How to Peel China Lychee ?

Lychee Background:

• Lychee/ Litchi native fruit of China.
• Listed among the "4 famous fruits of South China" (banana, pineapple, longan, lychee).
• China emperor used to order the imperial servants to pluck it fresh & send into imperial palace for the famous, Yang Gui Fei.
• Yang Gui Fei was highest rank for imperial consorts during her time, one of the 4 Beauties of ancient China and Lychee was her favorite fruit.
• Her favorite lychee breed, named Feizixiao (妃子笑) – best-known in China for over 1000 years.

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How to peel Lychee? 

• used knife & tweezer to peel & extract the seed to fully enjoy the texture without mess.
• Refer below for peeling method with peeling knife.

Recommended? : Yes

• This fruit really deserve that fancy royal vibes.
• It’s fleshy succulent texture, taste fragrant and surprisingly very sweet with that greenish unripe look.
• Legit very sweet and juicy.

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Credits :

https://www.visitourchina.com/blog/detail-174.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee

http://www.dcfproduce.com/plus/view.php?aid=167

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1fKEWiqmFk

Method to Open different Shellfish - Epicurious

Method to Open different Shellfish

• Mike Cruz, manager of Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Wholesale,
• best methods/technique for cracking open and cleaning shellfish in  kitchen. 
• Epicurious (YouTube)

Seafood method & timing: 

• 0:53 Blue Crab
• 2:57 Soft-Shell Crab
• 3:49 Dungeness Crab
• 7:37 Maine Lobster
• 9:25 Cooked Maine Lobster
• 12:12 Crawfish
• 13:17 Langostino
• 14:22 American White Shrimp
• 15:14 Prawn
• 16:50 Sea Scallop
• 18:10 Duxbury Oyster
• 19:48 Baywater Sweet
• 21:08 PEI Mussel
• 22:06 Hard-Shell Clams
• 23:28 Soft-Shell Clam
• 25:02 Razor Clam
• 26:35 Geoduck
• 29:26 Cockle
• 30:08 Abalone
• 31:20 Conch
• 32:46 West Coast Sea Urchin
• 35:31 East Coast Sea Urchin

-the information provided is based on reference materials 

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Credits :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJTy_8Dtbsc&feature=youtu.be

monosodium glutamate MSG effect

Q: What’s MSG & what's the effect ?

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Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• widely used as flavor enhancer. Although generally recognised as safe by food safety regulatory agencies, several studies have questioned its long-term safety.
• FDA categorizes MSG as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). also categorizes salt and sugar as GRAS.
  
• controversy over the lack of oversight the FDA has in the introduction and use of additives by the food industry. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), many GRAS foods don’t go through the rigorous testing required for this safety claim. Trans fats were once identified as GRAS until enough research forced the FDA to change the classification.
  
• MSG is added to many Chinese food, processed foods, including hot dogs and potato chips.
  
• FDA does require companies that add MSG to their foods to include the additive on the list of ingredients on the packaging. 
  
• some ingredients naturally contain MSG,  food manufacturers may choose to use these ingredients to avoid disclosing the name MSG on the ingredient list. If you intend to steer clear of MSG, exclude these main ingredients: autolyzed yeast, textured vegetable protein, yeast extract, glutamic acid, gelatin, soy protein isolate, and soy extracts.
  
• Chinese restaurant syndrome: outdated term in 1960s. Refers to symptoms after eating food from a Chinese restaurant. Currently known as MSG symptom complex. Symptoms often include headache, skin flushing, and sweating.

Effect

• Hypertension
• Effects on Brain -high MSG intake can have adverse effects on brain. prolonged intake can lead to damage. 
• Headache - can transform into migraine. (intense pain, vision modification, nausea)
• Effects on Nerves -tingling, burning sensation in the neck and face. MSG is neurotransmitter that induces the nerves and misbalances the neurotransmitters. These disorders can contain diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s has connection with Ajinomoto.
• Sleeping Disordered Breathing -improve the risk of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing.
• Risk of Cancer -has cancer-triggering capabilities. consumption of MSG can increase the chances of cancer. 
• https://atchayapathrafoods.com/harmful-effects-ajinomoto/
• sensitive individual may suffer from headache, giddiness, sweating, abdominal pain, and urticaria
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5278591/
• MSG has been linked with obesity, metabolic disorders, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, neurotoxic effects and detrimental effects on the reproductive organs.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5938543/
• induce hypothalamic lesions and leptin resistance, possibly influencing energy balance, leading to overweight
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610632/
• Promotion of tumor development in MSG‐induced obesity. Obesity models in mice can be established via treatment of newborn pups with MSG

-the information provided is based on reference materials 

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Credits :

Background
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6952072/
https://www.healthline.com/health/chinese-restaurant-syndrome#monosodium-glutamate
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51139005
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5938543/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610632/

Effect
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5278591/
https://atchayapathrafoods.com/harmful-effects-ajinomoto/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12448

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6952072/

https://www.healthline.com/health/chinese-restaurant-syndrome#monosodium-glutamate

https://atchayapathrafoods.com/harmful-effects-ajinomoto/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610632/

 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12448

Authentic Hai Di Lao steamboat paste -review

Q: Which hot pot / steamboat paste & what flavour is recommended for homemade hotpot?

