Flavors of the season(2)

Dazhu Gansi

You may be wondering what the hell gansi is. Think of doufu si, or shredded tofu, but finer and softer. One fascinating aspect of Huaiyang Cuisine is that the names of many dishes do not necessarily give insight into their ingredients. The most interesting example is Shizitou, or Lion's Head. There is nothing lion-ish about the dish, which is in fact a large meatball. Dazhu Gansi, or boiled tofu strips, is a common part of Huaiyang tables.

When shopping for the main ingredient, dried tofu, you will find two kinds in the market that are almost the same in shape but different in color. Chagan is dark, and the type you need for this recipe, xianggan, (fragrant dried tofu), is white.

Ingredients:

-200 grams xianggan

-20 grams shelled raw shrimp

-15 grams Jinhua ham

-25 grams winter bamboo shoots

-5 grams shrimp eggs

-50 grams cooked chicken breast, cut into thin strips

-10 grams pea sprouts

-300 milliliters chicken stock

-10 grams salt.

Steps:

1. Cut the tofu into julienne strips. If you prefer, you can buy pre-shredded tofu at the market. Using a sieve, immerse tofu in a pot of boiling water for one minute. Remove, drain, then submerge another minute. Drain.

2. Heat a wok and add oil. Stir-fry shrimp until fully cooked. Set aside.

3. Pour chicken broth into a pot. Place tofu shreds on one side, and chicken, ham, shrimp eggs and bamboo shoots on the other side. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until soup is thick. Sprinkle evenly with salt and cover. Simmer 5 more minutes.

4. Place tofu in the bottom of a serving bowl and pile with items on the other side of the pot. Top with shrimp and pea sprouts and pour broth into bowl. Serve immediately.

Dining out

While Huaiyang Cuisine is known for focusing more on presentation than taste, the flavors that come out of its recipes are still absolutely divine. For those who wish to partake without dirtying their own kitchen, it might be preferable to find a restaurant that serves Huaiyang Cuisine.

In the home of this cooking style, Yangzhou offers numerous choices from the well-known Fuchun Restaurant to low-budget options like Huayuanchalou, Laosubei Restaurant and Yiyuan Restaurant. In Beijing, Jiangsu locals have opened many joints like Yanchunlou, Huaiyangfu, Tongchunyuan and Wudirenjia. Shanghai offers even more options like Suzhezonghui, New World Restaurant, Yangzhou Restaurant and Nanling Restaurant.