2024/05/15

Chili oil
(Si Yau Jia)
(Hong Kong fried gluten stew)

In search of autumn foliage at Mt. Zao, I boarded the Shinkansen and headed to Yamagata Prefecture. On my first visit to Yamagata Prefecture, I had lunch at Yamakichi, a restaurant serving side dishes and meals, located near Uzen-Yamabe Station, near Yamanobe Town, which is less touristy. There, I encountered Yamagata Prefecture's specialty, Imoni.

The potato stew I ate contained whole taro, konnyaku, green onion, beef, and fried gluten. The seasoning was similar to sukiyaki. As I put the fried gluten in my mouth, the taste of the fried gluten stew called "xiao yau jiai" that I had eaten in Hong Kong came to mind. Why does a similar food exist in Japan, 2600 kilometers away from Hong Kong?

"Zhi You Jai" is a type of "Zhi Lu Wei" (齋滷味). "Zhi Lu Wei" means stewing various types of gluten. "Zhi" refers to vegetarian cuisine, and "Lu" refers to the method of stewing food with soy sauce and spices. In the days before refrigerators, "Lu" was used as a way to preserve food for a long time.

In Hong Kong, vegetarian restaurants already existed before 1905. One of them, Xiao Gion Vegetarian Restaurant, is still in business today. It is currently run by the fourth generation owner, and the fifth generation owner is also involved in the restaurant's management. In the 1920s, interest in Buddhism among Hong Kong's elite grew, and vegetarian restaurants began opening one after another. These include Togen Tensoushikkan, Xiao Gion Vegetarian Restaurant, and Buddha Youwen.

At the time, vegetarian cuisine was bland, and people sometimes felt that vegetables alone were not enough, so it was not appealing to the general public who were not Buddhist. However, Fo You Yuan was inspired by Cantonese braised food and tried simmering various types of gluten in sweet, sour, salty, and spicy sauces. Among these, dishes such as Xiao Jiai (soy sauce flavor), Tim Soon Jiai (sweet and sour flavor), and Curry Jiai (curry flavor) became very popular and are supported by non-Buddhist customers as well, and are still indispensable dishes at vegetarian restaurants today.

"Zai Lu Wei" can be stored for a long time, so it is made in large quantities like yakitori, packed in trays, and sold for takeout in display cases. Whenever I pass by a "Zai Po" (a vegetarian restaurant), I buy some "Zai Lu Wei" to take home. And, although it is not well known now, there used to be a mobile vendor selling "Zai Lu Wei" on the trains of the old Hong Kong train "Kowloon-Canton Railway". There was a vendor on the train, just like on the Shinkansen. I wonder how many people remember that snacks were served on the trains connecting Kowloon and the New Territories.

I have tried many different types of fried gluten in Japan, but the texture of Yamato gluten from Suzuki Seifujo in Yamagata is similar to that of Hong Kong gluten, and it doesn't fall apart when cooked, so I personally recommend using Yamato gluten. The texture of "Saikou-mei" is elastic. It is cooked in broth, so the juice oozes out when you bite into it.

Tip: After frying, boil the gluten in water and squeeze out all the water.More flavor is absorbedBodyIt becomes easier.

Ingredients(Serves 2)

Yamato gluten………………………….20g

Frying oil……………………………….Appropriate amount

[Rosui (braising liquid)]

Soy sauce…………………….…….1 tsp

Oyster sauce………….1 tablespoon

Sugar………………..……..…½ tbsp

Salt………..…….….….…..…a little

Kombu stock….….……..…………200cc

Dissolved potato starch….….……..………appropriate amount

Sesame oil……a little

<Preparation>

1. Soak the Yamatofu in water for about 15 minutes to rehydrate, then squeeze out well and set aside.

2. Add oil to a pan and fry the tofu at 170 degrees, then remove it.

3. After removing them from the oven, quickly blanch them in hot water and squeeze out all the water to prepare them.

4. LushuiCombine the above.

<How to make>

in the potBring the water to a boil, add the gluten, and simmer until the water has evaporated.Add a little dissolved potato starch to thicken the mixture. Finish by adding a little sesame oil.

Wanjae

Culinary researcher. Born in Hong Kong. During her childhood, she ate her grandmother's home cooking on weekdays and her father's home cooking on weekends, whose hobby was cooking. After moving to Australia, she moved to Japan after getting married and has been living there for over 20 years. She is certified as a Chinese international herbalist, fermented food sommelier, and fermentation life advisor, and has a deep knowledge of food culture in both the Chinese-speaking world and Japan. She is currently working in Tokyo to spread the word about Hong Kong cuisine to the people of Japan.

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