Cool cake or 凉糕 Liáng gāo is another great snack for the summer and even autumn months. It's a starch jelly-like pudding with a very simple taste that makes it easy to eat. And you actually feel cooler after a few minutes of eating. I had the amazing opportunity to make my own, free of preservatives and had so much fun making different flavors.

凉糕

When it comes to Chinese desserts, 'chocolaty' and 'creamy' aren't the first words that come to mind. And that's actually a good thing. After eating heavy meals, something more relaxing on the tummy should be considered and that's where Chinese desserts take the cake, no pun intended.  They balance salty with sweet, spicy with bland or hot with cold right next to yin and yang, food for the spirit man.

One night, after a pepper-laden dinner, there came Snow Fungus soup to rescue my roaring insides. From the first bite, I immediately knew that the world would be a little safer that night.



Tremella fociformis is commonly known as Snow, White Wood or Silver Ear Fungus and is the main ingredient in this soup. It works well for anti-aging, dry coughs and boosting the immune system when eaten over a long period of time. In the short term, it cools down the digestive and circulatory system so it's perfect on hot days with hot food.

The soup is so easy prepare. It can be flavored with nuts, fruits and spices to blend with the soft, yet crunchy yumminess of the fungus so feel free to make it as nutritious as possible.

Snow White Forest Soup

There is nothing like your lips making contact with your cup of tea when you're suddenly interrupted by a scorched tongue. You hope your tongue would man up so you can finish drinking but instead you have to abandon the whole idea.

Those kind of burns are pretty easy to get over. In two to three days, if that long, the numbness and dryness of the area is healed. In the meantime, ice chips and yogurt are great for soothing the pain. Some have even suggested honey and tea but I say who lets a fly back in, after chasing it outside.

Skin, on the other hand, doesn't heal as quickly as the tongue, for reasons you can read about here, so the outcome of your burn and scar depends on how you act in that moment.

Firstly, turn off whatever you're cooking (the chicken and chips can wait) and focus on YOU. So long as you feel that sizzle, your skin cells are frying away. A wet cloth is very soothing but your best option is running water. Water helps to carry heat away from the area. You should do this for a couple minutes or until the pain has subsided. If you notice water balloons under your skin, you officially have second degree burns. Please don't pop them. Clean your hands and the area with water and soap. Depending on the area, you can apply gauze but the best option is open air healing. Clean and reapply gauze every couple days. When the skin has dried and healed, treat daily with coconut oil to lessen any darkening of the skin.

How do I know all this? These are the things I should have done. I experienced second degree burns that left me immobile for 2 weeks because I wouldn't stop frying that chicken (the struggle is real for this vegetarian).

Finally a little True or False:

Toothpaste be used on burns? True. Works very well on minor burns e.g from a flat iron or pot graze. Speeds up the healing process.

Petroleum jelly be used on burns? False. My granny used to slather me in lard so I know. No form of oil or grease should be used on a fresh burn as it blocks air from reaching the bruise and slows down the healing process.

Chongqing is so hot, that when you step into a hot spring you feel cold.  Chongqing is so hot that you sweat while you're taking a shower. Chongqing is sooo hot that my 5 inch wide sun hat bakes and protects me at the same time. And the jokes could go on. How do I survive...listening Third World's 96 degrees in the shade? Nope. Those silky voices do not cool me down. However, these drinks do. So where ever you are, use them to keep nice and moist inside and try not to get too toasty on the outside.

Jasmine Iced tea

Honey I'm home Lemonade

Tropical Ice pops

This week in 'Bite me' are these awesome mixed vegetable and fruit chips from Shandong. Ingredients include anything you can think of...Are you finish thinking? OK. Let's go. Irish potato, sweet potato, taro, carrot, mushroom, apple, kiwi and peach. They are thinly sliced and fried in palm oil. Maltose and salt are added for taste and preservation.


Crispy, sweet and despite the odd combinations, easily addictive.....



The entire tin provides 43% recommended daily allowance (RDA) of fats, 23% carbohydrates and 12% salt. So take it easy or as we say over here...慢慢来(man man lai).

This Summer I found out that I am a....FRUIT ADDICT. I eat fruit every minute of the day. If there was a Mad Fruit Disease, I would have caught it for sure. There are so many kinds of plums, grapes, mangoes and pears to choose from. And then came the 'unheard ofs'. I'm from the tropics, so I thought I had tasted it all. Well I was pleasantly surprised. I've forgotten most of their names but my taste buds have much better memory. So here is a review of my favorites.

Lychee fruit by SUJA on flickr

Lychee 荔枝  lì zhī

Longyan Fruit

Dragon eye Fruit 龙眼 lóng yǎn

It's the firmer version of the Lychee and sort of taste like a mango without the hairy issues. Although it's lower in Vitamin B, it also provides more Vitamin C and Potassium. Dragon eye fruit 'nourishes' the nervous system and help to treat insomnia and forgetfulness so I really hope these are in season next semester. Don't mess with the Dragon.

Dragon Fruit 火龙果 huǒ lóng guǒ

By now you've probably figured out that the Dragon is very important in Chinese culture. First of all, I was completely attracted to the color. What fruit comes in bright pink? A pretty and chic one, right? And the coat and layers scream 'freakum dress'. I've seen it in fruit salad and as a birthday cake topping, but this summer was my first time eating it. The insides hold a very delicate sweetness and tartness; a definite contrast to the party on the outside. Great source of Vitamin C, Potassium, Plant albumin which helps in detoxification and Anthocyanin which maintains the health of your blood vessels. And since it's low in calories and fat and high in cellulose, it perfect for the munchies.



