I grew up as a girl who spent her childhood wandering through wet markets. In my day job, I’m an office worker tied to a cubicle, but when the Lunar New Year rolls around, I step in as the “second-in-command” at a market grocer’s stall.What sort of place is a…
Friends were divided on whether Guan Qi was an introvert or an extrovert. Several people had asked him directly, only to receive a different answer each time. After he passed away, as we gathered together, we realised this was a truth that could never be pinned down. Whenever I recall…
Foodthink Says As the Qingming Festival approaches, whether for travel or tomb-sweeping, many will head to the countryside for a few meals of “farmhouse food”. This year’s Spring Festival was no different for the author of this piece. This account of dining during a return to the village for the…
Having left the small village where every household practised fermentation for so long, and drifted too long in the uncertainties of city life, I had lost a measure of my own vitality. This is something I have only recently come to realise. For years, fermentation was nothing more than a…
Each year, 315 sees a concentrated public focus on food safety. Yet, the impact of “digital pickled mustard greens” – this form of virtual sustenance – on dietary wellbeing has yet to command adequate attention. Short videos, television dramas, variety shows, podcasts… content collectively dubbed “digital pickled mustard greens” has…
Last April, we moved our Hangzhou studio to the ground floor of an older residential compound with a certain sense of history, gaining a small courtyard in the process. A narrow band of soil runs around the yard; positioned at the front and facing south, it gets excellent sunlight. Though…
On the final day of the holidays, treat yourself to one more light and refreshing dish. The Herigeobi herders’ gently simmered free-range mutton is simple to prepare, yet anyone who has tasted mutton from their year-round migratory flocks invariably praises it and cannot put down their chopsticks. Across the grasslands…
Had your fill of rich meats and fish over the Spring Festival? If you’re stumped on what to cook for your next meal, give Yi Yi Farm’s versatile red sour soup a go. Whether you’re poaching fish, simmering beef, tossing noodles, stir-frying vegetables, or even whisking up a cold salad,…
After a few days of heavy meats and rich feasting, why not switch things up and try some crisp, refreshing radishes? At the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market, radishes from different growers each carry their own distinct character. Different soils, different methods, different flavours—but they all share one thing: they taste…
What can you do with a simple block of tofu? Xiucai Doufang is stepping in to share their recipe for soybean-paste braised tofu. Ingredients: One block of Xiucai Doufang tofu Yellow soybean paste, chilli paste (optional), light soy sauce, salt, chopped spring onions Method: 1. Cube the tofu, blanch it,…