What's a yummy chinese dessert with some history behind it?!
me and my friend have to make a chinese dessert, and we were wondering which was the best tasting one with a history behind it!. Thank for your help [:Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Chinese New Year:
Chinese New Year is a time for feasting, family reunions and fun! Each year, Asians throughout the world spend weeks preparing for the 15-day celebration, officially called the Spring Festival!. In 2008, Chinese New Year falls on February 7th!. It is year 4706, the year of the Rat according to the Chinese lunar calendar!.
Food plays a major role in Chinese New Year celebrations!. Families hand out oranges, prepare harmony trays filled with lychee nuts and other snacks to symbolize good fortune, and enjoy a meal with fish and other “lucky” foods on the night before Chinese New Year!.
Cakes have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations!.Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year!. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion!.
While traditional Nian Gao is steamed and does not contain butter, eggs or other ingredients normally found in a cake batter, this is a baked version that is good "if you don’t like standing over the stove worrying about the steamer boiling dry, if you don’t want to pan fry lots of pieces, or if you want to share with non-Asians who might be used to a more…cake-like cake!." The recipe comes from Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, who adds that the "sweet, cake-like Nian Gao has a slightly sticky texture or bite to it!."
Nian Gao Cake
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
16 oz!. Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), plus a bit extra for sprinkling on the baking dish
1 stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar--depending on if you like it sweeter
1 Tb baking soda
One can of red azuki beans
Preparation:
Mix everything but the beans with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes!. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed!.
Sprinkle Mochiko flour over a 9"x13" baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with Pam!.
Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the baking pan Spread the red azuki beans (you can mix some batter into the beans if they are too thick to spread)!.
Spread the other half of the batter over the red azuki beans!. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes!.
Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick (this is Chinese New Year’s Cake after all)—if it comes out clean, it is done!.
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Chinese New Year is a time for feasting, family reunions and fun! Each year, Asians throughout the world spend weeks preparing for the 15-day celebration, officially called the Spring Festival!. In 2008, Chinese New Year falls on February 7th!. It is year 4706, the year of the Rat according to the Chinese lunar calendar!.
Food plays a major role in Chinese New Year celebrations!. Families hand out oranges, prepare harmony trays filled with lychee nuts and other snacks to symbolize good fortune, and enjoy a meal with fish and other “lucky” foods on the night before Chinese New Year!.
Cakes have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations!.Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year!. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion!.
While traditional Nian Gao is steamed and does not contain butter, eggs or other ingredients normally found in a cake batter, this is a baked version that is good "if you don’t like standing over the stove worrying about the steamer boiling dry, if you don’t want to pan fry lots of pieces, or if you want to share with non-Asians who might be used to a more…cake-like cake!." The recipe comes from Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, who adds that the "sweet, cake-like Nian Gao has a slightly sticky texture or bite to it!."
Nian Gao Cake
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
16 oz!. Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), plus a bit extra for sprinkling on the baking dish
1 stick of butter or 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 to 1 3/4 cup sugar--depending on if you like it sweeter
1 Tb baking soda
One can of red azuki beans
Preparation:
Mix everything but the beans with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes!. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed!.
Sprinkle Mochiko flour over a 9"x13" baking dish that has been oiled or sprayed with Pam!.
Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the baking pan Spread the red azuki beans (you can mix some batter into the beans if they are too thick to spread)!.
Spread the other half of the batter over the red azuki beans!. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes!.
Test for doneness by inserting a chopstick (this is Chinese New Year’s Cake after all)—if it comes out clean, it is done!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com
Decadent Desserts
For North American diners, dessert typically represents the chef's triumphant finale, his last chance to perform before a captive audience!.
Chinese cuisine is a little different!. Mention the words Chinese food to most people and they tend to think of an assortment of stir-fried dishes, usually accompanied with rice and the ubiquitous cup of tea!. While frozen ice concoctions may have originated thousands of years ago in China's snow covered peaks, desserts do not feature prominently in Chinese cooking!.
There are several reasons for this!. First, while westerners traditionally end their evening meal with a fancy dessert, the Chinese prefer to eat fruit (a much healthier custom)!. Not that the Chinese don't ever crave sweets!. A frequent complaint from westerners is that the few sweet Chinese desserts that do exist are too sweet!. However, they normally prefer to indulge their sweet tooth between meals, especially when entertaining company or celebrating special occasions such as the Moon festival!.
Second, chilled desserts have never been overly popular in China, since until recently most homes lacked a refrigerator!. (Ovens are also rare in Chinese kitchens, which is why cake recipes often call for the cake to be steamed rather than baked)!. Finally, Chinese restaurants - even those in the west - tend to avoid offering fancy desserts!. This is understandable when you consider that many desserts have a lengthy preparation time and Chinese dinners normally consist of several fast-cooking, stir-fried dishes!.
Still, a few Chinese desserts have caught on in the west!. One is Peking Dust, a gooey concoction featuring fresh chestnuts and whipped cream!. According to one source, Peking dust is not truly indigenous to China, having been invented by western residents of Peking in the 1920's!. However, another source states that Peking Wall - a more elaborate version of the same dessert - was traditionally served to foreign ambassadors near the end of the Ching dynasty, which ended in 1911!.
Another popular dessert is Almond Tea!. In "Chinese Home Cooking", Helen Chen shares her mother's reminiscences of how Chinese vendors used to sell almond tea from door to door!. In those days it was made by hand grinding raw rice and almonds; fortunately, today you can use rice flour and almond paste!. Adding agar-agar or unflavored gelatin to Almond Tea gives you Almond Junket!.
