Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
could use his helmet as a pot, filling it with water, meat, condiments and vegetables to
taste. Mutton is now the main ingredient in Mongolian hotpot.
Roasting was once considered rather barbaric in other parts of China and is still more
common in the northern areas. The main methods of cooking in the northern style, though,
are steaming, baking and 'explode-frying' (
bàochǎo
), a rapid method of cooking in
which the wok is superheated over a flame and the contents tossed in for a swift stir-fry-
ing. The last of these is the most common, historically because of the scarcity of fuel and,
more recently, due to the introduction of the peanut, which thrives in the north and pro-
duces an abundance of oil. Although northern-style food has a reputation for being salty
and unsophisticated, it has the benefit of being filling and therefore well suited to the re-
gion's punishing winters.
KYLIE MCLAUGHLIN / GETTY IMAGES ©
