Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [chinese-cuisine]

180 questions
39
votes
12 answers

How do restaurants make chicken fried rice? What ingredient am I missing?

Everytime I try to make chicken fried rice like I get at the take out place it never tastes like it does when they make it. We all know the basic ingredients Rice (1 day old), Chicken, Green Onions, Sprouts, Eggs, Soy Sauce, MSG (optional) I have a…
Sam
  • 391
  • 1
  • 3
  • 3
33
votes
9 answers

What's the secret for Chinese fried rice?

I see a lot of recipes for fried rice, but never seem to be able to give the gorgeous lightly browned color (and therefore flavor) to my rice. This is before adding soy sauce or anything else. Is this a question of heat, or quantity of oil? How do…
Eric
  • 333
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4
32
votes
9 answers

How do Chinese restaurants tenderize their meat?

I eat at a lot of Chinese restaurants now and also while growing up. I often wondered how is it that the chicken, pork, and beef in dishes are always so tender. I can never replicate it when I cook. What do the Chinese chefs use to tenderize their…
milesmeow
  • 4,244
  • 15
  • 40
  • 66
29
votes
3 answers

Why do Chinese grocers advise cutting and discarding flowers in Chinese vegetables?

Many times when buying Kai Lan: and Choi Sum Chinese shop staff heartily say Cut flowers. Don't eat them. Flowers have insects. Are they correct? How do the flowers harm you? Were they referring to pollinators that land on those flowers?
user91594
23
votes
10 answers

What kind of rice is used in Chinese cooking?

I love the Chinese food we get from takeaway shops, and often to save on the cost we will cook our own rice at home. This is good, but the rice never seems to have the same texture as takeaway rice - it's less sticky, and much harder to eat with…
Bluebelle
  • 2,529
  • 14
  • 34
  • 34
22
votes
8 answers

How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?

At some Chinese restaurants, I've had beef dishes where the meat was unusually tender. It also has a somewhat unusual texture, which is hard to describe. I understand that this is a result of using baking soda to tenderize the meat. How should one…
erichui
  • 777
  • 2
  • 8
  • 16
21
votes
5 answers

Why is cheese never used in Americanized Chinese food?

While working weekends in an Americanized Chinese food restaurant I realized while many ingredients are used, no dishes contain cheese. This seems to be the case for every chinese dish I have ever seen in America, where as almost any other type of…
John
  • 531
  • 4
  • 9
20
votes
2 answers

How does velveting work?

The Chinese technique of velveting works. It creates a lusciously tender bit of meat, and I'm a complete advocate of making the small additional effort. If you've ever done it, you're already a believer, it's amazing. (I usually do it this way…
Jolenealaska
  • 58,386
  • 30
  • 196
  • 321
17
votes
5 answers

How to make century eggs?

I have discovered century eggs while living in Thailand, and instantly fell in love with these treats. Unfortunately, I haven't lived in Thailand for a few years now, and I desperately miss century eggs. It's impossible to purchase them anywhere…
toriningen
  • 271
  • 2
  • 6
15
votes
4 answers

What is the real difference in lo mein, chow mein, mei fun, and chop suey?

Prompted by the question How to cook Lo Mein? and some of the answers regarding types of noodles, I started wondering what the real differences are in the 4 named dishes. I know what the differences are in American Chinese restaurants and I…
Cindy
  • 18,331
  • 12
  • 52
  • 92
14
votes
2 answers

Why do North American Chinese restaurants advertise "We use 100% Vegetable oil"?

I was reading my local Chinese take-out's menu that somehow ended up stuck to my fridge door and I noticed under their logo a marketing bullet-point advertising: We use 100% Vegetable Oil That sounded unusual to me - and it's unhelpfully vague…
Dai
  • 289
  • 2
  • 3
  • 7
13
votes
4 answers

Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds?

There are three very similar dishes I see on Chinese restaurant menus: Orange Chicken Sesame Chicken General Tso's Chicken I know Orange Chicken is at least a little bit different (it's typically spicier, I can see the orange rind pieces, I can…
briantist
  • 453
  • 2
  • 5
  • 13
13
votes
2 answers

What is wok hai and how do I get it in my food?

There is something special about food cooked in a wok called wok hai? What is it and how do I get my food to have it?
nohat
  • 1,060
  • 3
  • 12
  • 22
12
votes
4 answers

Reducing the moisture in cooked rice for making fried rice

I am aware that in order for fried rice in Asian dishes to have the typical consistency and texture, it is best to use rice that has been cooked and stored for at least 24 hours. However, it's often difficult for me to plan anything a day in advance…
user1997744
  • 233
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
12
votes
17 answers

How can I make Chinese Fried Rice like they do on the East Coast?

I've been living in California for about 14 years and really miss the Chinese fried rice I would get at Chinese restaurants on the East Coast (Boston in specific). The fried rice I get at Chinese restaurants in California is much lighter in color…
raji
  • 1,246
  • 3
  • 10
  • 16
1
2 3
…
11 12