Chapter 20

Ten Martin-Tested Resources for Chinese Cuisine and Culture

In This Chapter

bullet Finding great Web sites

bullet Browsing at a market

bullet Identifying other sources for Chinese cooking supplies

S ure, this book is a comprehensive guide to Chinese cuisine. But there are still more recipes, ingredients, stories, and surprises about this fascinating cuisine and culture that I haven’t covered. Get answers to all your questions and satisfy your curiosity at the same time with the resources in this chapter. They include brick-and-mortar companies, virtual communities, magazines, and everything in between. I’ve had positive experiences with all of them, so I’m eager to let you know about them as well. Whether you’re strolling the supermarket aisles or surfing the Web in search of more juicy details about Chinese food and culture, this list is your ticket to enlightenment.

AsianConnections.com

For everything you’ve always wanted to know about Asia, head to www.asianconnections.com. Once you make your way through the interviews with Asian celebrities, Asian business news, community and cultural updates, travel information, and even the singles section, you may still have time to hop over to the food page for recipes (many courtesy of yours truly) and restaurant reviews aplenty.

Flavor & Fortune Magazine

In a world full of food-related newsletters, magazines, and webzines, you may wonder which ones to keep and which subscriptions to let slide. Flavor & Fortune magazine (one of the old-fashioned kinds; it comes by snail mail) definitely falls into the former category. This graceful quarterly is the first devoted entirely to Chinese cuisine and to “everything that advances the science and art of a cuisine consumed by more people worldwide than any other,” as it says. I look forward to each issue’s recipes, restaurant and cookbook reviews, trend reports, and articles on equipment, ingredients, health, and nutrition — all relating to the food of my home. It’s put out by the Institute for the Advancement of the Science and Art of Chinese Cuisine, a group that’s at the top of its game in reporting accurate and informative information. Pick up a subscription for yourself. Check Flavor & Fortune’s Web site, www.flavorandfortune.com, or contact the subscription department at Flavor & Fortune, Subscription Division, P.O. Box 91, Kings Park, NY, 11754. You can also fax inquires to 631-265-9126 or e-mail them to flavorandfortune@hotmail.com.

JFC International Inc.

I couldn’t possibly give a full accounting of JFC International’s Asian food products, because JFC has more than 8,500! Although I pity whoever has to keep track of all that inventory, I’m sure glad it’s as extensive as it is. In addition to all the Japanese products it markets under the JFC, Hapi, and Hime names (you could open your own hibachi restaurant and sushi bar with what it offers), its Wel-Pac brand chow mein is excellent. Its Dynasty brand encompasses everything from oils, sauces, and canned goods to teas, dumpling wrappers, seasoning mixes, and even cookbooks. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, it really does earn its international name — you can find JFC products literally all over the world. Even that classic Californian creation, the fortune cookie, has made it back to China, thanks to JFC. Find out more at www.jfc.com.

Kikkoman, Inc.

When you’ve been making soy sauce for more than 300 years, you get pretty good at it. That’s the case with Kikkoman, possibly the world’s most popular soy sauce, and for good reason. Personally, I can always count on Kikkoman for high-quality soy sauce, brewed using natural, time-honored fermentation techniques. I won’t settle for anything less in my recipes or on my table, where a bottle of the stuff is more common than salt and pepper. And although its name is synonymous with soy sauce, it also makes a variety of Japanese seasonings, including teriyaki sauce (soy sauce flavored with wine, sugar, and spices), mirin (sweetened Japanese rice wine for cooking), and ponzu (a Japanese-style salad dressing made from lemon juice, vinegar, and soy sauce). Its Web site (www.kikkoman.co.jp/world/home/index.htm) lists these and other products, recipes, soy sauce facts, and the company’s history. There’s even an “Edutainment Park” with activities for kids. Who knew soy sauce could be so exciting!

