Here it is. The version of Cantonese chilli oil that uses more dried chilli (80%) and lesser chilli padi. Being a dim sum lover myself, I personally favour this version more than the previous one, especially because of the dried fragrant chilli flakes. For those who enjoy the sweetness and freshness of sambal chilli, do try out Cantonese Chilli Oil Version One.
Red bean paste – yet another leftover from making the Chinese rice dumplings. Since the Mooncake Festival is still a couple of months away, I figured the best way to use up this ingredient is to stuff them into piping hot Chinese buns and serve them as a treat for breakfasts in the mornings.
The summer heat is just a convenient excuse to explain why I decided to concoct this drink. The truth is that I bought water chestnuts instead of chestnuts to make the rice dumplings in my previous recipe… So now I know – chestnuts, which are real nuts, grow from branches which belong to the beech and oak genus; water chestnuts, on the other hand, are aquatic vegetables that grow beneath the ground.
No regrets though, because it’s one of the most cooling and refreshing drinks to gulp down after a busy work day.
Eating rice dumpling during the Rice Dumpling Festival a.k.a. Duan Wu Jie（端午节) a.k.a. Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese tradition that has been going on since time immemorial. The festival takes place every year on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese calendar, which is also when the sun is the strongest during the summer solstice. The racing of dragon boats on this occasion is therefore symbolic since dragons, like the sun, represent masculine energy. The eating of rice dumpling, on the other hand, is based on the legend of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet during the Chu Dynasty who committed suicide on the 5th day of the 5th month after he was wrongly banished from the state for the crime of treason. In order to protect the body of Qu Yuan, the local people started throwing rice dumplings into the Miluo River where he perished in order to feed the fish. Such interesting stories make for a perfect excuse to give this traditional dish a whip and a try, especially since it is a dish embraced by the Chinese population in all parts of the world.
The last time I ate a smacking good meal of grilled vegetables was back in February, at the Heroes Premium Burgers in Frankfurt, Germany. Everyone ordered the famously huge burgers except for myself; I chose a plate of grilled vegetables (gegrilltes Gemüse) at just 3.90€ to go with my bottle of Steini Beer. Till today, the mild sweetness and oven-grilled fragrance is still lingering in my mind.
