Exploring the Infinite Flavors of Gastronomy

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1 Mixed Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

  • 100g mung bean sprouts
  • 10g chili oil
  • 100g glass noodles (vermicelli)
  • 10g sesame oil
  • 30g Chinese chives (garlic chives)
  • 10g shredded lean pork
  • 30g wood ear mushrooms
  • 30g spinach
  • 7g salt
  • 30g cucumber
  • 15g soy sauce
  • 50g vegetable oil
  • 1g MSG (optional)
  • 15g minced garlic
  • 15g vinegar

[Cooking Method]

  1. Wash and prepare mung bean sprouts, cucumber, Chinese chives, spinach, and wood ear mushrooms.
  2. Julienne the cucumber, cut the spinach and Chinese chives into 3.5cm pieces, and cut the glass noodles into 10cm segments.
  3. Blanch the mung bean sprouts, spinach, Chinese chives, and wood ear mushrooms separately in boiling water until partially cooked. Remove, cool in cold water, drain, and set aside.
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, stir-fry the shredded pork with a little soy sauce until cooked through, then remove from heat.
  5. Mix the cooked pork with cucumber, glass noodles, and vegetable strips. Add salt, MSG (if using), minced garlic, vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. Mix well and serve.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Ensure even thickness for all julienned vegetables and meat.
  2. Emphasize garlic and vinegar flavors when adding seasonings.

[Flavor Characteristics]
Visually appealing with a refreshing, tangy, and spicy taste.

2 Fresh Cucumber Fragrance

Ingredients:

  • 500g cucumber fragrance (a type of cucumber)
  • 1g MSG (optional)
  • 20g winter bamboo shoots
  • 10g chili oil
  • 20g shiitake mushrooms
  • 6g cooking wine
  • 20g oilseed rape (Chinese flowering cabbage)
  • 10g sesame oil
  • 5g salt

[Cooking Method]

  1. Use a desalination method to soak the cucumber fragrance in salted water for 3 hours. Rinse thoroughly with clean water 5 times, then drain well. Blanch briefly in boiling water, remove, and let cool.
  2. Slice the shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, and oilseed rape into thin slices. Blanch each briefly in boiling water and let them cool along with the cucumber fragrance.
  3. Drain the cooled cucumber fragrance, shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, and oilseed rape. Place them in a bowl, add salt, MSG, cooking wine, chili oil, and sesame oil. Mix well and arrange on a serving dish.

[Cooking Tips]
Ensure to remove as much salt as possible from the cucumber fragrance to avoid it being too salty and affecting the taste.

[Flavor Characteristics]
Crunchy and tender with a fresh and refreshing taste, perfect as an appetizer with drinks.

3 Drunken Fern Shoots

Ingredients:

  • 500g fern shoots
  • 100g Fenjiu (Chinese rice wine)
  • 5g salt
  • 10g sugar
  • 1g MSG (optional)

[Cooking Method]

  1. Cut the fern shoots into 3.5 cm long segments. Use a desalination method: soak the fern shoots in salt water for 3 hours, then rinse thoroughly with clean water 5 times. Drain well.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the fern shoots briefly, then remove and place them in cold water to cool.
  3. Drain the cooled fern shoots and remove excess water. Place them in a bowl, add salt, sugar, MSG, and Fenjiu. Mix well, cover tightly, and let it marinate for about 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Ensure to desalinate the fern shoots as much as possible to prevent them from being too salty.
  2. Before seasoning, make sure to drain excess water to enhance the flavor absorption.
  3. After adding Fenjiu, cover the dish tightly. Just before serving, arrange it on a plate to preserve the aroma of the wine.

[Flavor Characteristics]
Bright green in color with a rich aroma of rice wine, fresh and flavorful, perfect for accompanying alcoholic beverages.

4 Fern Shoots with Peanut and Sesame

Ingredients:

  • 500g fern shoots
  • 50g peanuts
  • 50g sesame seeds
  • 5g salt
  • 1g MSG (optional)

[Cooking Method]

  1. Desalinate the fern shoots: Soak them in salt water for 3 hours, then rinse thoroughly with clean water 5 times. Cut into 3.5 cm segments. Blanch briefly in boiling water, then remove and drain well. Place in cold water to cool.
  2. Roast the peanuts and sesame seeds separately until fragrant. Let them cool, then grind finely. Mix with a pinch of salt and MSG (if using) to make peanut sesame salt.
  3. Drain the fern shoots and mix with the prepared peanut sesame salt until well combined. Serve on a plate.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Ensure to thoroughly desalinate the fern shoots to prevent them from becoming too salty.
  2. Roast the peanuts and sesame seeds until fragrant and cool them completely before grinding, as this makes it easier to achieve a fine texture without clumping.

