. Reduce the Sauce

Increase heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for several minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pieces.

8. Serve

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle chopped scallions for aroma.

Flavor Profile:
Rich, savory, slightly sweet, full of collagen, and deeply aromatic from the spices.

Optional Add-Ins

Carrots or radish chunks
Goji berries (for nourishment)
Chili bean paste (for spicier flavor)

A Detailed Guide to Chinese Cold Mixed Fish Mint Salad (Liangban Yuxingcao)

A Detailed Guide to Chinese Cold Mixed Fish Mint Salad (Liangban Yuxingcao)

Introduction
Yuxingcao , also known as fish mint or houttuynia cordata, is a traditional Chinese herb widely used in Southwest China, especially in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. It has a distinctive earthy and slightly fishy aroma that some people love and others need time to appreciate. When prepared as a cold salad, it becomes refreshing, crunchy, and aromatic—perfect as a side dish, appetizer, or pairing with spicy meals.

This recipe captures the authentic Southwestern Chinese style: bright, sour, spicy, and full of herbal fragrance.

Ingredients

150 g fresh fish mint (roots and leaves), cleaned
1–2 fresh red chilies, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1–2 teaspoons chili oil (to taste)
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Optional: roasted peanuts for topping

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Fish Mint

Rinse the fish mint thoroughly under running water to remove dirt and sand.
Trim off the rough ends of the roots.
Cut the roots into thin strips and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Aromatics

Slice the fresh chilies thinly.
Mince the garlic finely.
If using cilantro, chop it into small pieces.

Add these directly into the bowl with the fish mint.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

In a small bowl, mix together:

Light soy sauce
Chinese black vinegar
Chili oil
Sugar
Salt
Sesame oil

Stir until the sugar dissolves and everything is well combined.

Step 4: Mix the Salad

Pour the dressing over the fish mint.
Toss gently with chopsticks or a fork until evenly coated.
Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Step 5: Serve

Transfer the salad to a plate and, if desired, sprinkle a handful of roasted peanuts on top for crunch.

It can be served as a refreshing side dish with rice, grilled meats, or spicy Yunnan and Sichuan meals.

Tips

Freshness matters: The fresher the fish mint, the crisper and more aromatic it will be.
Adjust the flavor: Add more vinegar for a tangier taste or more chili oil for extra heat.
Optional add-ins: Sliced onions or cucumber can add extra crispness.
For newcomers: If you’re not used to fish mint’s strong aroma, start with a smaller amount or mix it with shredded lettuce.

A Detailed Introduction and Preparation Guide to Chinese “Mao Ji Dan” (Partially Developed Fertilized Eggs)

A Detailed Introduction and Preparation Guide to Chinese “Mao Ji Dan” (Partially Developed Fertilized Eggs)

Introduction
Mao Ji Dan , also known as partially developed fertilized eggs, is a traditional specialty found in certain regions of China. This food is considered highly nutritious in local culture and is often believed to replenish energy, especially after illness or childbirth. While the dish may appear unusual to people unfamiliar with it, it has deep cultural roots and represents a unique aspect of Chinese culinary tradition.

The process focuses on using fertilized eggs that have been incubated for a short period — usually 12 to 16 days — until the embryo begins to develop but is not yet fully formed. These eggs are then cooked using specific methods to preserve their distinctive flavor and texture.

Ingredients

6–10 fertilized chicken eggs (incubated 12–16 days)
Water for boiling
Optional seasonings for serving:
- Salt
- White pepper
- Chopped ginger
- Light soy sauce

How to Prepare Mao Ji Dan

Step 1: Select the Eggs

Choose fertilized eggs that have been incubated for the desired number of days.
- 12–14 days: softer texture, embryo not fully formed.
- 15–16 days: more developed texture, richer flavor.
Rinse the eggs gently to remove any dirt on the shell.

Step 2: Boil the Eggs

Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water.
Turn on medium heat and bring the water to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, ensuring they cook evenly.
Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 5 minutes in hot water.

Step 3: Cool and Peel

Remove the eggs and place them briefly in cool water so they can be handled safely.
Tap the shell gently and peel it carefully to keep the contents intact.
Open the egg while still warm — the aroma and broth-like liquid inside are considered part of the enjoyment.

Step 4: Season and Serve

Mao Ji Dan is often eaten plain, relying on its natural flavor.
However, you may add:

A pinch of salt
A little white pepper
Fresh ginger
A splash of light soy sauce

These seasonings enhance the warm, savory taste of the egg.

Cultural Notes

In many regions, Mao Ji Dan is believed to strengthen the body and boost nutrition.
It is commonly sold at local street stalls or specialty shops.
The food reflects the philosophy of “using the whole ingredient” and traditional understandings of nourishment.
While considered a delicacy by some, it can be challenging for people unfamiliar with the concept — making it a truly unique culinary experience.

Tips

Always ensure the eggs come from a safe and trusted source.
They should be consumed fresh and fully cooked.
Adjust the incubation days according to your preferred texture and richness.

Northeastern Chinese Dipping Sauce Vegetables (Dongbei Zhan Jiang Cai)

Zhan Jiang Cai is a beloved cold dish from Northeast China (Dongbei), often served in the summer or as an appetizer. The name literally means "vegetables dipped in sauce." It features a colorful assortment of fresh, crisp raw or lightly blanched vegetables served with a rich, umami-packed fermented soybean dipping sauce. It’s refreshing, satisfying, and surprisingly addictive.

Ingredients

For the Vegetables (customizable):

Cucumbers (sliced into sticks)
Carrots (peeled and sliced)
Celery (cut into sticks)
Green beans (blanched)
Lettuce or cabbage leaves
Radishes
Boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes (optional)
Fresh garlic leaves or chives (optional)

For the Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons fermented soybean paste ( Korean doenjang is a decent substitute)
1 tablespoon sweet bean paste (optional for balance)
1–2 cloves garlic (finely minced or grated)
1 tablespoon cooking oil (preferably soybean or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon sugar (to balance the saltiness)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (for aroma)
A few tablespoons of water (to adjust thickness)
Optional: Chopped scallions, chili oil, or crushed peanuts for garnish

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables

Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
Peel and slice cucumbers, carrots, and radishes into finger-sized sticks.
Blanch tougher vegetables like green beans and celery briefly in boiling water, then cool them in cold water to retain crispness.
Arrange the vegetables neatly on a large platter.

Step 2: Make the Dipping Sauce

In a small pan, heat the cooking oil over medium heat.
Add the fermented soybean paste (and sweet bean paste if using). Stir-fry until the sauce becomes fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add sugar and a few tablespoons of water to create a smooth, dip-like consistency.
Turn off the heat. Drizzle in a little sesame oil and stir.
Pour into a dipping bowl. Optionally top with scallions, chili oil, or crushed peanuts.

Step 3: Serve

Place the dipping sauce in the center of the vegetable platter.
Dip and enjoy! Each vegetable delivers a different texture and flavor, perfectly matched by the savory, umami-laden sauce.

Tips:

The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days.
Adjust the saltiness with sugar and water to suit your taste.
Some households in Dongbei even add a little vinegar or garlic water to thin the sauce.

Why It’s Loved

Zhan Jiang Cai represents the rustic charm and practical ingenuity of Northeastern Chinese home cooking. It’s healthy, easy to make, and full of traditional flavor—bringing a bite of Chinese countryside to any table.

Stir-Fried Braised Pork Intestines (Liū Féicháng ）

A traditional Chinese comfort dish featuring tender, braised pork intestines stir-fried in a savory, tangy sauce.

📋 Ingredients

For cleaning and braising:

500g (1.1 lbs) pork intestines
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons cooking wine
2 slices ginger
1 green onion (cut into large pieces)
2–3 star anise
1 small piece of Chinese cinnamon stick (optional)
1 bay leaf

For stir-fry:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 thumb ginger (sliced)
1 green chili (sliced)
1 red chili (sliced)
2 scallions (cut into 2-inch pieces)

Sauce:

1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
100ml water (adjust as needed)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with a bit of water to thicken)

🍳 Instructions

1. Clean the Pork Intestines

Rinse the pork intestines under cold water.
Rub thoroughly with flour and vinegar to remove odor and sliminess.
Rinse again multiple times until clean and odor-free.

2. Blanch and Braise

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pork intestines, ginger slices, green onion, cooking wine, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
Simmer on medium heat for 40–50 minutes until the intestines are soft and tender.
Remove and let cool, then cut into 2-inch pieces.

3. Prepare the Sauce

In a bowl, mix all sauce ingredients (light soy, dark soy, vinegar, sugar, wine, oyster sauce, water, and cornstarch slurry). Set aside.

4. Stir-Fry

Heat a wok with oil. Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add red and green chilies and stir briefly.
Add braised pork intestines and stir-fry on high heat for 2–3 minutes until slightly crispy at the edges.

5. Add the Sauce

Pour in the sauce mixture and stir quickly until everything is evenly coated.
Let it simmer for another 1–2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and cling to the intestines.
Toss in chopped scallions and stir briefly before removing from heat.

6. Serve

Plate it hot and serve with steamed rice or as part of a larger Chinese meal.

🔥 Tips

Proper cleaning is essential — vinegar and flour help remove odors.
Braising before stir-frying makes the intestines tender and flavorful.
Adjust vinegar and chili level to your taste — more for tanginess, less for mild flavor.

A Unique Taste: Beijing Lu Zhu Stew

Legend has it that many years ago in China, due to poverty, ordinary people could not afford to eat pork, and had to buy pig's jellied meat at a low price, which the rich people could not afford to eat, in order to fill their stomachs.

After a long time of cooking experience, the pig's jowl, which was once a thing that the rich people could not afford to eat, turned into a superb Chinese speciality ------ Beijing Lo Mein.

Beijing Marinated Cooking Practice:

A payload of pig intestines, remove the mucus with vinegar and flour, rubbing and cleaning constantly

Flour the intestines over, clean excess fat, fat according to their own taste to leave some.

Do authentic old Beijing brine cooking, you can omit this step.

Pork lungs a payment, cleaning blood foam, it is best to use a hose against the windpipe cleaning, washed until the white

Cut the pig lungs into large pieces, like pig lungs chewy leave the trachea, etc. with boiling water

add: cooking wine, onion and ginger, etc. to the intestine and lungs of pork boiled to five or six maturity

Remove the foam, remove the odour.

Homemade ingredients into the package, hot water soaked

Accessories ginger, spring onion, garlic, tempeh

Edamame can be chopped or soaked in hot water for a while

A bowl of yellow sauce, Roppiku's soy bean curd, a bowl of sauce.

Heat the oil in a pan:

Heat the oil and cook the onion, ginger and garlic. Stir in the edamame, then add the soy sauce to bring out the flavour of the sauce.

In a separate pan:

Add the sauce, water, pork intestines and lungs.

Add the pork, pork lungs and pork sausage into the sauce and simmer over low heat.

While the sausage is simmering, fry the tofu and cut it into rectangular slices.

Heat the oil in a pan:

Fry the tofu until the surface of the tofu is golden, then remove from the oil and set aside.

Mix the flour and water together to form a floury dough, then knead into a smooth dough.

Let rise for 15 minutes, divide the dough and knead into a smooth round.

Let rise for 5 minutes, then roll out with a rolling pin.

Heat a pan with dry water, without anything else.

Dry cook on the surface of the pan until the crust turns golden and smells like flour.

See if the sausage is ready, just insert chopsticks and it'll go through.

You can put fried tofu noodle cake, low heat micro-cooking, the fire cooked through.

Prepare some seasoning:

Chopped coriander, chopped garlic, soaked chilli oil.

There are fried and then with soy sauce tofu, leek flowers cut vinegar

Marinated cake cut into pieces, tofu can be cut or not cut

small intestine lung head cut into pieces, cut two pieces of pork

Pour the marinade on top. The pancake should be hot.

The roasted pork should be cooked through, not overcooked intestines, lungs absolutely rotten.

And then you can add as many toppings as you like.

It's fantastic.

A Chinese Hot Pot with Flavour ---- Beef Bean Hot Pot

Legend has it that a long time ago,

a Chinese man in Guizhou often diarrhoea, stomach pain, around for medicine to eat a lot but not effective, he saw the cattle and sheep to eat all kinds of strong body, they try to eat the cattle, eat a few times, diarrhoea on the good. Things spread, we began to follow suit, and gradually improve the production process, and constantly add spices.

From then on, this dietary habit has been passed down from generation to generation, and every New Year's Eve, we kill cows and sheep to eat yakiniku, and as a delicacy to entertain our guests.

Specialities：

Before the hot pot base is cooked, it smells faintly of rotting grass, and then the beef and beef mince is poured into the hot pot, just like Chongqing people eat soup pot, but there is a little bit of cow dung flavour when it is cooked.

It tasted like medicine and was a little bitter.

Although you can make your own dipping saucer, you still can't overpower that flavour, and with spices like calamus and patchouli and chuanxiong added to the soup base, it will get more and more aromatic the more you eat it!

material used：

Beef offal or beef 1500g

Radish 500g

Undigested cow dung from the stomach and intestines 1500g

Bok choy 1000g

Ginger 50g

Garlic 50g

A few drops of mok choy

A little sesame oil

Soya sauce 150g

Dried chillies 200g

Chopped oil seeds 20g

Salt in moderation

Chinese five spice leaves 100g

practice：

1: Beef, beef offal, wash and chop fine, in a pot.

2: Wash and chop ginger and garlic finely.

3: Add ginger oil, sesame oil, soya sauce and salt to the finely chopped beef and mix well.

4: Wash and shred radish and greens, set aside.

5: red chilli with charcoal burnt [not burnt], cut into pieces to be used.

6: Take the cow's stomach and intestines not fully digested cow dung and add water to boil in a pot and scoop it out, filter it through a gauze bag.

7: Pour the strained soup into the pot, add the roasted chillies, salt, flogging oil seeds, five spices and continue to boil.

8:Serve the boiled soup in another pot on a stovetop fitted with charcoal and add a portion of the beef.

You can add the beef and radish and greens as you eat.

Warm Tip:

Internationals, please don't be tempted to try this dish as it is exceptionally flavourful!