This dish brings together two of the island’s most popular offerings: mango fruit and fresh seafood in the form of wok-seared shrimp. The mango is such a staple of Taiwanese cuisine that even the Taiwanese government’s official website lauds it as the “most loved and sought-after fruit in the sweltering days of mid-summer.”

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Ingredients

• One large mango, cut into into cubes or small chunks
• 8 to 10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut into 3 sections
• 2 medium size zucchini, cut into chunks of the same size as the mango pieces
• ¼ cup green onion, diced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• Pinch of sugar

Instructions

1. Marinate shrimp with some salt, cooking wine, and sesame oil, then add 1/8 teaspoons of corn starch and mix.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in the wok or frying pan, and first sauté the diced green onion until it is fragrant. Then add shrimp and stir-fry for about one minute. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add and heat one more tablespoon of cooking oil, then stir fry zucchinis for about two minutes and add mango, seasonings and reserved shrimp, continuing to cook for one more minute. This recipe makes 5-6 servings.

Tips

Mango should ideally be ripe, but not too soft. If you discover that your particular mango is excessively sweet, you can eliminate the sugar from the recipe to help balance the flavor. Salt can also be reduced in this dish, if desired. The fruit will enhance the flavor of the food.

In this recipe, tender pieces of king trumpet mushroom and bean curd are cooked slowly in a tangy, sweet-savory sauce and served with mango.

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Ingredients

Generally

• 2 bags king trumpet mushroom, washed and with the root part cut out
• ¾-1 lb fresh bean curd sheets
• 1 cup of Mango slice
• 2 Tbsp of gogi seeds (optional)

For the stew sauce:

• 3 slices ginger
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp black vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine for cooking)
• 5 cups water

For the seasoning:

• 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 green onion stalk, shredded

Instructions

1. Cook the ingredients listed under the stew sauce section until the contents of the pot have come to a boil. Add the bean curd sheets first then and stew for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Then allow the bean curd sheets to soak in the sauce for an additional 15 minutes.
2. Remove bean curd sheets from the pot. Add the julienned trumpet mushroom pieces to the stew sauce and stew for 12 to 15 minutes. Then let the mushroom soak in the sauce for an additional 15 minutes. You can store mushroom in a container with this sauce to help it retain its flavor. [Note: Both bean curd sheets and mushroom are now ready to be used in a variety of dishes or reserved for later use. You can use these items to create many different dishes. Slice them and eat them, or mix with other vegetables and/or fruit.]
3. At this point, you are ready to use the bean curd and mushroom to create the mango vegetable dish. Slice 2 to 3 mushroom stalks and cut two pieces of bean curd sheets into large strips. Place both of these items in a large bowl, add the ingredients listed under the seasoning section and mix gently.
4. Finally, mix in the mango slices and garnish with gogi seeds. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator and serve later.

Note

The components of this recipe can be used to create many other kinds of dishes.  For example, stewed bean curd sheets and mushroom can be served separately. Stewed mushroom has been compared in flavor to vegetarian abalone.  If you have leftover cooked ingredients, these can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

What do bean curd sheets look like, and where can I buy them?

Bean curd sheets are generally available in Asian grocery stores and in some health food stores. Here is a photo of bean curd sheets:

Steamed bean curd rolls are a uniquely Taiwanese take on the ubiquitous Japanese sushi roll.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh bean curd sheets
• 5 or 6 pieces dried shiitake mushroom, soaked in water until soft
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp white ground pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 pieces of roasted seaweed sheets

Instructions

1. Tear bean curd sheets into strips and add the mushroom, which you have soaked and cut into strips.  Place bean curd strips and mushroom strips into a large bowl. Add egg, salt, ground pepper, sesame oil and sugar into the bowl and mix gently.
2. Place one seaweed sheet on a flat surface to serve as wrapper. Put one-fourth (1/4) of the mixture on one end of seaweed sheet, so that it covers 1/3 of the sheet. Roll the seaweed sheet up as if you were rolling a sushi roll. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. You should be able to make a total of 4 rolls.
3. Wrap each roll in Saran premium wrap and use a steamer to steam the rolls on high heat for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Let rolls cool down, remove the Saran wrap and slice the rolls into half-inch (1 cm) thick pieces. Decorate with green vegetables if desired. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil and serve.

Tips

To enhance flavor, you can sauté mushroom strips with some of the cooking oil first. This dish can be made ahead and served in either cold or hot.

What is bean curd sheet?