Here is a roughly translated recipe using Dragon fruit and shrimp. I'm so sorry that I couldn't provide measurements but I know you'll make a boss dish from this inspiration.

Mystical Fried Shrimp

Dragon fruit
Sand Shrimp
Egg
Starch
Celery
Green onion

1. Peel fresh shrimp and remove moisture with a dry cloth.

2. Add salt and after some time, drain the water and squeeze with a dry cloth. Mix shrimp and egg white and then add dry starch, stirring in one direction. Finally add salad oil (to prevent sticking together of shrimp) and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

3. Without letting the pan get too hot, place the shrimp in and spin clockwise with chopsticks until you see a color change.


4. Put oil, several small celery stalks, dragon fruit, a few scallions (green onions not too much to  overshadow shrimp flavor). Fry for two minutes, then add the shrimp and fry for another five minutes. Isn't that exotic !!!

As I have mentioned in my profile or somewhere in this blog, adapting to food customs of a different culture can be both exciting and challenging. I panicked for the first couple months when I couldn't find cheese. (What was I going to eat with watermelon? Yikes?!) Then I complained when I had to travel for hours to find it. Then my cheese shopping days became an impromptu food safari as I sampled the local delicacies and street food around me. Before I knew it, six months passed without me using or tasting cheese and even butter.

Pizza from a local Pizzeria

Those food safaris were scary at first. Bugs on a stick, hundred year old egg, stinky tofu. I know. Nothing sounds appealing here. But what it did teach me is that there's a lot of variety if we just look around a bit more. For instance my calcium intake decreased with my lack of dairy. Soon I discovered a love for soybean products such as soy bean milk and tofu, seaweed, bok choy, day lily flower all containing acceptable levels of calcium and as a bonus avoiding the high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol that hide in the shadows of dairy products.

Stinky Tofu sold street side

Many people find eating healthy to be very boring or difficult because of the restrictions but as my eyes have opened, I see tons of possibilities, avenues for creativity and exposure to more nutrients in your diet. When eating with my Chinese family and friends, they have never once mentioned calories, saturated fats, radicals and other factors we tend to obsess about. And here's why:

Water

Tea

Meal portions

Dinner for the fam

Time

Spontaneity is fun but let's face it, our bodies need routine. I mean every time our hearts skip too many a beat, we run to the doctor. My friend taught me a very valuable lesson in Chinese culture: Eat before you're hungry and sleep before you're tired. So firstly, try not to skip meals. Secondly, try to eat them at the same time everyday. This one's a bit tough if you're a workaholic or live alone but it's really worth the try. Thirdly and most important is your last meal. Just like our eyes follow the second hand at 3:59 with bag in hand, our bodies have their closing time. And when the boss calls you in for overtime, don't you work as slow as you can so you get more pay. Guess what currency your body pays in. Having dinner between 4 and 6 pm gives the body enough time to digest and pack up for the night. "But Kizzy, those worms in my tummy are keeping me awake." No problem mon. Try fruits that are low in fiber or yogurt which is low in fat. And maybe some Zentel?

Let's get physical

Honestly, I love this section the most because it really captures the Chinese view on health. On my way to school and back, I'm guaranteed to meet Tai Chi folks, pole dancers (not what you're thinking) and professional walkers. They are mostly over the age of 70 but they don't look it at all. Over 40ers are mainly into waltz and traditional Chinese aerobics and fill any park or square with up to 60 women and sometimes men every night. And we young folks take the jogging. Just 20 minutes of your day can make a big difference in your blood circulation, digestion and metabolism. That means you get to enjoy life much longer.



The world is being saturated with too many weight loss plans that keep you from enjoying your food. Be honest with your body. Choose options over restrictions and have fun eating.



Not to sound too commercial but check the link to read more about this topic in
Why the Chinese don't count calories by Lorraine Clissold. I'm still trying to source the book but from the preview, it gives the whole nine. In the mean time I have to go figure out a new book to write....

When I told my Shanghai teachers that I was moving to Chongqing, they warned me of the two things: beautiful women and spicy food. I know right...they sound pretty harmless, just another cultural memoir.Two years later and I've grown a stronger heart and a stomach of steel. In Chongqing, every meal contains chill pepper seeds that have been ground to bring out the latent flavor. And just when you thought that pepper only burns, turns out there is the numbing kind called Chinese prickly ash  or 花椒 (huajiao) which literally means flower pepper. Like it's impossible to pick a beautiful rose without being pricked, this pepper brings both intense flavor and sensation. My first time, I thought my teeth were trying out some new Jamaica dancehall moves. However, I have actually grown accustomed to it and I find that my food is bland without it.

That been said, these peppers also form the foundation of the main dish of Chongqing-Hot Pot. A well seasoned soup is used as the base to cook vegetables and meats of all kinds. Even steamed buns 馒头 (mantou) and dumplings饺子(jiaozi) are added to the mix. It's said that many years ago (and I really do mean many) when the economic struggle was real for many citizens of the city, collecting scraps of food from the ‘overly' fortunate was the creative spirit that birthed this wonderful meal. If you are truly a Chongqing ren, you and your friends or family will gather around a Hot Pot at least 4 times a week.


Below, I feature my take on Hot Pot with my classmates using a pre-packed soup mix. It's main ingredients are beef tallow, chili pepper, prickly ash pepper, salt and *side eye* mono-sodium glutamate. A truly homemade version will be made up of whatever you can find in your kitchen, so don't hesitate to try this dish in your spare time.

Chongqing Bowl of Fire