[Flavor Characteristics]
The fern shoots are tender and smooth with a rich flavor of peanuts and sesame seeds.

5 Braised Eight-Treasure Tofu

[Ingredients]

  • 500g tofu
  • 10g salt
  • 25g winter bamboo shoots
  • 15g Shaoxing wine
  • 25g soaked dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 5g MSG (optional)
  • 25g oilseed rape (Chinese flowering cabbage)
  • 10g spring onion (scallion)
  • 25g ham
  • 10g ginger
  • 50g cooked chicken meat
  • 10g Sichuan peppercorn water
  • 10g dried shrimp
  • 15g sugar
  • 25g soaked sea cucumber
  • 10g sesame oil
  • 15g soy sauce
  • 250g chicken or vegetable broth

[Cooking Method]

  1. Place the tofu in a dish and steam over high heat for 10 minutes until it forms a peak-like texture. Cool under running water, squeeze out excess water, and cut into domino-shaped pieces. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, remove stems, wash thoroughly, and slice diagonally. Slice the winter bamboo shoots, ham, cooked chicken meat, and sea cucumber into similar diagonal pieces. Cut the oilseed rape into segments, dice the spring onion, and mince the ginger.
  2. Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry the spring onion and ginger until fragrant, then add soy sauce and broth. Add the tofu, winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, ham, sea cucumber, chicken meat, dried shrimp, and bring to a boil. Season with MSG, salt, Sichuan peppercorn water, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and oilseed rape. Thicken with wet starch, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Use tender tofu for steaming. Steam over high heat to achieve a porous and crispy texture.
  2. Due to tofu’s absorption of flavors, the gravy should be slightly thickened.

[Flavor Characteristics]
“Braised Eight-Treasure Tofu” is a traditional specialty dish from Jilin Province, using tofu and a variety of fresh ingredients cooked through a braising technique. The finished dish resembles a sponge, with a reddish color, rich savory flavor, and a clear and thickened sauce.

6 Crispy Fried Eggplant

[Ingredients]

  • 500g eggplant
  • 10g Shaoxing wine
  • 50g lean pork
  • 10g salt
  • 600g soybean oil
  • 10g spring onion (scallion)
  • 15g sugar
  • 10g ginger
  • 30g soy sauce
  • 20g garlic
  • 2g MSG (optional)
  • 10g coriander (cilantro)
  • 15g rice vinegar
  • 50g chicken broth

[Cooking Method]

  1. Peel the eggplant and cut it into cross-hatch patterns. Finely chop the lean pork. Slice the spring onion, ginger, garlic into thin strips. Wash and cut the coriander into sections.
  2. Heat 600g of soybean oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, fry the eggplant until it turns brownish-red. Remove and drain excess oil using a colander.
  3. Leave some oil in the wok, heat it up and stir-fry the pork until fragrant. Add the sliced spring onion, ginger, chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and MSG. Arrange the eggplant neatly in the wok, bring to a boil over high heat, cover with a lid, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to thicken the sauce. When the sauce becomes thick and concentrated, add the sliced garlic, stir briefly, then transfer all ingredients to a serving plate. Garnish with coriander.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Control the oil temperature when frying the eggplant: too high temperature can burn the outside while leaving the inside raw, and too low temperature can make the eggplant soggy and prone to breaking.
  2. Use high heat to bring to a boil and low heat to simmer. Stir carefully to maintain the shape of the eggplant.

[Flavor Characteristics]
“Crispy Fried Eggplant” is a local specialty from Jilin Province. Tender purple-skinned eggplant is paired with pork and cooked using a braising technique. The finished dish has a reddish color, tender pork, soft eggplant, intact shape, and a sweet-salty flavor. It is often served at banquets and is a great dish to accompany alcoholic drinks.

7 Drunken Monkey Head Mushroom with Cucumber Fragrance

[Ingredients]

  • 300g soaked monkey head mushrooms
  • 10g sugar
  • 10g spring onion (scallion)
  • 250g minced chicken
  • 10g ginger
  • 50g cucumber fragrance (botanical name: Asiasarum sieboldii)
  • 10g salt
  • 25g shrimp paste
  • 3g MSG (optional)
  • 15g Shaoxing wine
  • 30g wet starch
  • 15g cooked chicken oil

[Cooking Method]

