HolisticGirl
Arnold
Lara MChinese cooking wines
September 5th 2008 01:30
Chinese cooking has involved the use of wines for many centuries. The most commonly used type of chinese cooking wine is called Shaoxing (also Shao Hsing), a grade of yellow liquor brewed directly from fermented grains such as rice, millet, or wheat and is not distilled.
To make Shaoxing cooking wine, this liquor is typically mixed with water and salt. Ranging from deep yellow to light brown in colour, Shaoxing wine is best suited to marinating meats such as pork, chicken and a variety of seafood like fish, shrimp and crab because the wine combines with the ingredients to enhance their natural flavours.
Shaoxing wine is also used in cooking to enhance the flavour and aroma of dishes. For example, the popular Cantonese vegetable dish, Chinese Broccoli in ginger sauce, uses the cooking wine to enhance the flavour of the vegetable by combining with the ginger sauce. Many of the popular Chinese seafood dishes ordered in restaurants such as Steamed Fish in Soy and Ginger also requires a dash of Shaoxing to bring out the natural flavours of the fish.
You'll find some Shaoxing cooking wine at all good Asian grocery stores.
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Comment by Chris Champion
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It is so easy to add tasty vegetables to meat or fish by cutting some (my favourites) beans, mushrooms, red capsicum and broccoli (or try broccolini - yum) into bite-size bits and stir-frying them with a bit of shaoxing and/or soy.
Great post - but you've made me hungry ...
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Lara M
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U almost need it for a large number of dishes. Gotta have it in the pantry
Comment by Arnold
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Agreed, Lara -- I'm always well stocked on Shaoxing wine