Another well-known treat - normally reserved for special occasions - is eight precious pudding (it may also be called eight treasure pudding or eight precious rice)!. This rice pudding is filled with an assortment of colorful fruits such as maraschino cherries and dates, each representing a "treasure" - a precious stone such as ruby or jade!. One word of caution: some people find both this dessert and Almond Tea to be overly sweet!.
Of course, you can always follow Chinese tradition and conclude your evening meal with a piece of fruit!. Cooks with access to an Asian supermarket will have trouble choosing between an array of luscious tropical fruits - everything from mandarin oranges to mangos and lychees may be available!. Fruit can be served fresh, chilled, or marinated with a liqueur!. Many Chinese recipes feature steamed fruit covered with a honey syrup, and references to steaming pears with honey and wine dates back to ancient times!. Fritters, batter-covered fruits fried in oil and sprinkled with sugar, are also popular!.
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For North American diners, dessert typically represents the chef's triumphant finale, his last chance to perform before a captive audience!.
Chinese cuisine is a little different!. Mention the words Chinese food to most people and they tend to think of an assortment of stir-fried dishes, usually accompanied with rice and the ubiquitous cup of tea!. While frozen ice concoctions may have originated thousands of years ago in China's snow covered peaks, desserts do not feature prominently in Chinese cooking!.
There are several reasons for this!. First, while westerners traditionally end their evening meal with a fancy dessert, the Chinese prefer to eat fruit (a much healthier custom)!. Not that the Chinese don't ever crave sweets!. A frequent complaint from westerners is that the few sweet Chinese desserts that do exist are too sweet!. However, they normally prefer to indulge their sweet tooth between meals, especially when entertaining company or celebrating special occasions such as the Moon festival!.
Second, chilled desserts have never been overly popular in China, since until recently most homes lacked a refrigerator!. (Ovens are also rare in Chinese kitchens, which is why cake recipes often call for the cake to be steamed rather than baked)!. Finally, Chinese restaurants - even those in the west - tend to avoid offering fancy desserts!. This is understandable when you consider that many desserts have a lengthy preparation time and Chinese dinners normally consist of several fast-cooking, stir-fried dishes!.
Still, a few Chinese desserts have caught on in the west!. One is Peking Dust, a gooey concoction featuring fresh chestnuts and whipped cream!. According to one source, Peking dust is not truly indigenous to China, having been invented by western residents of Peking in the 1920's!. However, another source states that Peking Wall - a more elaborate version of the same dessert - was traditionally served to foreign ambassadors near the end of the Ching dynasty, which ended in 1911!.
Another popular dessert is Almond Tea!. In "Chinese Home Cooking", Helen Chen shares her mother's reminiscences of how Chinese vendors used to sell almond tea from door to door!. In those days it was made by hand grinding raw rice and almonds; fortunately, today you can use rice flour and almond paste!. Adding agar-agar or unflavored gelatin to Almond Tea gives you Almond Junket!.
Another well-known treat - normally reserved for special occasions - is eight precious pudding (it may also be called eight treasure pudding or eight precious rice)!. This rice pudding is filled with an assortment of colorful fruits such as maraschino cherries and dates, each representing a "treasure" - a precious stone such as ruby or jade!. One word of caution: some people find both this dessert and Almond Tea to be overly sweet!.
Of course, you can always follow Chinese tradition and conclude your evening meal with a piece of fruit!. Cooks with access to an Asian supermarket will have trouble choosing between an array of luscious tropical fruits - everything from mandarin oranges to mangos and lychees may be available!. Fruit can be served fresh, chilled, or marinated with a liqueur!. Many Chinese recipes feature steamed fruit covered with a honey syrup, and references to steaming pears with honey and wine dates back to ancient times!. Fritters, batter-covered fruits fried in oil and sprinkled with sugar, are also popular!.
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Fortune cookie is not an authentic chinese dessert!. In fact, ive never tried them before, i think they are available only in the US!?
Some desserts with a history are mooncake, which we eat during mooncake festival!. Its not an everyday sort of dessert and is usually available within the mooncake festival!. It contains lotus seeds paste and comes with or without egg yolks!. Personally, i prefer the snow-skin lotus paste mooncake without yolks!.
It was first made a long time ago, and notes were placed in the mooncake (like the fortune cookie idea) so that communication could take place without the enemies intercepting these notes!.
Another one is tangyuan which i love! By far, its the easiest to make too!. Its like a little rice ball with sesame or peanut filling inside which you eat along with peanut soup!.
im not really sure what u mean by history though, whether you're referring to desserts which have been around for some time or desserts which have their own story!.
if u're talking about desserts which have been around for some time, my fav ones are bird nest soup, peanut paste, xiao long bao!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Some desserts with a history are mooncake, which we eat during mooncake festival!. Its not an everyday sort of dessert and is usually available within the mooncake festival!. It contains lotus seeds paste and comes with or without egg yolks!. Personally, i prefer the snow-skin lotus paste mooncake without yolks!.
It was first made a long time ago, and notes were placed in the mooncake (like the fortune cookie idea) so that communication could take place without the enemies intercepting these notes!.
Another one is tangyuan which i love! By far, its the easiest to make too!. Its like a little rice ball with sesame or peanut filling inside which you eat along with peanut soup!.
im not really sure what u mean by history though, whether you're referring to desserts which have been around for some time or desserts which have their own story!.
if u're talking about desserts which have been around for some time, my fav ones are bird nest soup, peanut paste, xiao long bao!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
the jello thing and this white soft sticky thing thats shape like a roll or log i dont know the name only in chinese i get it at ny chinatown alot and egg tart not really dessert but more like sweetsWww@FoodAQ@Com
Fortune Cookies!.!.!.the most famous/popular Chinese dessert!. Terrible, bland cookies, stupid notes inside! Www@FoodAQ@Com
I agree with the girl above, it is so tasty! ^-^Www@FoodAQ@Com