Chinese Food | Hello Tea Cup

Moon Cakes & Tea Pairing Guide

teasenz — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 21:36:05 +0000

Previously, we’ve published a post introducing the different types of moon cakes. In this follow up post, we’ll offer a guide on pairing the best Chinese teas with individual moon cakes based on their fillings used. Note: mooncakes are considered the ultimate food to enjoy during the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival. Sweet Paste Only Mooncakes Moon cake with really sweet bean, lotus seed, or jujube paste, should be paired with strong black teas such as a Keemun black tea or Lapsang Souchong (Zhengshan Xiao Zhong). If sweet cakes are often too sweet for you, then go for a more grassy, floral or vegetal tea in order to balance out the sweetness. Great choices are for example a toasty, nutty green tea like Dragon Well, a floral fresh Silver Needle white tea, or a lightly oxidised oolong […]

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9 Types of Mooncakes: What’s Your Favourite?

teasenz — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 14:14:28 +0000

Mooncakes are a central dish to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. In a previous publication took a deep dive into historical records and legends about mooncakes. In this post, we’re looking into all the interesting types of cakes that exist! Note: soon we will post recipes so that you can make mooncakes yourself! Make sure to subscribe to our blog to receive updates! There’s not just one type of mooncake. Instead, mooncakes have evolved over time, integrating with the dietary customs of different regions in China. As aresult, new styles, flavors, and looks have continuously evolved. Let’s take a look at the characteristics and flavours of the most popular moon cakes below. Cantonese Style Moon Cakes Cantonese style mooncakes are characterized by thin skin and thick filling, with mainly lotus seed paste, coconut paste, […]

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The History of Moon Cakes & The Chang’e Story

Sonia — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:38:02 +0000

The Mid-Autumn festival dates back more than a 1000 years ago, when the Chinese still based their calendars on the position of the moon. What the Chinese discovered is that the moon was at its fullest and brightest during mid Autumn, hence the most suitable time to worship the moon. While traditions of worshipping the moon has almost disappeared in most parts of China, new customs have taken over. Today, having moon cakes among friends and family at the Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional custom among Chinese people. This tradition is comparable to eating Zongzi at the Dragon Boat Festival; and having sweet dumplings during the Lantern Festival. RECOMMENDED: Moon Cakes & Tea Pairings Guide There are lots of other interesting customs regarding the Mid-Autumn festival. We recommend you to read this article to learn […]

The post The History of Moon Cakes & The Chang’e Story first appeared on Hello Tea Cup.

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Origin & Traditions

Sonia — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:54:37 +0000

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 zhōng qiū jié) is one of most significant festivals in China. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night. The full moon is a symbol of reunion in Chinese culture. A typical scene of the Mid-Autumn Festival is that the family members get together enjoying the full moon while having moon cakes. Not only in China, this festival is also celebrated in other Asian countries such as Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history in China. Like other traditional festivals, it has gradually developed and evolved. The ancient emperors had this custom & ritual system of worshipping the Spring sun and the Autumn moon. As early as in the classic book Rites of Zhou from 2000 years ago, there […]

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Fried Tea Leaves? Yes, Here Are 2 Recipes

Sonia — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:20:47 +0000

Fried tea leaves? Oh yes, it exists! It is trendy to add tea into food these days, such as the dish tea-scented chicken we introduced recently. Both brewed and fresh tea leaves can be used to make fried tea leaves. There are basically two ways of making it. One is to fry them directly, the other is to coat them in flour/cornstarch, or dip them in the batter and then fry, just like the way to make tempura. The Taste of Fried Tea Leaves How about the taste of fried tea leaves? It is simply amazing! Depends on the way and the degree of frying, the taste can be different, but a magnified tea fragrance and crunchiness guaranteed. The enjoyment doesn’t end after you finish eating – there’s an interesting aftertaste – similar as what you get when you are drinking tea. Unlike other fried […]

The post Fried Tea Leaves? Yes, Here Are 2 Recipes first appeared on Hello Tea Cup.

