Hot and Sour Soup 酸辣湯

Sour is one of the four basic tastes (the other three are salty, sweet and bitter). In recent years, scientists have confirmed that there is another taste called umami (means delicious and taste in Japanese). It is described as savory and meaty and is produced by a common amino acid glutamate. Actually the discovery of this taste is not new. In 1909, a Japanese scientist called Ikeda had isolated a white compound from sea kelp. It is believed that this compound--glutamate/glutamic acid--gives savory and meaty flavor in food. It has been isolated by the food industry and is now commonly known as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Until recently in 2000, the receptor in our tongue for glutamate has been discovered. As a result, the fifth taste--umami--is formally confirmed.






What kind of food has glutamate? To name a few: kelp, seaweed, soy sauce, fish sauce, tomato, dried bonito flakes, mushroom, chicken, etc. No wonder Japanese broth is so tasty !

Go back to hot and sour soup. Hot or spicy, strictly speaking, is not a taste. We do not have a receptor in the tongue for it. It is said to be only a sensation that we feel. No matter what, hot and sour soup is loved by many people (even my son, who disguises anything sour, loves this soup). It can really wake up our taste buds.

Whenever you have a blank tasting dish, think about the five tastes--sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami--and add the appropriate seasonings. You will be surprised how a little bit of this and that can add depth and complexity to your dish.

Ref: The Science of Good Cooking, Cook's Illustrated, 2012. This is a keeper. I highly recommend it.

酸是我們舌頭上的味蕾能夠感受到的四種味道之一(其餘是咸、甜及苦)。最近科學家証實了第五種味道叫"umami",我想中文最貼設的翻譯是"鮮味"。這種味道是由一種蛋白質叫谷氨酸產生。其實日本一個科學家早在一百年前已經從海帶提練出谷氨酸,後來更經研製,成為現在的"味精",成為一種廣泛被使用的調味品。西方的科學家到二千年才發現我們的舌頭上感受這谷氨酸的味蕾。

那麼什麼食物有最多天然谷氨酸成份呢? 其實很多食物本身含有天然豐富的谷氨酸,如海帶、紫菜、豉油、番茄、柴魚、香菇類、鷄肉等等。無怪乎日本湯那麼好味道!

其實"辣"嚴格來講不是一種味道,因為我們的舌頭上沒有感受"辣"的味蕾,所以辣只可以是一種感受。但無論如何,酸辣湯是很受歡迎的湯(連我討厭酸味食物的兒子也十分喜愛這湯)。

煮完一味餸但發覺淡而無味? 請記着這五種味道--咸、甜、酸、苦及鮮--加些少調味品,你會發現它們能大大提升餸菜的味道。

Ingredients to make a large pot:
8-10 cups chicken stock 清鷄湯
1 piece tofu, cut into strips 豆腐,切絲
1 medium sized bamboo shoot, shredded 冬筍,切絲
4 oz chicken or pork meat, shredded 雞或豬肉,切絲
5 black mushrooms, shredded after soaking 東菇,浸軟後切絲
6 pieces black fungus, shredded after soaking 黑木耳,浸軟後切絲
1/3-1/2 cup white vinegar 白醋
1 tsp salt 鹽
1-2 tbsp chili oil 辣椒油
1 tbsp ground white pepper 白胡椒粉
1 tbsp dark soy sauce 老抽
1 egg, beaten 蛋,打散
6 tbsp cornstarch in 1/3 cup water 玉米粉,用水開好

1)  Soak black mushrooms and black fungus until soft. Cut into shreds.
2)  Cut meat and marinate with salt, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
3)  Cut tofu into shreds. Peel the brown part of the bamboo shoot and discard. Cut into shreds.
4)  Bring the chicken stock and the vinegar to a boil. Put the meat in and cook for a few minutes.
5)  Put the mushrooms, black fungus, bamboo shoots and let it cook for a few minutes.
6)  Prepare the cornstarch slur and put in the pot while stirring to prevent lumps.
7)  Add salt, chili oil, white pepper and dark soy sauce. Stir well and taste. Adjust to your own taste.
8)  Add tofu. Turn off the heat and add the beaten egg while stirring gently.

Note: adjust the amount of vinegar, chili oil and pepper to your own taste. Canned bamboo shoot can substitute fresh one. Add tofu last to prevent it from breaking from repeated stirring.

東菇及黑木耳分别浸軟,擠乾水後切絲。鷄肉切絲後加醃料。豆腐、筍切絲備用。用大鍋燒滾雞湯,加醋及肉,滾幾分鐘,再加入東菇絲、木耳絲、筍絲,再煮幾分鐘。開玉米粉水,邊攪邊倒入鍋內。加鹽、辣椒油、胡椒粉、老抽,攪勻後試味。最後加入豆腐絲,熄火後再加入蛋液便成。

注意事項：請按個人口味調教酸辣度,新鮮冬筍可以用罐頭代替,豆腐待最後才加以免弄破。