Chinese Vinegar - White or Black?

Vinegar is a very ingredient in Chinese cooking. White and black vinegar are the most popular vinegars on the Chinese market (although it is also possible to get Red Vinegar). Both are normally made from rice or glutinous rice and are sometimes referred to as "Rice Vinegars".

White vinegar is crystal clear; it delivers a sense of delicate fragrance and tastes sour and sweet at the same time. It is similar to Western vinegars, but with a less acidic and milder flavour. Be careful when choosing your white vinegar; nowadays some cheap white vinegars are simply made from chemicals. They won't kill you but won’t do you any good in the long run! So always read the ingredients.

Black vinegar, on the other hand, is dark in colour and has an almost smokey flavour. There are two famous types of black vinegars.

Preserved Black Beans

Preserved Black Beans or “Douchi” as they are known in China, are a special soy product with a long history. They’re not only rich in nutrients and protein but also contain vitamins and minerals.

Douchi is often used as seasoning, as its fragrant nature makes dishes more appetising. According to Chinese medicine, it’s believed that eating more Douchi can prevent colds and help reduce the frequency of headaches, indigestion and even slow down aging.

Dried Whole Red Chilies

Dried whole red chilies are always my first choice when cooking spicy chinese dishes. They can be used whole or chopped up - the flavour remains unchanged. The chilies tend to be very spicy so the amount you use depends on how you like your food.

Dried Red chilies can be easily found in any Asian supermarket but I have often seen them in my local Sainsbury's. 

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken (sometimes spelt Kung Po Chicken) originated in the Sichuan province of China. Food from the Sichuan region is known for being very hot and spicy and this dish is no exception.

Traditionally cooked with peanuts, it has become a very popular dish with many variations. I have tried to keep my recipe as traditional as possible but have replaced the peanuts with cashew nuts as I prefer the flavour.

"Traditional" Twice-Cooked Pork

For those of you with a little more time on your hands, here is the traditional recipe for Twice-Cooked Pork. Normally when we cook the pork, we keep the skin on. This adds flavour and texture to the dish. However, if you prefer, you can remove the skin.

It is common to cook the dish with green chilies but the great thing about this recipe is that you can add pretty much anything and it will still taste great. Personally I like to use carrots as I think they complement the taste of the pork and look great!

Baiweizai Double Cooked Meat Flavour Seasoning

This sauce is used for cooking Twice-Cooked Pork and is a great time saver. It can be found in any one of the Chinese Supermarkets in London's China town. Be sure to check out my personal favourite, New Loon Moon at 9A Gerrard Street.

For more information on Twice-Cooked Pork, be sure to check out my recipe here.

"Lazy" Twice-Cooked Pork

Twice-cooked pork is one of my favourite dishes. However it can take a long time to prepare. Recently I discovered a great time saving product - Baiweizai Double Cooked Meat Flavour Seasoning - or "Magic Sauce" as I like to call it! It tastes delicious and authentic and is perfect if you're in a rush. If you enjoy cooking and have time to then be sure to check out my traditional recipe in a later post.

Before we begin, I would like to quickly talk about garlic "shoots". You might have to venture up to China town to get these but if you can't find them then sliced carrots make a great alternative.

Authentic Egg Fried Rice

Egg fried rice is one of China's most popular dishes. It is great served as an accompaniment or eaten on it's own. I have added peas to my rice but you could use carrots or sweetcorn if you prefer.

Boiling rice is harder than it looks; the key is to balance the amount of water and rice used. Whilst I have tried to write an accurate recipe, you may have to alter your measurements slightly. In general, you should add enough water so that it is about 1cm above the rice.