• Hai di lao hot pot seasoning
• Soup : Spicy Vegetable oil/ 麻辣清油, fragrant tallow (beef)/麻辣浓香牛油 , mellow tallow/麻辣醇香牛油, delicacy pickled fish/上汤酸菜鱼, excellent spicy boiled fish 精品水煮鱼, sour soup/泡椒酸汤
• Dry/without soup: Spicy Chili  Pot/ 麻辣香锅
• Sauce: Fragrant peppery flavor/ 麻辣味火锅蘸料
• Refer official link for full series of hotpot soup base & seasoning http://www.yihchina.com/en/product.html

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Hai Di Lao hotpot seasoning

Recommended? : Yes

• easy to use and taste compatible with those in hotpot restaurant.  
• can add plain water only. add homemade chicken/pork bone soup will elevate the taste. 

Spicy level? : 2-moderaterating scale: 1-mild, almost none, 2-moderate, 3-extreme

• Moderate spicy: Spicy Vegetable oil/ 麻辣清油, fragrant tallow (beef)/麻辣浓香牛油 , mellow tallow/麻辣醇香牛油, Spicy Chili  Pot/ 麻辣香锅
• Mild spicy: delicacy pickled fish/上汤酸菜鱼, excellent spicy boiled fish 精品水煮鱼, sour soup/泡椒酸汤, Fragrant peppery flavor/ 麻辣味火锅蘸料
• require to add additional Sichuan peppercorn if you opt for the extreme spicy level in China hot pot restaurant.  

Serving: 2-5 pax/ pack  

• Typically 1 pack = 1-2 round of soup 
• Recommended to buy at least 2 packs / flavour for each round of steamboat for better taste and able to add >2 round of soup.  

Storage life : 12 months
Key Features:

• Produced by Yihai International holdings, a food distribution and seasoning manufacturer for Haidilao hot pot chain .
• Zhang Yong (the haidilao founder) holds majority stakes of Yihai international holdings. So don’t worry, this is legit haidilao sauce. 

Brand awards

• Top 10 hot restaurant award for 5 consecutive years in China
• won more than ten titles and honors such as “advanced enterprise”, “consumer satisfaction unit”, “famous hot pot” famous hot pot in Sichuan, Shanxi, Henan and other province in China. 
• "Haidilao” trademark was awarded “China Famous Brand”
• "Chinese Famous Hot Pot" by the CCA.
• “National Well-known Trademark” by the Trademark Office of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce
• “Top 100 Chinese Catering Enterprises” for 5 consecutive years.

Original Price :

• (2020, April), steamboat soup paste ~RM8.45 -RM9.5/pack.
• (2020, April), sauce ~RM3.5/pack.

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Hai Di Lao Background:

• Hai Di Lao is one of the reputable China’s hotpot giant and for this company quality and service comes first.
• Sichuan style hot pot chain famous for its unique special service with manicure, hand care, free leather show cleaning service, free photo printing, offers massage chairs, have children's play rooms (accompanied by special personnel),  Sichuan's characteristic face-changing performance,  fusion of Chinese martial arts performances, noodles making performances. It also provides variety of snacks, fruits, and games. During birthday celebration, the staff will sing birthday songs with Happy Birthday LED panel.
• Typically require to queue for hours, there’s limited seats / day and might not be able to get seats.
• Haidilao founder Zhang Yong. Forbes has named him  as Singapore’s third richest, has also been listed as the 224th richest man in the world.
• Haidilao is a successful Sichuan-style hotpot chain with 466 stores at the end of 2018. 
• has oversea outlets in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan.
• has more than 36 million VIP members and 60,000+ staff.
• Zhang Yong (Hai Di Lao founder) has majority stake in Haidilao Catering, Hai Di Lao International Holding (parent company of Haidilao),  Yihai International (food distribution and seasoning manufacturer for Haidilao).

-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

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Credits :
http://www.yihchina.com/en/product.html
https://www.haidilao.com/en/gyhdl/ppgs/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haidilao
https://vulcanpost.com/659450/haidilao-founder-chinese-hotpot-chain/
http://www.eeo.com.cn/ens/feature/2011/05/26/202211.shtml

These are my favourite. There are new flavour on their website. if you've tried them & let me know which flavour is recommended. 

