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Mala (seasoning)
''Mala'' is a numbing and pungent seasoning derived from Szechuan peppercorn and chili. Most commonly, ''mala'' is made into a sauce (麻辣醬 ''málàjiàng'') by simmering it in oil and other spices. Characteristic of Sichuan cuisine, particularly Chongqing cuisine, it has become one of the most popular and synthesized ingredients in Chinese cuisine. Etymology The term ''málà'' is a combination of two Chinese characters: "numbing" ( 麻) and "spicy (piquant)" ( 辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce. The numbness is caused by its characteristic Szechuan pepper, which contains 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. History The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to night markets in Chongqing that targeted pier workers in the 19th to 20th century. Its strong flavors and oils helps preserve foods and mask the unpopular smells of blood and offal. Despite the strong flavor by itself, various dipping sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
麻辣
''Mala'' is a Paresthesia, numbing and Pungency, pungent seasoning derived from Szechuan peppercorn and Chili pepper, chili. Most commonly, ''mala'' is made into a sauce (麻辣醬 ''málàjiàng'') by simmering it in oil and other spices. Characteristic of Sichuan cuisine, particularly Chongqing#Cuisine, Chongqing cuisine, it has become one of the most popular and synthesized ingredients in Chinese cuisine. Etymology The term ''málà'' is a combination of two Chinese characters: "numbing" (wikt:麻, 麻) and "spicy (piquant)" (wikt:辣, 辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce. The numbness is caused by its characteristic Szechuan pepper, which contains 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. History The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to night markets in Chongqing that targeted pier workers in the 19th to 20th century. Its strong flavors and oils helps preserve foods and mask the unpopular smells of blood an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stinky Tofu
Stinky tofu ( zh, c=臭豆腐, p=chòu dòufu) is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack, or in lunch bars as a side dish, rather than in restaurants. Traditionally the dish is fermented in a brine with vegetables and meat, sometimes for months. Modern factory-produced stinky tofu is marinated in brine for one or two days to add odor. Generally speaking, stinky tofu is mainly made of tofu. After fermentation of edible mold, tofu can produce a large number of B vitamins, a variety of minerals and trace elements. The flavor of stinky tofu is bitter. Production Unlike cheese, stinky tofu fermentation does not have a fixed formula for starter bacteria; wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacturing and preparation. The traditional method of producing stinky tofu is to prepare a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat; the brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edible Salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as rock salt or halite. Salt is essential for life in general (being the source of the essential Mineral (nutrient), dietary minerals Sodium#Biological role, sodium and Chlorine#Biological role, chlorine), and saltiness is one of the Basic tastes, basic human tastes. Salt is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous food seasonings, and is known to uniformly improve the taste perception of food. Salting (food), Salting, brining, and pickling are ancient and important methods of food preservation. Some of the earliest evidence of salt processing dates to around 6000 BC, when people living in the area of present-day Romania boiled spring (hydrology), spring water to extract salts; a Salt in Chinese History#Ancient China, Qin and Han dynasties, salt w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, breakfast cereals, Snack, snack foods, bagels, teas, hot chocolate and traditional foods. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents, including eugenol. Cinnamon is the name for several species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus ''Cinnamomum'' in the family Lauraceae. Only a few ''Cinnamomum'' species are grown commercially for spice. ''Cinnamomum verum'' (alternatively ''C. zeylanicum''), known as "Ceylon cinnamon" after its origins in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), is considered to be "true cinnamon", but most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from four other speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one meter tall, bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoot (botany), shoots. Ginger is in the family (taxonomy), family Zingiberaceae, which also includes turmeric (''Curcuma longa''), cardamom (''Elettaria cardamomum''), and galangal. Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples. It was transported with them throughout the Indo-Pacific during the Austronesian expansion ( Before Present, BP), reaching as far as Hawaii. Ginger is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia, arriving in Europe with the spice trade, and was used by ancient Gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fennel
Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks. It is a highly flavorful herb used in cooking and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio (, , ) is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base (sometimes called ''bulb fennel'') that is used as a vegetable. Description ''Foeniculum vulgare'' is a perennial herb. The stem is hollow, erect, and glaucous green, and it can grow up to tall. The leaves grow up to long; they are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform (threadlike), about wide. Its leaves are similar to those of dill, but thinner. The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels wid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Cardamom