  1. Slice the monkey head mushrooms thinly, sprinkle with salt to season, then coat the root part with minced chicken. Blanch in boiling water until cooked through, remove and arrange in a bowl. Add chicken broth, salt, Shaoxing wine, MSG, steam until tender, then remove.
  2. Divide the minced chicken into two portions. Mix half with egg whites, salt, and MSG to create white chicken mince. Mix the other half with shrimp paste, salt, and MSG to create red chicken mince. Grease a fish plate, layer the white chicken mince on the bottom, spread the red chicken mince on top, flatten, then steam until cooked. Cut into colorful cloud shapes and garnish with blanched cucumber fragrance.
  3. Invert the steamed monkey head mushrooms onto a serving plate. Surround with the chicken mince “clouds”. In a saucepan, add chicken broth, salt, MSG, Shaoxing wine, bring to a boil, thicken with wet starch, drizzle with cooked chicken oil.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Blanch the monkey head mushroom slices quickly in boiling water to retain crispiness and tenderness.
  2. Use meticulous knife skills to create vivid “cloud” shapes.
  3. Steam the monkey head mushrooms for about half an hour until soft and fragrant with wine.

[Flavor Characteristics]

  1. Cucumber fragrance refers to the aromatic leaves of the perennial herb Asiasarum sieboldii. Its tender sprouts in spring emit a tempting cucumber-like aroma, hence the name. The root and rhizome are used in traditional medicine for their calming, antispasmodic, and antiepileptic properties.
  2. This dish is a renowned specialty from Heilongjiang Province, China, recognized for its use of monkey head mushrooms, minced chicken, and cucumber fragrance. Prepared through stewing, blanching, and steaming methods, it offers rich nutrition, a delicate smooth texture, intense wine aroma, and savory deliciousness. It has been awarded at the National Cooking Masters Skills Exhibition in China.

8 Braised Matsutake Mushroom

[Ingredients]
Matsutake mushrooms 150 grams
Ground pepper 3 grams
Dried shrimp 15 grams
Ginger 5 grams
Rendered pork fat 25 grams
Sesame oil 10 grams
Cornstarch (mixed with water) 30 grams
Cooked pork 50 grams
Monosodium glutamate 1 gram
Winter bamboo shoots 25 grams
Yellow-white cake 50 grams
Green onions 5 grams
Salt 5 grams
Soy sauce 15 grams
Rice vinegar 10 grams

[Cooking Method]

  1. Soak the Matsutake mushrooms in cold water to remove excess saltiness, then squeeze out the water and cut into approximately 1 cm cubes. Cut the winter bamboo shoots, rendered pork fat, and yellow-white cake into similar 1 cm cubes. Slice the green onions and ginger.
  2. Heat the rendered pork fat in a wok until hot, then add green onions, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour in fresh broth, add Matsutake mushrooms, dried shrimp, cooked pork, winter bamboo shoots, yellow-white cake, salt, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, thicken the sauce with cornstarch mixture, then add rice vinegar and ground pepper. Finish with sesame oil, transfer to a large bowl, and serve.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. When adding rice vinegar and ground pepper, avoid letting the broth boil vigorously to maintain freshness.
  2. Work quickly to ensure ingredients remain crisp and tender.
  3. The cornstarch mixture should create a semi-thick consistency.

[Flavor Characteristics]
Matsutake mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the white mushroom family Tricholoma matsutake. When young, their caps are spherical, later becoming hemispherical and then broadly convex. They are dry when mature, sticky when moist, ranging in color from pale cinnamon to light reddish-brown, with a darker center and fibrous scales. The margins are inward-curved, the flesh is white, turning pale brown with age, and the gills have a glossy edge. The stout stems are cylindrical, often enlarged at the base, with a powdery white ring above and a yellow-brown to dark cinnamon color below, matching the stem. They grow in autumn in red pine, Japanese red pine, and Scots pine forests, occasionally forming fairy rings. They are most abundant in pristine forests. Found in the Changbai Mountains and Yanbian area of Jilin Province. Harvested annually in autumn for fresh consumption or pickling. Nutritional content per 100 grams of fresh product includes 17 grams of crude protein, 5.8 grams of crude fat, 61.5 grams of soluble nitrogen compounds, 8.6 grams of dietary fiber, and 7.1 grams of minerals, as well as significant amounts of vitamins B1, B2, and C.

Medicinal Value: The fruiting bodies are used in traditional Chinese medicine for their hormone-like compounds, such as matsutake polysaccharides, which are believed to nourish the kidneys, enhance vitality, and improve hormonal balance during menopause and sexual dysfunction. They are also believed to inhibit cancer cell division, thus possessing anti-tumor properties.