Bean curd sheet, known also as tofu skin, is food product made from soybeans. When soy milk is boiled in an open pan, a film or skin forms on the liquid surface and is then dried into yellowish sheets. You can learn more about tofu skin here.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup pork tripe, precooked in water for 1 hour, then cut into strips
• ½ cup of pork strips
• ½ cup of bamboo strips
• ½ cup of shiitake mushroom, soaked in the water, then cut into strips
• ½ cup of edible fungus, soaked in the water, then cut into strips
• 1 cup of pickled mustard strips
• ¼ cup ginger strips
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup of red chili pepper, finely sliced
• 2 sticks of green onion, cut into 2 inches sections
• 3 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp black vinegar

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, then sauté ginger, garlic, chili pepper and green onion (in that sequence) until fragrant.
2. Adding shiitake mushroom first, then pork strips, stir-fry until meat turns pale, continuing periodically to add pork tripe, bamboo, fungus, and pickled mustard strips.
3. Add soy sauce, white pepper and sugar, stir-fry and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Season with black vinegar to enhance the taste. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

What does edible fungus look like, and where can I get it?

Dried edible fungus is an edible fungus that is made from black wood ear mushrooms, also known as Auricularia. It can be purchased at Asian specialty stores or ordered online.

Tips

Pork tripe can be cleaned and rubbed with salt, then rinsed.  Place tripe in a pot filled with water and bring water to a boil. Then turn heat to low and cook for one hour or until tender. Discard water after cooking. It’s worth noting that you can usually can cook more so that you can reserve some pork tripe for later use. It makes a delicious addition to soups.

Halloween is not celebrated in Taiwan, but the pumpkin is nevertheless a popular seasonal ingredient. In this recipe, pumpkin is steamed and then seasoned with plum powder.

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Ingredients:

• ½ pumpkin (kabocha squash)
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ cup of drinking water
• Plum powder (optional)

Instructions:

1. Steam pumpkin for 20 minutes or until cooked. Chill pumpkin in the refrigerator.
2. Mix lemon juice, sugar and water in a deep dish
3. Slice pumpkin into pieces approximately 1 cm thick. Dip each slice in the lemon juice mixture.
4. Place the sliced pumpkin into a container and pour the remainder of the juice mixture over the pumpkin. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
5. Place pumpkin on a plate. Sprinkle plum powder and serve.

Tip

Sprinkle plum powder over the pumpkin to enhance its flavor. You can also use other items to decorate the pumpkin dish, such as fruits or pickled daikon.

What kind of pumpkin does this recipe use?

This recipe uses a special type of pumpkin called kabocha squash, known also as the Japanese pumpkin. Kabocha squash is hard with knobby surface and a shape similar to that of a squat pumpkin. It is green on the outside, orange on the inside and known for its exceptionally sweet flavor. Kabocha looks like this:

_{Photo courtesy of FotoosvanRobin}

This dish introduces cooked seafood, a staple of Taiwanese dishes, to the sushi roll.

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork or chicken
• 15 pieces shrimp, chopped into a paste
• ¼ cup dried shrimp, pre-soaked in water for 10 min., then minced (optional)
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cooking wine
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 4 to 5 sheets nori seaweed

Instructions:

1. Mix the ingredients together except for the white onion and seaweed. Use a folk or spatula and stir in the same direction (e.g., clockwise) until the mixture is well-blended. This will take approximately three to four minutes.
2. Add chopped onion to the bowl and then mix well.
3. Lay the seaweed sheet flat on a table and then place approximately 3/4 cup of the mixture on the seaweed. Evenly spread out the mixture over an area that covers three-fourths of the sheet.
4. Roll up the sheet tightly from the side that has filling, as you would make a roll of sushi.
5. Use microwavable Saran wrap to wrap up the rolls and then use a steamer to steam rolls under at a high temperature for approximately 12 minutes.
6. Remove the plastic wrap and slice the rolls into 1 cm-thick pieces. Serve with chili sauce.

Tip

You do not need to wrap the rolls if you wish to cut the rolls into sections and deep-fry the pieces in cooking oil. Deep-fry shrimp rolls over medium heat until golden brown on both sides of the roll.

Vegetarians and meat-lovers alike may be surprised by this bean curd dish, which infuses plain baked tofu with barbecue flavor and Taiwanese spices.

Bean curd is another name for tofu, which is made from pressed, curdled soy milk. Chinese tofu is more often referred to as bean curd, while silken tofu is softer and referred to as Japanese style tofu.

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Ingredients:

• 1 bag (12 0z) plain baked tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 slices ginger, chopped
• 3 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp five spice powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp white ground pepper
• 2 tbsp cooking wine
• 2 tbsp barbecue sauce

Instructions:

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the bean curd cubes. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.
3. Combine all of the seasonings and add to the pan. Continue to stir fry, turning the heat down to low and cooking until the sauce is fully absorbed.
4. Serve the dish either hot or cold.

