Chinese Rice And Noodles and Foo Yung Recipes

Rice and noodles are staple fare in the Chinese diet.

Rice is grown and eaten primarily in the southern part of China; other grains including wheat, millet and sorghum predominate in the north. But to Chinese, the flavor of rice is the perfect accompaniment to all other foods. When sampling all the myriad taste elements of a Chinese meal, a spoonful or rice taken with the other food as well as in between brings a neutral element into play so that every new morsel can unfold all its full flavor and character.

Long-grain rice is suitable for most dishes. When properly cooked, rice absorbs a great deal of water and will be dry and fluffy. Rice is either boiled or steamed. It is very important to wash the rice well to remove the excess starch which otherwise will make the rice too sticky. After it has been boiled or steamed, cooked rice can be fried, but it should be completely cooled first.

Noodles are the food of the north. They are made mainly from grains, but sometimes from seaweed or the starch of mung beans. Noodles can be boiled, steamed, soft-fried, deep-fried and used in soups.

DRIED NOODLES

Dried long-life egg and eggless noodles are available in various styles. The noodles can be thin, round or flat and come in 2 oz (60g) bundles, usually 6-8 bundles per package. Dried noodles are also available flavored e.g. chicken, shrimp, beef and curry.

STEAM RICE

Rinse rice with cold water several times. Place rice in a medium-size saucepan and cover with cold water to 3/4 inch (2cm) above the rice. Bring to a boil. Stir once and cook uncovered until air bubble holes form. Reduce heat to low. Cover and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand covered 5 minutes. Stir rice grains with a folk to loosen, avoiding cutting through grains. Steamed rice will remain hot in the saucepan for over 30 minutes. During this time several stir-fry dishes can be prepared.