AfriqAsia Merge: ***SWEET LITTLE THINGS***

AfriqAsia Merge: ***SWEET LITTLE THINGS***: We all have some little recipes in our countries, which do not demand a long list of ingredients, and do not take too much time to prepare,...

***SWEET LITTLE THINGS***

We all have some little recipes in our countries, which do not demand a long list of ingredients, and do not take too much time to prepare, but which  makes us lick our lips all the same, because they are little delicacies we love to have at least once in a while.

So, AfriqAsia merge wishes to take our Asian friends to Africa, Accra Ghana to be specific to try a little delicacy called KELEWELE.

What is Kelewele?

It is simply a popular Ghanaian snack of fried plantain seasoned with spices. It is also popular in other African countries like Ivory Coast. In English it is sometimes called hot plantain crisps. In Africa, Kelewele is sold usually at night. Apart from being served alone as a snack or dessert, it is sometimes served with rice and stew.

How is it prepared?

The plantains are peeled and may be cut into chunks or cubes.  Usually, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt are the typical spices used to make kelewele. However, onions, anise, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and chili powder are also used as spices. 

It is good to leave the spices on the plantain for some 10 minutes to get a great taste. The oil should be too hot and the plantain must not be too soft, or else it will absorb too much oil. It is cooked until the sugar in the plantain caramelizes, with brown edges.

Now to our African friends, get ready to try an Asian delicacy commonly referred to in Chinese as JIAOZI. Simple to cook and worth the try!!

What is Jiaozi: 饺子?

Jiaozi  are also known as Chinese dumplings. They are widely spread to Nepal, Japan, Eastern and Western Asia.

Jiaozi typically consists of a groundnut and/or Vegetable  filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together or by crimping. Jiaozi should not be confused with wonton; jiaozi has a thicker skin and a relatively flatter, more oblate, double-saucer like shape (similar in shape to ravioli), and is usually eaten with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce (and/or hot chilli sauce); while wontons have thinner skin, have square skins, and are usually served in broth. The dough for the jiaozi and wonton wrapper also consist of different ingredients.

 WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN ?

Jiaozi are one of the major foods eaten during the Chinese New Year and year round in the northern provinces. They look like the golden ingots yuan bao used during the Ming Dynasty for money and the name sounds like the word for the earliest paper money, so serving them is believed to bring prosperity. Many families eat these at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve. Some cooks will even hide a clean coin for the lucky to find.

                                                                      A plate of potstickers (guotie), and dipping sauce

Jiaozi were so named because they were horn shaped. The Chinese for "horn" is jiǎo (角), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by a specific character 餃, which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo (交) on the right.

According to folk tales, jiaozi were 

invented by Zhang Zhongjing, one of the greatest practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in history. They were originally called "tender ears" (娇耳 : jiao'er) because they were used to treat frostbitten ears.

HOW IS IT PREPARED?

Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) may be divided into various types depending on how they are cooked:

• Boiled dumplings: (shuijiao) literally "water dumpling" (水餃; shuǐjiǎo).
• Steamed dumplings: (zhengjiao) literally "steam dumpling" (蒸餃; zhēngjiǎo).
• Pan fried dumplings: (guotie) literally "pan stick", known as "potstickers" in N. America, they are also referred to as "dry-fried dumplings" (煎餃: jiānjiǎo).

Dumplings that use egg rather than dough to wrap the filling are called "egg dumplings" or (蛋餃; dànjiǎo)

Other fillings include shrimp, scallop, chicken, tofu, mixed vegetables, and others. The most common type are shrimp dumplings (har gow).

Many types of fillings exist, and dim sum restaurants often feature their own house specials or innovations.

 Dim sum chefs and artists often use ingredients in new or creative ways, or draw inspiration from other Chinese culinary traditions, such as Chiuchow, Hakka, or Shanghai. More creative chefs may even incorporate a fusion from other cultures, such as Japanese (teriyaki) or Southeast Asian (satay, curry), while upscale restaurants may use expensive or exotic ingredients such as lobster, shark fin and bird's nest.

Dumplings are eaten with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce that may include vinegar, garlic, ginger, rice wine, hot sauce, and sesame oil.

WHEN ARE THEY EATEN?

Jiaozi are eaten all year round, and can be eaten at any time of the day – breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can constitute one course, starter or side dish, or the main meal. In China, jiaozi are sometimes served as a last course during restaurant meals. As a breakfast dish, jiaozi are prepared alongside xiaolongbao at inexpensive, roadside restaurants. Typically, they are served in small steamers containing ten pieces each. Although mainly consumed at breakfast, these small restaurants keep them hot on steamers, and ready to eat all day.

As a dish prepared at home, each family has its own preferred method of making them, using favourite fillings, with types and methods of preparation varying widely from region to region.

ENJOY YOUR MEAL!!!

         

AFRIQASIA MERGE....BRIDGING THE GAP, EMBRACING THE DIFFERENCE !!!