At Home with Chinese Cuisine (17 page)

Walnuts

It was the first winter in Shanghai that I noticed street vendors near traditional markets selling new season nuts, cereals and grains. They offered a free service of machine-roasting the nuts and grinding them into powder. They seemed to be doing a roaring trade all the time. It was always crowded in front of the stall. From the open display, customers were being invited to have a sniff and sample some to confirm the quality before the purchase. The vendors showed me some plump walnut kernels with a thin and almost transparent skin. They tasted clean and were freshly oily. Watching the vendors unloading sacks of walnuts from their pick-up truck, I could not help but became envious of people who could have such an easy access to what I would regard as a luxury in the UK.

If you visit China and come across a pair of walnuts with the price tag of thousands of RMB, you are right in guessing that they are not sold for culinary purpose. They are collectors’ items. The price of walnuts for collection depends on how rare their patterns of crinkles are. The general appearance also matters. Old ones with unique patterns are valued as antique. They have an exclusive market of their own. People often play with a pair in the palm, twisting them around, for exercising the fingers and to stimulate the acupuncture holes. With the passage of time, they become smooth to handle and beautiful to look at as the colour of the shell turns dark amber. You might also come across walnut shell carving. The delicate carving is another collectors’ item that used to be reserved for royalty and the rich.

September is the month when new season walnuts in the green husk appear in traditional markets in Beijing. They can be eaten raw. And they are often used as a garnish for cold plates. Roasted walnuts in shell are a popular finger food especially during the New Year celebration. Some have the shell cracked open slightly for roasting so that people can enjoy them without a nutcracker.

According to archaeological finds near the Yellow River region, walnuts have been around in China for seven thousand years. These days, large areas of both wild and cultivated walnut tree forests can be found all over China. The Chinese have a high regard for walnuts as a source of food and an herbal medicine. They are rich in calcium, omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, minerals, and are a good source of protein, vitamins B1, B6 and E. In TCM, walnuts are used for the general maintenance of health and the treatment of ailments. They play a part in the medicinal intervention of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. And they are used in the treatment of bronchial asthma. They are also used for toning the kidneys, lungs, and large intestine. The therapeutic effects of toning the kidneys manifest themselves in promoting the development of the brain and the growth of teeth, bone and hair. We hence see walnuts as one of the main ingredients in treating premature grey hair, the soreness of knee and lower back pain. For those who wish to maintain supple young looking skin and soft smooth hair, two to three teaspoons of ground walnut and black sesame seeds with honey, twice a day, are said to do the trick. Combined with honey, walnuts are used in treating chronic cough. And they are consumed, preferably raw, for the treatment of constipation.

Walnuts are delicate. They go rancid quickly when exposed to oxygen and light. The most important criteria in selecting walnuts are to make sure they do not look oily on the surface as if we can actually squeeze some oil out of them by hand, and they do not smell rancid. Walnut kernels are easily available in supermarkets. But the best-before date or used-by date printed on the package does not guarantee their freshness. Have a sniff or bite into one before using them for cooking. Failing the two basic criteria of freshness, it is advisable to return the package to the seller.

Chilli
Pepper

Even though chilli pepper is closely associated with Chinese cooking, it is an import brought to the southeast coast of China from Mexico in the 17
th
century. When it first arrived, it was used as a household plant, and its fruit for medicinal purposes. The history of how it spread across China went like this: The chilli plant was first introduced to GuiZhu and YunNan provinces from ZheJiang Province during the late 17
th
century when Emperor KangXi of the Qing Dynasty was in power. In the same period of time, chilli plants from the Korean peninsula arrived in the northeast region of China and spread westward all the way to XingJiang Autonomous Region. It took approximately 50 years for the plants to reach Taiwan and FuJian Province in the southeast and crossed to the western region of HuNan and SiChuan provinces.

The map of chilli consumption in China roughly divides the country into four areas. Heavy consumption area includes SiChuan, HuNan, YunNan, and GuanXi provinces. Beijing, ShanDong Province, and areas westward to XinJiang Autonomous Region are in the milder consumption area. Shanghai, JianSu and ZheJiang provinces belong to the light consumption area. And GuangDong cuisine is described as indifferent to the temptation of chilli.

According to TCM, our body can be affected negatively by chill and dampness if we live in a mountainous area with yearlong fog and cold damp winters with little sunshine (such as in SiChuan Province). The intake of hot spices can expel chill and dampness from inside our body. It partly explains the dominance of chilli in the heavy consumption area.

Another explanation for the love of chilli is more universal. Capsaicin is the active compound of this spice. It is an irritant that causes pain and a burning sensation when coming into contact with our body. When it hits our tongue, the nerve endings of our tongue and our brain immediately send the message to the whole body to be on full alert. The pain causes the human body to release endorphins, that create a sensation of being “high”, and makes us feel relaxed and satisfied. It has also been suggested that some people are motivated to consume the chilli for the sensation of pain. They get the satisfaction out of taking measured risks knowing that it is actually not harmful.

Setting aside health implications, it has become popular among the Chinese, especially the younger generation, to consume mind-blowing hot dishes in all seasons. Some regard the experience as an endurance test. The observation has been made that there might be something in the spirit of chilli eating as many revolutionary heroes from the 20
th
century were from chilli loving regions of SiChuan and HuNan provinces, among them Chairman MaoZheDong, DenXiaoPing and HuYauBang.

In case you are being invited to try one of those killer chilli hot pots, please remember that capsaicin in chilli is fat-soluble. Drinking water does not put out the fire in the mouth. Full fat yogurt or milk might help.