What does plain baked tofu look like?

Plain baked tofu is usually sold in vacuum packages at Asian grocery stores. The tofu is very firm, hard enough for you to cut into shreds and can often be found packed into squares or rectangles. Different brands have different packaging, but the package can like this:

Tip

If you prefer spicy food, you can add chili oil to the combination of seasonings.  Please note that homemade spiced bean curd does not contain preservatives. Be sure to store it in the refrigerator.

This dish brings together fresh cucumber slices and savory meat stuffing, a combination that will be familiar to fans of Chinese and Thai food who have also encountered the dish stuffed bitter melon.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup raw shrimp, peeled and devined, finely chopped into a paste
• 3-4 pieces dried shitake mushroom, presoaked in the water and then finely chopped
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/8 heaping tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. white ground pepper
• 2 tbsp. cooking wine
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. tapioca starch
• 3 large cucumbers, sliced into 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick cylinders

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the listed ingredients together except for the cucumbers. Hand-whip the mixture, stirring in one direction only, until well blended. This should take approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove the center part of the cucumber containing the seeds. Wipe cucumber slices dry and sprinkle with tapioca starch.
3. Stuff cucumber slices with the meat mixture. The bottom part of cucumber should be stuffed and then patted flat so that it lies flat when it cooks. The top part should be overstuffed liked a raised dome.
4. Place the stuffed cucumber pieces in a steamer and steam under high heat for 15 minutes.
5. Use tapioca water (1 Tbsp Tapioca + 1/4 cup of water) to thicken the broth that comes from steaming the stuffed cucumber pieces. Spread this broth evenly on each cucumber piece. Recipe yields approximately 20 pieces.

Tip:

Select large cucumbers since they can hold more stuffing.  You can also use the ends of the cucumber by cutting a small slice into each end so that it sits flat and can be stuffed and cooked. Otherwise, save the cucumber ends for another recipe.

If you have ever enjoyed a traditional Chinese dim sum meal, you probably had an opportunity to try Siu Mai, the hearty, open-faced pork dumplings that come in a variety of regional variations.This recipe for siu mai incorporates common ingredients from Taiwanese cuisine such as water chestnuts, shiitake mushrom and white pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs ground pork or chicken
• 10 pcs. shrimp, chopped into a paste
• 4 pieces dried shiitake mushroom, soaked in water until soft, then finely chopped
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup water chestnut, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 tsp white ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp light color soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cooking wine
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 package dumpling skins (siu-mai skin), round. Note: When selecting dumpling skins for use in this recipe, remember that thinner skins are better.

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients, other than the dumpling skins, until the mixture is well-blended.
2. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour.
3. Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each dumpling skin. If you are using dumpling skins with a smaller diameter, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture instead.
4. Hold the siu-mai on your hand, then fold the edges as if you were creating a series of flower petals, using your thumb and index finger to gather the top edges of the dumpling skin. The top of the siu mai should not gape open too widely. Shape the top of the siu mai with one hand, and then the other hand to pat the bottom of the siu mai to create a flat bottom.
5. Garnish the top of each siu mai dumpling with green peas, slivered carrots or corn kernels.
6. Steam the siu mai dumplings at a high temperature setting for approximately 10 minutes.
7. Serve with chili sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Shen-Li-Hon (Daikon leaf)
• 1/2 lb. broad bean. You can usually pick this up in bags in the frozen section
• 2 pieces salty egg yolk, cooked
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Wash the Shen-Li-Hon and blanch in boiling water for one minute, then chop.
2. Blanch the broad bean until it is soft. This usually takes about two minutes.
3. Mash the blanched broad bean into the 2/3 of the egg yolk (save 1/3 of yolk for decoration), and then mix with chopped Shen-Li-Hone and the seasonings listed above.
4. Spread plastic wrap across the bottom of a bowl or deep platter, and then place the remaining 1/3 of the egg yolk at the center. Then pour in the broad bean-yolk mixture and press into the bowl until firm. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it is served.
5. When the dish is ready to be served, remove the plastic wrap from the top part of the bowl, cover the opening and with a large serving plate and flip the bowl over. Carefully remove the bowl and remaining plastic wrap.
6. Garnish with maraschino cherry or other fruit.

Quick-Cooking Tip

In order to keep the cold dish fresh and crispy, keep cooking time short. Do not over cook the vegetable!

What does a package of broad bean look like in the grocery store?

Here is a photo of the frozen broad bean I used in this recipe: