braising, the ribs fried, and so on. Fish-head soups and soy-braised chicken feet were standard dishes on our farm table; nose-to-tail eating was part of everyday life.
Fresh produce was repurposed into a kind of zha sui (known as ‘chop suey’ in the West) stir-fry using leftover odds and ends, sometimes a dry-fry, sometimes saucier with gravy.
Traditional Chinese home cooking is frugal, using small amounts of oil, offcuts, diced up pieces of meat, fresh seasonal produce stir-fried on a high heat, splashes of store-cupboard seasoning ingredients – a wholesome, healthy dinner could be on the table within minutes.
As inflation and energy prices surge, perhaps we should look to historical ways of cooking and eating in the East for inspiration.
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