Side Dishes 41: Soy-Pickled Snake Gourd

When the snake gourd1 is still small and young, collect the thinner specimens and marinate them in soy sauce. They are crisp, fresh, and sweet.2 醬王瓜 王瓜初生時，擇細者醃之入醬，脆而鮮。 1Trichosanthes cucumerina 2 Used in the context outside of vegetables, xian 鮮 translates to savoury or umami, but in this case it means fresh and sweet (and possibly …

Side Dishes 39: Dried Jiaogua

Marinate the jiaogua in soy sauce, then let it dry in the wind. Slice it and store it as a dried food item. Use it as one would dried bamboo shoots. 茭瓜脯1 茭瓜入醬，取起風乾，切片成脯，與笋脯相似。 Notes: 1Jiaogua 茭瓜 (or jiao melon) could refer to either wild rice stems (jiaobai) or zucchini, though the mention of dried jiaojua …

Side Dishes 40: Firm Tofu of Niushuo

The firm tofu manufactured in Niushuo is the best. There are, however, seven sellers of the item in the foothills. Still, those made in the household of the monk Xiaotang are the best of them all. 牛首腐乾1 豆腐乾以牛首僧製者為佳。但山下賣此物者有七家，惟曉堂和尚家所製方妙。 Note: 1The Niushou Mountains 牛首山 (lit. ox head mountains) are low-altitude mountains in Jiangsu Province near Nanjing, …

Side Dishes 38: Huntao

Punch a small hole in the shell of a chicken egg and pour out its white and yolk. Remove the yolk and reserve the white. Mix it with thickened chicken extracts and braising juices. Beat the mixture with chopsticks until it is completely blended, then pour it back into the eggshell. Seal the opening with …

Side Dishes 37: Salted Eggs

Salted eggs from Gaoyou are very good, with deep reddish yolks loaded with oil. This is Master Gao Wenduan’s favourite food. At banquets, he would honour his guests by first serving it to them with his own chopsticks. Place the whole egg on a plate, cut it in half, and serve the shell, yolk, and …

Side Dishes 35: Soy-Pickled Cucumbers

Pickle the cucumbers with salt, air-dry them, and put them into soy sauce in the same manner as soy-pickled ginger. It is not hard to make pickled cucumbers that are sweet in flavor, but it is hard to make ones that are crisp. The household of Shi Luzhen in Hangzhou makes the best pickled cucumbers. …

Side Dishes 36: Young Fava Beans

Young fava beans are most tender and are remarkable good when stir-fried with pickled mustard greens. It is best to eat them as soon as they have been harvested. 新蠶豆1 新蠶豆之嫩者，以醃芥菜炒之，甚妙。隨采隨食方佳。 Note: 1Candou 蠶豆 (here translated as fava beans) literally means “silkworm beans.” The origin of this name can be traced back to the Yuan …

Side Dishes 34: Soy-Pickled Ginger

Take fresh tender ginger and pickle lightly with salt. Marinate first in a coarse tasting soy sauce, then marinate in a delicate tasting soy sauce.1 Repeat this three times to complete. An old technique adds the molted carapace of the cicada to the marinade, which allows the ginger to be stored for a long time …

Side Dishes 33: Shrimp-Roe Fish

Shrimp-roe fish are produced in Suzhou. When these little fish are born, they already contain tiny roe. When cooked while they are still raw and fresh, and eaten right after, they taste better than any dried fish. 蝦子魚1 子魚出蘇州。小魚生而有子。生時烹食之，較美於鯗。 Note: 1Xiaziyu 蝦子魚 can be read as “shrimp fish” or “shrimp-roe fish,” given the dual meaning …

Side Dishes 32: Jellyfish

Use tender jellyfish and soak it in sweet wine for a unique dish.1 The shiny portion of the jellyfish is known as “white skin,” which can be sliced into strips, tossed with jiu and vinegar, and served. 海蟄 用嫩海蟄，甜酒浸之，頗有風味。其光者名為白皮，作絲，酒、醋同拌。 Note: 1I'm not sure if this is fresh or cured jellyfish. While most jellyfish eaten nowadays …