Text 17846, 99 rader
Skriven 2008-12-14 21:53:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DAVE SACERDOTE
Ärende: Re: In the kitchen
==========================
-=> Quoting Dave Sacerdote to Jim Weller <=-

 DS> I'll volunteer to do dishes.  Some people hate
 DS> the "cleaning up" part of cooking, but I don't mind it, and I'm
 DS> quick at it.
 
 JW> Do you iron too? Now that Roslind has gone back to work 
 JW> we're looking  for a wife.

 DS> I'd consider it, but lobster is too expensive up there

We would expect you to bring them with you.

 DS> and geezer sex is gross. [g] 

I think so too but it's better than none at all. (WHAP!) (WHAP!)

[That was Roslind slapping me on the side of the head and ordering me
to delete the last sentence.]

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: China, A Nation Of Pork Eaters
Categories: Chinese, info, pork
  Servings: 1

           pork

Throughout history, Chinese have been dedicated eaters of swine.
Pigs were among the first animals domesticated for food in ancient
China. Excavations of the Zengpiyan Cave in Guilin, Guangxi turned
up remains of what is believed to be the earliest evidence of the
domesticated pig in the world. Today 10,000 years later, China still
consumes far more pork than any other country, and not surprisingly,
has the world's largest pig population (800 million head says one
source). While other meat types are rapidly gaining in popularity,
consumption of pork still accounts for a whopping 70 percent of all
meat eaten in China. Although these figures sound impressive, it is
worth remembering that until recent, relatively more affluent times,
the average individual never got to eat much meat of any kind. 

The importance of the pig in the Chinese diet is reflected strongly
in language. In days past, and still today, to some extent, any
family home of the slightest substance would quarter at least one
animal. The pig was such an integral part of normal family life that
writing the Chinese character for roof written above the one for
pig, creates the word meaning home or family.

Compared to grazing animals like sheep or cattle, the omnivorous pig
is a super-efficient meat producer, one that can be tethered in a
small space or left to scavenge by itself. In a crowded environment
the pig is perfectly suited to life among a rural family. Pigs eat
nearly anything remotely resembling food, including stuff that
humans choose not to ingest or cannot digest – picture the classic
image of the slop bucket and you get the basic idea. They can even
derive nutrition from human excrement, eliminating a sanitary
problem for their masters in the process (the pig's own manure is
quickly turned into fertilizer for the vegetable garden).

The character for meat is a synonym for pork. In other words, when
the meat of a dish is not specified, you can be almost certain that
it is pork. As an example, let's take a dish everyone knows: fried
rice. Pork fried rice in Chinese would read meat fried rice, with
everyone understanding that meat refers to pork. All other meats,
being less common are always identified clearly. Thus we get chicken
fried rice or beef fried rice.

Almost all parts of the pig are used for food and any reasonably
comprehensive list of dishes would be vast. Liver, kidney, and
intestines are all commonly used, as is skin. Lard is still used as
a cooking oil in some regions. Chinese produce ham, turn pork into
sausages, and preserved pork belly has a bacon-like taste. Braised
pig's trotters and knuckles are popular dishes. Slabs of congealed
pig's blood are cut into cubes and used like tofu in soup. The pig
is a symbol of virility, and so pork is used as a strengthening food
for pregnant woman and new mothers.

For an interesting appetizer, try pig's ear. The ear is cooked, then
sliced very thinly, and perhaps served with slivers of young ginger
and soy sauce. The texture is a slightly gnarly combination of skin
and cartilage. 

Despite its great usefulness to humans, the Chinese pig like its
European cousin is often denigrated as lazy, greedy, dirty and
stupid. In China, if you wish to question somebody's intellectual
capacity you would call the person a pig head.

From: Eating China
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------

Cheers

YK Jim


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