The hunger has been growing, the dishes of the day keep on coming and now Hungry Dan has his own tag on the ChinaTravel.net forum, is RSS compatible and is specifically designed for his legions of hungry followers.

For the sake of clarity, I've gone ahead and republished the existing Dish of the Day backlog, but in the future, feel free to add the Hungry Dan RSS to your browser tool bar, or follow the Hungry adventures on Twitter.
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5/18/09

Tangcu Li Ji (pronounced tahng-tsu lee jee) is a tasty dish of sweet, honey-glazed chicken strips, often topped with sesame seeds.

Both filling and delicious, Tangcu Li Ji is very Western friendly, closely resembling something you might order at Panda Express or any number of Chinese buffets in North America or Europe.

The chicken is cut into thick strips, then lightly breaded and pan-fried in a sticky, caramel-like sweet sauce (tangcu literally means sugar sauce and can also be applied to fish and tofu, although those combinations are far more rare).

Some Westerners will claim that Tangcu Li Ji is quite literally sweet and sour chicken, but if pressed to make a quick reference point, I think it's more similar to General Tso's Chicken, albeit sweeter.

Due to its sugary flavor, it's easy to lump Tangcu Li Ji into the Shanghainese style of cuisine, but the dish is widely available around China, although not necessarily at every restaurant.

Tangcu Li Ji is a great addition to a larger meal, bringing balance to a table that will most often feature garlic, spicy and salty flavors. So give it a try and enjoy.
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5/14/09

Fanqie Chaodan (pronounced fahn-chyeh chow-dahn), also commonly referred to as Xihongsi Chaodan (pronounced shee-hong-sih chow-dahn), is an ever-so-popular dish of fried eggs and tomatoes.

Both tasty and cheap, Fanqie Chaodan is available at almost every Chinese restaurant (this means sit down, table-service restaurants), and is an excellent addition to any meal, not only because it's conducive to all nutritional needs decisions (finally something totally vegetarian), but also because it's just plain delicious.

The serving above is spruced up with some greens, or, qingcai (pronounced ching-tsai), and while a welcome addition, this is a bit designer for most Fanqie Chaodan. Either way, next time you're stuck for an extra vegetable and protein dish, give these tomatoes and eggs a try.
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5/11/09

Jia Chang Dou Fu (pronounced jyah-chahng doe-foo), also known as Homestyle Tofu, is available all over China, and is a delicious tofu dish, served with mushrooms, green and red peppers, assorted greens and, yes, fatty pork.

Attention vegetarians: In China, tofu is not synonymous with a meat-free lifestyle, so several tofu dishes, including Jia Chang Dou Fu, do have pork included, meaning you'll have to specify bu yao rou (pronounced boo-yow-row) to keep your dish sans flesh. And even then I would inspect the contents to make sure that the waitstaff didn't think you were just joking.

Anyway, Jia Chang Dou Fu is served in a semi-spicy chili oil (reference this previous Hungry Dan's Dish of the Day for a tip on how to order less-fiery cuisine) and is always an excellent addition to meals that too often involve chicken, pork, lamb and greens.

So, give it a try, and let me know what you think.
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5/8/09

Gong Bao Ji Ding (pronounced gung-bow-jee-ding) is one of the most commonly eaten and ordered dishes is China.

Known in the West as Kung Pow Chicken, Gong Bao Ji Ding is a traditional Sichuan dish, consisting of diced chicken (hence the ding, which refers to the cube-shape cut of the meat), peanuts, onions and peppercorns, all lightly pan fried in a wok at a high temperature.

Originally named for famed Qing Dynasty official Ding Baozhen, Gong Bao Ji Ding is a staple of Chinese cuisine, and is available at almost any restaurant.

For people who shy away from spicy food, Gong Bao Ji Ding is not relatively high on the spice-o-meter, despite it's Sichuan roots, but if you're extremely concerned, just tell your waiter bu la (pronounced boo-lah) and he or she should get the point.
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5/6/09

Chao Mian (pronounced chow-mee-en) is a simple dish commonly known as Chow Mein, fried noodles, or, on the East coast of America, Lo Mein. Chao Mian is a staple of Chinese snack food and fast food and is both delicious and convenient.

While typical chao mian is served with some greens and bean sprouts, the dish is quite dynamic because of its ability to go well with a variety of ingredients. The noodles to the right are served with zhurousi (pork strips, pronounced joo-row-sih) and chaodan (fried eggs, pronounced chow-dahn), but you can easily add niurou (beef, pronounce nyoh-row) or jirou (chicken, pronounced jee-row).

If you are living in China, or planning to come visit, chao mian will quickly become a staple of your existence, not only because it tastes great, but also because it's widely available and CHEAP.
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5/4/09

Hui Guo Rou (pronounced hway-gwoh-row) is a popular dish, commonly known amongst English speakers as "twice-cooked pork." Originally associated with Sichuan cuisine, Hui Guo Rou is widely available around China, and features thin strips of double-boiled fatty pork, simmered in oil, ginger and salt, served with cabbage and peppers.



This dish comes highly recommended by yours truly, and is worth briefly abandoning your hard-lined vegetarian practices for just a quick taste of the succulent swine.



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