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I’ve always enjoyed Asian cuisine. There’s one that I’ve been having since I was a child and it’s Chinese food. My father used to take us to Chinatown in Montréal. Was the food truly authentic? I doubt it but noneless it was delicious!
When I was living in Toronto running my event planning company, I took a trip to China. On behalf of a vineyard located in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region, I was representing their Ice wine at two separate functions; one held in Shanghai and the other in Beijing.
It was quite a cultural shock! Let’s keep in mind that I was there seven years prior to the Olympics in Beijing. I’m sure they did some major clean up beforehand but that was not the case seven years previous when I was there promoting the ice wine.
While I was there, they paired me with a personal assistant. I was glad I wasn’t totally on my own. He really helped me get around as well as informing me on tradition, culture, food, etc. It was… interesting if I may put it that way…
My introduction to Chinese food was more than I expected. What I was used to here in North America was much different in China. Certain spices, herbs and ingredients I never heard of were introduced to me such as tien tsin peppers, doubanjiang, chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), red wine vinegar, and much more…
Our “tame” Chinese foods at home were kind of boring in comparison with the real thing. On my return home, I called my friend Michael “Judge Eto” who is Chinese and we went to Spadina Avenue shopping for more traditional Chinese ingredients. After trying to create a few new dishes, this is what came out… my Szechuan Ginger Chicken!
This dish was among of one of my first Chinese creations. Unfamiliar with many ingredients, I went into my kitchen with what I could find in my neighborhood and gradually started making recipes. I used what I knew and slowly integrated other unfamiliar ingredients.
Originally, I made my Szechuan Ginger Chicken with Sambal Oelek which technically is more an Indonesian rather than a Chinese chili paste. Eventually I replaced it with doubanjiang which is a more traditional ingredient in Szechuan cuisine. This chili bean paste can be substituted with gochujang although its origin is Korean.
Can you use any of these three ingredients? Yes but each of them will bring a different flavor to the dish. Depending on where you live and how close you are to an Asian market, the availability of certain products may reflect your decisions on which ingredient to use. That is why I used sambal in my video as I know it’s probably the most common and easy to find.
As today is Chinese New Year, this Szechuan Ginger Chicken is the perfect dish to enjoy. Not overly spicy with great flavor, this quick and easy meal will definitely become a favorite of yours especially if you want to put some spice in your life…
Bon Appétit!
Here are more Asian inspired recipes for you to try…
– Singapore Noodles
– Vietnamese Summer Rolls
– Dakgangjeong – Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken
– Wonton Soup
– Asian Chicken Salad
– Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
and for even more delicious chicken recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Poultry
When I was living in Toronto running my event planning company, I took a trip to China. On behalf of a vineyard located in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region, I was representing their Ice wine at two separate functions; one held in Shanghai and the other in Beijing.
It was quite a cultural shock! Let’s keep in mind that I was there seven years prior to the Olympics in Beijing. I’m sure they did some major clean up beforehand but that was not the case seven years previous when I was there promoting the ice wine.
While I was there, they paired me with a personal assistant. I was glad I wasn’t totally on my own. He really helped me get around as well as informing me on tradition, culture, food, etc. It was… interesting if I may put it that way…
My introduction to Chinese food was more than I expected. What I was used to here in North America was much different in China. Certain spices, herbs and ingredients I never heard of were introduced to me such as tien tsin peppers, doubanjiang, chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), red wine vinegar, and much more…
Our “tame” Chinese foods at home were kind of boring in comparison with the real thing. On my return home, I called my friend Michael “Judge Eto” who is Chinese and we went to Spadina Avenue shopping for more traditional Chinese ingredients. After trying to create a few new dishes, this is what came out… my Szechuan Ginger Chicken!
This dish was among of one of my first Chinese creations. Unfamiliar with many ingredients, I went into my kitchen with what I could find in my neighborhood and gradually started making recipes. I used what I knew and slowly integrated other unfamiliar ingredients.
Originally, I made my Szechuan Ginger Chicken with Sambal Oelek which technically is more an Indonesian rather than a Chinese chili paste. Eventually I replaced it with doubanjiang which is a more traditional ingredient in Szechuan cuisine. This chili bean paste can be substituted with gochujang although its origin is Korean.
Can you use any of these three ingredients? Yes but each of them will bring a different flavor to the dish. Depending on where you live and how close you are to an Asian market, the availability of certain products may reflect your decisions on which ingredient to use. That is why I used sambal in my video as I know it’s probably the most common and easy to find.
As today is Chinese New Year, this Szechuan Ginger Chicken is the perfect dish to enjoy. Not overly spicy with great flavor, this quick and easy meal will definitely become a favorite of yours especially if you want to put some spice in your life…
Bon Appétit!
Here are more Asian inspired recipes for you to try…
– Singapore Noodles
– Vietnamese Summer Rolls
– Dakgangjeong – Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken
– Wonton Soup
– Asian Chicken Salad
– Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
and for even more delicious chicken recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Poultry
For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/szechuan-ginger-chicken/
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