Green Tea Chicken Recipe

Sonia — Sat, 12 May 2018 09:26:59 +0000

Tea-scented chicken (茶香鸡) is a traditional dish from Hangzhou cuisine. Tender chicken is cooked with assorted spices, yet the flavour is not too strong, but rather refreshing and well-balanced because of the unique ingredient: Hangzhou’s very own Dragon Well green tea (Longjing). It’s a dish that takes time, but surely you’ll have fun making it! What you need 10g dragon well green tea (longjing) 10g dried goji berries 3g dried orange peel 2g of ginger slices 3tbs of soy sauce 1tbs of dark soy sauce 1tbs of sugar 3tbs of rice wine a teaspoon of each of the following: fennel, clove, cinnamon bark, sichuan peppers. sliced turnip scallion garlic Don’t let it discourage you when you can’t find dragon well green tea. Try use another green tea that you can buy locally. Make sure not to […]

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Homemade Hawthorn Jam Recipe DIY

Sonia — Sun, 03 Dec 2017 20:35:02 +0000

Hawthorn berry is full of vitamin C, carotene and other antioxidants. These little red fruits can block and reduce the formation of free radicals, enhance our body’s immunity, help reducing blood pressure, and help indigestion. Although with all these health benefits, fresh hawthorn berry is just too sour to have. We have a great solution here –hawthorn jam! Follow our easy recipe, you will taste this sweet and sour, refreshingly delicious jam within half an hour. Ingredients Fresh hawthorn berries 1000 grams White sugar 400 grams Water 600 ml Steps Rinse the hawthorn and chop them into halves. Get rid of the stalks and cores. Put 600ml of water, 200 grams of sugar and the hawthorn berries into a pan and boil it until the hawthorn is soft. Transfer the content into a blender and […]

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8 Hunan Cuisine Dishes To Order When Travelling in China

Sonia — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 12:23:07 +0000

The Hunan cuisine (湖南菜/湘菜) is best known for its common use of chili peppers. Due to its spicy dishes, it’s often compared with the Sichuan cuisine. If you ask any Chinese what their impression of Hunan food is, they will most likely tell you one word: spicy. This kitchen is also often referred to as the “Xiang cuisine” and is supported by many spicy food lovers. Unlike the Sichuan province’ numbingly spicy (Ma La, 麻辣), Hunan dishes are described as “dry spicy” (Gan La, 干辣), meaning purely spicy. Apart from this trait, Hunan cuisine uses various cooking ingredients thanks to its high agriculture output. As the ingredients change with seasons, the menu changes too. Stir-fry, braise, stew, smoke and ferment are the usual cooking methods in Hunan food. Hunan cuisine has more to offer than […]

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8 Authentic Cantonese Food Dishes (With Video Recipes)

Sonia — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:34:03 +0000

Cantonese cuisine is one of China’s Eight Famous Cuisines and it’s also known as the ‘Guangdong cuisine’ (广东菜) or ‘Yue cuisine’ (粤菜). Cantonese food was the first Chinese food style that was introduced to the West, as the early days’ Chinese immigrants were from Guangdong province. Today, it remains one of the most popular Chinese cuisines in the world, though many Cantonese dishes have their ‘Westernised version’. The flavours of the original Cantonese food should be fresh, natural, mild and a little sweet. Here is a list of our favourite authentic Cantonese dishes with video recipes, make sure to give it a try! 1. Boiled Shrimps (Bai Zhuo Xia, 白灼虾) This is a common dish at my home table and it is loved by the whole family. The word “Bai Zhuo” in Chinese means to […]

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8 Delicious Szechuan Cuisine Dishes (With Food Video Recipes)

Sonia — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 09:47:59 +0000

As one of the Eight Famous Cuisines in China, Sichuan (or ‘Szechuan’) food has gained its popularity around the country for its unique style: pungent, spicy, full of exciting flavours. As a matter of fact, more and more gourmets outside of China are getting hooked on dishes from the Sichuan cuisine as well. This post is the very first article of our blog series on Chinese food. Subscribe to our blog if you want to stay up to date with follow up articles on the other Chinese cuisines. We have selected for you a list of 8 original and legendary Sichuan dishes that are definitely worth to try in a Szechuan restaurant. We’ve even included video recipes in case you want to give it a try in your own kitchen. 1. Twice Cooked Pork (Hui […]

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