Culinary Value: Matsutake mushrooms are a prized wild edible fungus in Jilin Province, prized for their delicate texture and exquisite flavor, enhanced by the presence of matsutake acid and matsupinone, imparting a mild, distinctive aroma. Best enjoyed fresh, they leave a lingering fragrance after consumption. During the Ming Dynasty in China, matsutake were considered a delicacy, valued so highly that one liter of rice could be exchanged for two matsutake mushrooms. Japan also highly regards matsutake, considering them a treasured offering to the emperor. In Chinese folklore, they are praised as “sea in roe, good matsutake on land.” Matsutake mushrooms are versatile in cooking methods such as braising, pan-frying, stewing, steaming, and stir-frying, resulting in dishes like “colorful braised matsutake mushrooms,” “clear broth matsutake mushrooms,” and “white braised matsutake mushrooms.”

  1. “Braised Matsutake Mushrooms” is a traditional dish from Heilongjiang Province, prepared using matsutake mushrooms and braising techniques. The finished dish is colorful, exceptionally delicious, fragrant without being greasy, pleasantly sour and spicy, leaving a memorable aftertaste, and particularly invigorating.

9 Ice City Delicacy Mushroom Clay Pot

[Ingredients]
Hazelnut mushrooms, chicken leg mushrooms, frozen tofu 200 grams
White mushrooms, yellow flower salt 10 grams
Various vegetables 50 grams
Ground Sichuan pepper 5 grams
Ginger 10 grams
Monosodium glutamate 5 grams
Chicken broth 1000 grams
Green onions 10 grams
Spinach, ham 25 grams each
Rendered pork fat 50 grams

[Cooking Method]

  1. Boil the frozen tofu in boiling water until cooked through, squeeze out excess water, and cut into diamond-shaped pieces. Soak and clean various mushrooms in warm water, adjust cutting size based on the original size of the ingredients, cut larger mushrooms into halves and use smaller ones whole. Slice the ham and cut the spinach into sections.
  2. Heat the rendered pork fat in a clay pot, stir-fry with green onions, pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, add all main ingredients (except spinach), cook until done. Season with salt, monosodium glutamate, and ground Sichuan pepper. Transfer to the clay pot, cover, bring to a boil again, skim off any foam, then add the spinach.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Remove the root skin from mushrooms, soak in warm water to rehydrate, remove and squeeze out excess water. Rub with a little salt to remove any sand particles, rinse twice with clean water.
  2. Use chicken broth to ensure a savory taste suitable for high-class banquets.

[Flavor Characteristics]
“Ice City Delicacy Mushroom Clay Pot” is a seasonal delicacy in Harbin during winter. It uses specialty mushrooms such as hazelnut mushrooms, chicken leg mushrooms, and white mushrooms from Heilongjiang Province, combined with various vegetables, cooked using clay pot stewing techniques. The dish features a delicious and refreshing broth, light and not greasy, suitable for both soup and main course, often served at high-class banquets, showcasing its vegetarian appeal.

10 Oil-Bursting Fragrant Osmunda

[Ingredients]
Salted fragrant osmunda 150 grams
Pork tenderloin 150 grams
Egg white 1
Rendered pork fat 500 grams
Cornstarch (mixed with water) 30 grams
Carrot 30 grams
Salt 8 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) 3 grams
Rice vinegar 10 grams
Green onions 5 grams
Ginger 5 grams
Sugar 10 grams

[Cooking Method]

  1. Soak the fragrant osmunda in water to desalinate, remove the stems leaving only the heads, blanch briefly in boiling water, then cool and plate. Wash the carrot, cut into round slices, blanch in boiling water until tender, then cool. Slice the green onions and ginger into small pieces.
  2. Cut the pork tenderloin into 1 cm cubes, place in a bowl, add cornstarch, egg white, and salt, mix well.
  3. Heat the rendered pork fat in a wok until it reaches 40% heat, add the pork tenderloin cubes and stir until they are cooked through. Add the fragrant osmunda and carrot cubes, stir briefly, then pour into a colander to drain excess oil.
  4. In a small bowl, add a little fresh broth, monosodium glutamate, rice vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch mixture to make the sauce. Heat oil in the wok, stir-fry the green onions and ginger, then add the pork tenderloin cubes, fragrant osmunda, and carrot cubes. Pour in the prepared sauce, stir-fry briefly, then transfer to a serving plate.

[Cooking Tips]

  1. Ensure uniform cutting for an attractive presentation.
  2. Heat the oil quickly and work swiftly.

[Flavor Characteristics]
“Oil-Bursting Fragrant Osmunda” is a common wild vegetable dish in Heilongjiang Province. It features fragrant osmunda, not actual cucumbers; these are the tender shoots of the cinnamon fern, which emit a cucumber-like fragrance, hence the name. Fragrant osmunda is paired with pork tenderloin and cooked using the oil-bursting technique. The tenderloin cubes are tender and flavorful, while the fragrant osmunda remains crisp and delicious with a fresh and salty taste.