Welcome to my new series on China’s seasonal cuisine. For most of us, eating seasonally means getting the tastiest produce out of the garden. That’s a start. Think of that as the “Food network” level of understanding. But in China it means much, much more. China has a history of time and season that goesContinue reading “China’s seasonal cuisine: A tasty history of time”
Author Archives: Thomas DuBois
Qiufen 秋分 and the delights of porridge
Welcome to the fourth season of autumn (September 22-October 7) A twenty-four season calendar moves pretty quickly, especially if you are committed to writing on each approaching season. As of this morning, qiufen 秋分 is upon us. Qiufen is the midpoint of autumn. The moment that fall becomes undeniable and inescapable. The first tinge of regret for havingContinue reading “Qiufen 秋分 and the delights of porridge”
Bailu 白露 (White dew)
September 7-21 Welcome to China’s third season of Autumn. Meaning “White Dew,” Bailu started on September 7th, which makes me about a week late to the table. Here in Beijing, it’s finally starting to feel like fall. Over the past month, the muggy summer air started drying out, but the heat at midday could stillContinue reading “Bailu 白露 (White dew)”
Chushu 處暑 (Last Heat of Summer)
How to eat in China’s 14th season Aug 22- Sept 6 An old saying describes the season of Chushu in three phases: 一候鷹乃祭鳥 二候天地始肅 三候禾乃登 In the first, the eagles offer smaller birds as sacrifice In the second, Heaven and Earth become solemn In the third, the grains are mature It’s hard to know whereContinue reading “Chushu 處暑 (Last Heat of Summer)”
立秋 Li qiu (Beginning of Autumn)
How to eat in China’s 13th season Summer’s been brutal. Crazy heat, lots of travel, plus of course all of the activity surrounding the publication of China in Seven Banquets: A Flavourful History. But summer’s now officially over. At least it is in Beijing, where we just marked the season of li qiu 立秋, the Beginning of Autumn. MostContinue reading “立秋 Li qiu (Beginning of Autumn)”
Confucius Mansion Tofu 孔門豆腐–Qufu’s Culinary Heritage
A well-made dish of tofu is indeed an exquisite thing.
Baoding cuisine: Governor’s Tofu
It might look like any other dish of braised tofu, but Governor’s tofu is an unmistakable upgrade of the northern palate
Homemade Chinese Bean Paste
The first step of making 霉豆子 (moldy soybeans) is officially a success.
Pork-flavored coffee and the End of the World
I’ve been thinking a lot about pork in my coffee. To mark the Lunar New Year, Starbucks added a menu of seasonal tastes. Select outlets in China now serve coffee lattes flavored with red dates, black sesame, almond, and the eye-catching standout—Dongpo pork. At first glance, that last one seems horrific. Dongpo is a deliciouslyContinue reading “Pork-flavored coffee and the End of the World”
Guizhou: Rice paddy fish
China’s southern Guizhou isn’t so much out there as up there. It’s part of the Yun-Gui Plateau, the first of a series of steps that ascend higher and higher into the clouds until eventually you’re in the snowcaps of Tibet. It’s also where I spent a few weeks last summer. Invited by friends from aContinue reading “Guizhou: Rice paddy fish”
Thomas David DuBois 