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Published: November 16th 2006
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Winter is approaching in Beijing and with it comes the cold, artic air and blustery snowfalls that the city is known for. Although there's nothing that can be done about the temperature outside, Beijingers like to create a warm and inviting atmosphere at home, and one of the best ways to beat the freeze is to have a big pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove. An old saying in China goes like this: it is better to have dinner without dishes than without soup. Soup plays an indispensable role in people's lives in China and the country boasts a large variety of tasty soups.
Different soups can be classified into two major categories: thin soups and thick soups. Thin soups are made with a clear broth, and prepared quickly, with meat and / or vegetables added near the final stages of cooking. Just as in the case of dashi, a Japanese clear broth, it is important never to overcook the broth for Chinese thin soups. On the other hand, you don't want to overcook the vegetables either: the idea is to cook them just enough so that they will still preserve their distinctive flavor.
By
contrast, the ingredients for thick soups are all added together all at once. The soup is cooked more slowly, giving the ingredients time to blend together. Corn starch or tapioca starch is often added near the end of the cooking process as a thickener.
"Hot and Sour Soup" is an example of a thick soup. A number of ingredients, such as shredded pork and dried Chinese mushrooms, are simmered together to form a thick broth, perfect for those cold winter nights. Another example of thick soup is "Shark's Fin Soup". Recipes for this famous banquet dish call for it to be made with a thick stock. Meanwhile, "Chicken and Spinach Soup" is an excellent example of a thin soup. The vegetable (in this case, spinach) is first blanched, reducing the amount of time it will need to be cooked in the soup. Similarly, the chicken is also blanched ahead of time to get rid of its taste of iron.
The secret of a good Chinese soup lies in the stock, which is basically a liquid broth in which meat, bones, and sometimes vegetables have been simmered over a long period of time; these ingredients come to impart
their flavor to the broth and account for its distinctive taste. Chicken is the meat of choice for preparing Chinese stock, although pork and ham are also used, particularly in addition to chicken. The Chinese place such high importance on their stock, that two distinct categories have been created: a primary or first class chicken stock is made by simmering a whole chicken, while a second class stock uses only the bones. There is also gourmet stock, a truly superior broth made with chicken, pork ribs, and other pork bones, ham, and sometimes duck. This stock is commonly used to create banquet dishes such as "Shark's Fin Soup."
Chinese stock differs from Western-style stock, such as French stock (known as fonds de cuisine), in the lack of spices. While a recipe for French chicken stock might call for a pinch of thyme or a few garlic cloves, the Chinese believe spicing masks the natural flavor of the raw materials like chicken, pork, and mushrooms. Seasonings are added later, depending on what the individual recipe calls for.
When do you serve thick soup and when is the best time for thin?
There are no set rules for
the serving of either soup variety but the following guidelines can assist in deciding which is appropriate for which occasion:
1. Serve a thin soup as a beverage replacement
Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese don't normally drink tea during a meal. Tea is enjoyed afterward in a relaxing atmosphere at the meal's conclusion as, besides encouraging conversation, tea helps promote digestion. Water or soft drinks aren't often served either, as the Chinese believe it is unhealthy to serve cold drinks with a meal. Therefore, a thin soup usually makes an appetizing substitute to help wash meals down.
2. Serve a thick soup for lunch or dinner
Thick soups make great one-dish meals, particularly for lunch. Many are quite filling, nearly crossing the line from soup to stew. Thick soups may be served at dinner; as noted above, "Shark's Fin Soup" is a popular banquet dish and "Hot and Sour Soup" goes well with "Mu Shu Pork." However, normally one wouldn't serve a thick soup at a meal that has several other dishes.
3. During a banquet, serve a thin soup between courses.
Similar to a sorbet, thin soups can cleanse the palate and
prepare it for the next course. Therefore, a light thin soup between courses is a great choice to bring diners from one stage of the meal to the next.
Recommended Restaurants for Thick and Thin Soups in Beijing
Shenji Soup Restaurant This restaurant serves a large selection of soups and, interestingly enough, soups here are all classified into "female" soups and "male" soups and orientated towards the gender of the customer according to their medicinal effects.
Recommended soup: clay pot duck soup
Address: 1 Xindong Road, Chaoyang, Beijing
Bao Bao Hao Restaurant The Bao Bao Hao mainly serves Cantonese style soups and stews. Soups at this restaurant are thick and warm and provided at inexpensive prices compelling many locals flock to the venue during the cold winter season. The dinning environment, however, leaves something to be desired.
Address: A12, Chaoyangmen Avenue (N), Chaoyang, Beijing
Ding Tai Feng Restaurant The Ding Tai Feng Restaurant is a famous Taiwanese restaurant that mainly serves Taiwanese snacks. Dumplings at the restaurant come highly recommended, although they are a little bit on the expensive side. Other dishes like sweet and sour ribs and stir-fried rice with shrimp are also very delicious.
Recommended soups: chicken soup, sour and sweet soup and beef soup.
Address: 22 Hujiayuan, Chaoyang, Beijing
Ge Ge Fu Restaurant This restaurant serves imperial court dishes and is located at the former residence of a princess of the Qing dynasty. Waitresses at the restaurant are all in princess' attire and provide professional service with great patience. At the Ge Ge Fu, dinners can enjoy imperial delicacies while viewing the imperial dancing show and they may even be invited to take part in a guessing game. Diners who get the right answers win special prizes prepared by the restaurant.
Recommended soups: clay pot duck soup, chicken soup with angelica
Address: 9 Daqudeng Hutong, Dongcheng, Beijing
Fuku Restaurant The Fuku Restaurant is great restaurant that boasts an elegant dinning environment. Diners can enjoy the great view of the Back Lake area through the window and various delicious dishes are available at reasonable prices.
Recommended soup: crucian carp soup
Price: about RMB 60/ person
Address: No. A4, Binhai Hutong, Denei Avenue, Xicheng, Beijing
Hua Jia Yi Yuan Restaurant, Dongzhimen This restaurant is located in a typical Beijing-style courtyard. The Hua Jia Yi Yuan specializes in many different soups including shark
fins and bird's nest soups, as well as leek dumplings and spicy lobsterling soups. The dinning environment is attractive and compels many return visits from Beijing's expat community. The "Dried Plum Soup" (Chinese people like to call it a "soup" but actually it is a kind of dried plum drink) comes highly recommended.
Recommended soup: fish fillet in spicy and hot soup
Price: about RMB 70/ person
Address: 235 Dongzhimennei Avenue, Dongcheng, Beijing
Wu Ming Ju Restaurant, Zhongguancun The Wu Ming Ju provides genuine Jiang-Zhe cuisine, famous for its delicate, light-flavored dishes. The interiors of the restaurant are luxurious and the service is professional.
The recommended soups are the "Meat Balls in Thin Soup", the Snakeheaded Fish and Egg Soup", and the "Duck Clay Pot."
Price: about RMB 150/ person
Address: 1-2F Ideal Building, 111 Zhichun Road, Haidian, Beijing
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