''Amomum subulatum'', also known as black cardamom, hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, greater cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom, big cardamon, or brown cardamom, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae. Its seed pods have a strong, camphor-like flavour, with a smoky character derived from the method of drying. Characteristics The pods are used as a spice, in a similar manner to green cardamom pods but with a different flavour. Unlike green cardamom, this spice is rarely used in sweet dishes. Its smoky flavour and aroma derive from traditional methods of drying over open flames. Species At least two distinct species of black cardamom occur: ''Amomum subulatum'' (also known as Nepal cardamom) and '' Amomum tsao-ko''. The pods of ''A. subulatum,'' used primarily in the cuisines of India and certain regional cuisines of Pakistan, are the smaller of the two, while the larger pods of ''A. tsao-ko'' (Chinese: wiktionary:草果; pinyin: '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star Anise
''Illicium verum'' (star anise or badian, Chinese star anise, star anise seed, star aniseed and star of anise) is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to South China and northeast Vietnam. Its star-shaped pericarps harvested just before ripening are a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor. Its primary production country is China, followed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Star anise oil is highly fragrant, used in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams. Until 2012, when they switched to using genetically modified '' E. coli'', Roche Pharmaceuticals used up to 90% of the world's annual star anise crop to produce oseltamivir (Tamiflu) via shikimic acid. Etymology and nomenclature ''Illicium'' comes from the Latin meaning "entice" or "seduce".Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 210, 400 ''Verum'' means "true" or "genuine". The name "badian" appears to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, stretching from the Black Sea through the southern Caucasus, northeastern Iran, and the Hindu Kush; it also grows wild in parts of Mediterranean Europe. There are two subspecies and hundreds of varieties of garlic. Garlic has been used for thousands of years as a seasoning, culinary ingredient, traditional medical remedy; it was known in many ancient civilizations, including the Babylonians, Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese, and remains significant in many cuisines and folk treatments, especially across the Mediterranean and Asia. Garlic propagates in a variety of climates and conditions and is produced globally; China is by far the largest producer, accounting for over two thirds (73%) of the world's supply in 2021. Description Garli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or Aroma compound, fragrance in final good, consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries. Etymology The word ''clove'', first used in English in the 15th century, derives via Middle English , Anglo-French ''clowes de gilofre'' and Old French , from the Latin word ' "nail". The related English word ''gillyflower'', originally meaning "clove", derives via said Old French and Latin ', from the Greek "clove", literally "nut leaf". Description The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to tall, with large leaves and crimson flowers grouped in terminal clusters. The flower buds initially have a pale hue, gradually turn green, then transition to a bright red ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broad Bean Paste
Doubanjiang (, IPA: ), also known as douban, toban-djan, broad bean chili sauce, or fermented chili bean paste, is a hot and savory Chinese bean paste made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt and flour. Characteristically used in Sichuan cuisine, it has been called "the soul of Sichuan cuisine." Sichuan dishes such as mapo tofu, huoguo (Sichuan hotpot), yuxiang flavor, and shuizhu all use doubanjiang as a key ingredient. Other regions have their own versions: in Guangdong and Taiwan, for instance, the Sichuan doubanjiang is called ''la-doubanjiang'' (, "la" (辣) meaning "hot" or "spicy") to distinguish it from plainer versions. Main types Pixian doubanjiang The best-known variety of doubanjiang is arguably Pixian doubanjiang (), named for Pixian (now Pidu District, Chengdu city), Sichuan. Pixian doubanjiang is produced with a long fermentation period under sunlight (often longer than 3 years). The jingle for Pixian doubanjiang used the ancient fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chili Powder
Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili powder blend or chili seasoning mix). It is used as a spice (or spice blend) to add pungency (piquancy) and flavor to culinary dishes. In American English, the spelling is usually "chili"; in British English, "chilli" (with two "l"s) is used consistently. Chili powder is used in many different cuisines, including American (particularly Tex-Mex), Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Korean, Mexican, Portuguese, and Thai. Varieties Chili powder is sometimes known by the specific type of chili pepper used. Varieties of chili peppers used to make chili powder include Aleppo, ancho, cayenne, chipotle, chile de árbol, jalapeño, New Mexico, pasilla, and piri piri chili peppers. '' Gochugaru'' is a variety used in Korean cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
