Chinese Recipes: Soups
From The Chinese Cook Book by Shiu Wong Chan, 1917.
From: Unknown To: 1917 C.E.
Location: China
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From The Chinese Cook Book by Shiu Wong Chan, 1917.
Bird-Nest Soup: Yuen War Tong
The substance of which this soup is made is found in bird nests. It is the saliva of the swallows of northern China. It looks somewhat like spinach. The best quality is pure white. The other quality is a little brown and contains some impurities of straw and feathers, which must be removed by shaking in water.
(a) Soak in cold water for one hour 2 cups of bird-nest. Then wash gently.
(b) Cook in water for 1 hour, with a piece of ginger.
(c) Strain off and put into 6 pints of primary soup. Let simmer for 1/2 hour.
Serve in bowls or soup-plates, and use 6 teaspoonfuls of Chinese ham and chicken dice for garnish.
For gravy use 3 teaspoonfuls of cornstarch, a few drops of sesamum-seed oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Mushroom Soup: Mor Güe Guy Tong
3 cups Chinese mushrooms chopped into small dice
1/2 cup chicken chopped to same size
9 cups primary soup
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoonful cornstarch
1 teaspoonful Chinese sauce
1/2 teaspoonful oil
Salt, and a few drops of sesamum-seed oil
Chinese mushrooms can be secured at any Chinese grocery store.
(a) Cook the mushrooms for 1/2 hour, and then drain off and put into the primary soup. Boil for 15 minutes.
(b) Add the chopped chicken; the eggs well beaten; and all the other ingredients. Take off the stove 1/2 minute after the cornstarch is added.
Serve in bowls. Garnish the top of each bowl with 1 teaspoonful of Chinese ham cut into dice.
Vegetable Soup: Choy Tong
Any kind of vegetables washed thoroughly and cut into pieces one inch long
Small piece of root ginger
9 cups primary soup
Salt
(a) Heat the cooking pan for 1/2 minute. Then spread one teaspoonful of oil all over the surface of the pan and let it heat for from 1 to 2 minutes.
(b) Add the salt, then the vegetables and ginger. Turn over frequently until the volume of the vegetables is reduced to 1/3.
(c) Add the primary soup, and let it cook until it boils. Keep the soup boiling slowly until done. The length of time depends upon the kind of vegetables. It is best to keep the pan uncovered.
Duck Soup: Arp Tong
1 medium-sized duck without bones
1 1/2 cups Chinese mushrooms
2 cups bamboo shoots
4 cups celery
2 teaspoonfuls oil
A few drops sesamum-seed oil
1 teaspoonful Chinese sauce
1/4 teaspoonful cornstarch
Salt
(a) Chop all into dice.
(b) Heat the cooking pan for 1/2 minute. Then grease it thoroughly with oil.
(c) Add salt and all other ingredients except duck. Keep turning for about 5 minutes.
(d) Add primary soup and boil very slowly.
(e) Mix together well the duck (cut into dice), the oil, sesamum-seed oil, Chinese sauce, and cornstarch.
(f) When primary soup has boiled 1/2 hour, add the duck mixture. Boil slowly for another 1/2 hour.
For a garnish, use Chinese ham dice.
Pork Soup: Gue York Tong
2 cups lean pork cut into fragments
2 teaspoonfuls cornstarch
2 teaspoonfuls Chinese sauce
5 cups primary soup
2 cups Chinese mushrooms
A few drops sesamum-seed oil
3 cups star melon cut into small pieces after the rind is removed
Salt
(a) Mix the pork, cornstarch, Chinese sauce, and salt.
(b) Bring the primary soup to a boil. Then add the pork mixture and the mushrooms, and cook for 1/2 hour.
(c) Ten minutes before taking soup off stove, add the melon.
Fish Soup: Yue Tong
1 five-pound fish
5 pints primary soup
2 cups water chestnuts
2 cups bamboo shoots
1 cup Chinese mushrooms
(a) Dress the fish and cook until soft. Take out bones. Tear the meat to pieces (1 1/2 inches long).
(b) Cut the secondary vegetables into dice. Cook for 20 minutes.
(c) Put the vegetables and the fish into the primary soup, and cook for 15 minutes.
(d) Add Chinese gravy. Stir the soup well and take from the stove. Serve in bowls. Garnish each bowl.
Noodle Soup: Yat Koi Min
3 pounds noodles
2 teaspoonfuls Chinese sauce
1 teaspoonful oil
A few drops sesamum-seed oil
Noodles are made of flour, eggs, salt, and a small portion of alkaline solution.
Inasmuch as good noodles require very skilful labor to make them, and they can be obtained much cheaper in a Chinese noodle factory than if made at home, the author does not describe the process.
The best quality contains no water.
To make yat koi min (noodle soup) proceed as follows:
(a) Put the noodles into boiling water, and boil until they float on the surface.
(b) Quickly place in cold water and stir.
(c) Put again into boiling water for 1 minute.
(d) Put into a clean bowl containing the oil, sesamum-seed oil, Chinese sauce, and a little pepper.
(e) Divide the noodles into individual portions, and into each bowl pour enough boiling primary soup to cover.
Garnish, and serve hot.
Noodle Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms: Mor Güe Guy Yat Koi Min
3 pounds noodles
2 teaspoonfuls Chinese sauce
1 teaspoonful oil
A few drops sesamum-seed oil
1 cup chicken
1 1/2 cups mushrooms
1 1/2 cups water chestnuts
(a) Put the noodles into boiling water, and boil until they float on the surface.
(b) Quickly place in cold water and stir.
(c) Put again into boiling water for 1 minute.
(d) Put into a clean bowl containing the oil, sesamum-seed oil, Chinese sauce, and a little pepper.
(e) Cut the chicken, mushrooms, and water chestnuts into pieces 1 1/2 inches long. Cook until done. Mix together and add Chinese gravy.
(f) Divide the noodles into individual portions, and into each bowl pour enough boiling primary soup to cover.
(g) Add the chicken gravy and serve.
Noodle Soup in Yung Chow Style: Yung Chow Min
Min means noodle, and Yung Chow is the name of the place in China where this dish is prepared in the most delicious way.
(a) Put 2 pounds of noodles into boiling water, and boil until the noodles float on the surface.
(b) Take out and place quickly in cold water.
(c) Put into boiling oil until hard.
(d) Cook in 7 cups primary soup until soft.
(e) Make a chicken gravy of 1 cup of chicken fragments, 1 1/2 cups Chinese mushrooms, and 1 1/2 cups Chinese water chestnuts. Add this to Chinese gravy.
(f) Pour the gravy into the soup, and stir well. Remove from the stove at once, and serve hot.
Chan, Shiu Wong. The Chinese Cook Book. Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1917.
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