Lee Kum Kee

In 1888, Mr. Lee Kum Sheung started making oyster-flavored sauce on the southern coast of China. Over 100 years later, Lee Kum Kee, the company he founded, still produces a premium oyster-flavored sauce that’s a permanent fixture in my kitchen. And that’s not all the company does. It makes excellent standard cooking and dipping sauces — soy, hoisin, chile garlic, and black bean garlic, for starters — and sells convenient minced fresh ginger and garlic, a fine selection of oils, a brand-new line of one-step recipe sauce packets, and even canned abalone. Be sure to check out XO sauce, a gourmet condiment made from dried scallops and shrimp, ham, red chili pepper, and spices that’s known as the “Caviar of the Orient.” This spicy luxury is better than caviar, and less expensive. But don’t take my word for it. Take theirs: Lee Kum Kee’s Web site (www.lkk.com) gives a full listing of the company’s product range. And because Mr. Lee Kum Sheung’s family business now distributes to more than 60 countries on 6 continents, you can find his legendary oyster sauce in your own supermarket.

Melissa’s

No matter where I am, I know that fresh, quality produce is only a click or a call away, thanks to Melissa’s/World Variety Produce. Whether you’re looking for winter melon or water chestnuts, these folks can give it to you. Not only do they lead the pack when it comes to Asian vegetables, but they’re a top-rate source for fresh, exotic, and organic fruits and vegetables, as well as for specialty foods and authentic ingredients from around the world. Melissa’s even has a tasty selection of Asian seasonings and sauces. You’ve probably sampled some of Melissa’s products yourself — you can easily find them at supermarkets and specialty stores throughout the United States. You can find out more at www.melissas.com or by calling 800-588-0151.

99 Ranch Markets

When is a grocery store not just a grocery store? When it’s a 99 Ranch Market. These independently operated Asian groceries sprinkled throughout California, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Hawaii put the super in supermarket. (You can also find these stores in Indonesia, in case you need to run to the market on your next trip to Jakarta.) They carry everything you’d find in a normal grocery, from toothpaste to toilet paper, but they also have one of the widest selections of Asian sauces, snack foods, noodles, grains, teas, wines, breakfast cereals, housewares . . . I could go on. Their fresh meat and seafood counters always give my imagination plenty of dinner ideas to play with, and the produce section is the next best thing to an open-air Chinese market. Some of the stores even have full-service bakeries, Chinese delis, and take-out counters that give the genre a much-needed boost. Find out whether there’s a 99 Ranch near you at www.99ranch.com.

Oriental Pantry

Oriental Pantry (www.orientalpantry.com) has an extensive online catalog of products ranging from housewares and groceries to books and gifts. Its selection of teas, fresh and dried seasonings, sauces, and even a variety of preserved meat and seafood products, such as Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and and fish flakes, would make even a well-stocked Chinatown grocery blush. And I’ve only scratched the surface of what you can find on this easily navigable site. When it’s time to stock your kitchen with more Chinese cooking equipment, Oriental Pantry provides a one-stop spot for finding it. Once you’ve gathered your ingredients and cooking equipment, check out the site’s recipes for ways to use your new purchases. If you’re so inclined, you can contact them via phone at 978-264-4576; it’s located in Acton, Massachusetts, so call between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Saturday.

Roxy Trading Inc.

Whenever I get a craving for uniquely Chinese treats such as the ginger candy, sesame brittle, or preserved mango jellies that I enjoyed when I was young, Roxy Trading Inc. pulls through. But beyond these decadent little snacks that always make me wax nostalgiac for my days in Hong Kong, Roxy supplies a fine assortment of Asian sauces and seasonings, beverages and beverage mixes, and all the canned goods you could want. Straw mushroomes, lychees, an assortment of bamboo shoots, and plenty more only begin the list of products available. For more information, contact Roxy at 909-622-6888 or roxytrading@earthlink.net.

YanCanCook.com

Okay, I know this may seem like a shameless plug, but I have to point you toward www.yancancook.com. It’s my first venture onto the World Wide Wok! I’ve loaded the site with Chinese recipes, as well as delicious dishes from other Asian outposts. You can find my favorite holiday meals there, too. I update everything regularly, so you’ll never run out of items to make. The site also lets you follow my travels at the “travelogue” page, where you’ll find stories and pictures from my latest journeys. And if you have questions about anything to do with Chinese food, cooking, holiday feasts, or anything else that’s on your mind, use the “Wok Talk” feature as a posting board for inquiries. It’s a great forum for your comments, suggestions, and your own personal cooking secrets as well. That’s what makes this site so great for me: It allows me to interact with you in ways that a television screen or book simply doesn’t. So come on over, and let’s get interactive!