MISTER POTATO Super Spicy Ghost Pepper Black Potato Chips

Mister Potato Limited Edition Super Spicy Ghost Pepper Black Crisps

Recommended? : Yes

• not extremely spicy, no numbing effect and it matches well with the potato chips taste .
• much better than ghost pepper black mamee monster noodles which is purely spicy only without any other taste.

Spicy effect? : 2-moderaterating scale: 1-mild, almost none, 2-moderate, 3-extreme

• less spicy if compare to eating spicy samyang noodles (x2 level, 2 packets) or China spicy chili pepper hot pot (extreme level) . 
• some of my friend said it's very spicy, i love eating China spicy hot pot, so i feel like this is just moderate but the spiciness blend very well with the potato chips. It actually tastes good. You'll eat more than 1 pieces if you can take the spiciness.

Key Features:

• Mister Potato x Daebak collaboration
• limited edition Daebak Ghost Pepper Super Spicy Black Crisps.
• Cover has Certificate Of Achievement and scale to measure your spicy tolerance level. The highest tolerance is to finish all in <30secs .="" font="" nbsp="">
• There's no artificial coloring for the black color. The black color is not from the chili, is from the charcoal bamboo powder.

Original Price :

• (2020, March), RM3.90

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Background:

• Daebak Ghost pepper is a product collaboration between Mamee, Malaysia and South Korea’s Shinsegae Food, South Korea.
• Previously came out with Daebak Ghost Pepper spicy instant noodles . It's sold in limited quantities and went viral on social media with #GhostPepperChallenge hashtag.
• Daebak Ghost Chilli Pepper Spicy instant noodles has ghost pepper (7th  spiciest chill in the world) and claim to give tastebuds a numbingly spicy experience.
• Consumers bought for the experience, not so much for the taste. Buyers even paid double the original price for secondary market.

-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

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Credits :

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/story-malaysias-famed-mamee-monster-noodles-no-instant-hit
https://www.facebook.com/pg/daebaknoodles/about/?ref=page_internal
https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2019&no=745655
https://www.minimeinsights.com/2019/09/26/shinsegae-food-to-export-daebak-ghost-pepper-spicy-chicken-to-china/


Address  : available at 7-Eleven outlets (we tried a few, only certain outlet has it)

SIN KA ONN Bakery 新加恩 Penang Cream Puff Review

Penang Food: Special Fresh Cream Puff, Sin Ka Oon Bakery 新加恩 - Review 

Recommended? : Yes

• large portion, freshly made, no clumpy solid in cream & the outer pastry skin is not too dry.
• the cream is decently sweet & taste better if keep in fridge.
• recommended to buy for home parties / events.

Note :

• reach early to buy.  my friend purposely go at 6:00am to buy this cream puff. It's freshly made & will finish quickly.

Key Features:

• light, creamy & smooth custard fillings.
• 63 years old local traditional Chinese bakery. Well known & recommended by one of my local Penang friend.

Original Price :

• (2020, March), RM1.30/pcs

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Background:

• Started since 1957. Reputable traditional Chinese bakery which is well known & recommended by local Penangites.  
• specializes in 3D cakes, namely figurines, wedding, tiered, fondant, variety of cheese and tiramisu cakes. All cakes use only pure mascarpone cheese and coffee liqueur instead of pre-mixes as ingredients.
• specially-made cookies such as special full moon cookies, special themed cookies, and modern full-moon packages.

-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase / experience. 

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Credits : 

http://www.sinkaoon.com/location/ 

http://www.sinkaoon.com/pies-puffs-others/ 

Address (Penang) : 606-M Jalan Paya Terubong, 11500 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia. 5.401606, 100.278329 (Near the famous ayer itam pasar kek lok si laksa) 

Contact (Penang): +604 - 828 2062   

Business Hours: 5.30 am to 10.00 pm daily.

Italy grocery: Campodoro Paolo Licata -Tomato Sauce with squid and black ink - What to buy in Italy

Q: Where do you buy black squid ink pasta sauce?

• Iperlando hypermarket, Venice, Italy. (similar to Tesco hypermarket in Malaysia. Just Italian version)

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Campodoro Paolo Licata  Sugo al Nero di Seppia 
(Tomato Sauce with squid and black ink, Italy)

• Recommended? : Yes (must buy in Italy)
  -easy to cook & with small chew-able calamari in the sauce. The sauce has tomato base mix with squid ink. Not fully black squid ink. We thought it's fully black squid ink sauce. The spaghetti won't look extremely black and has sourish taste from tomato. Something different from pure black ink sauce spaghetti.
• Ingredients:
  Tomato 45%, squids (cuttle fish) 25%, calamaries 10%, sunflower oil, wine, onion, carrots, salt.
• Key Feature:
  Specialty Marinara & excellent for seasoning spaghetti and rice, ready to heat up for 5 minutes.Condiments for pasta based on vegetables and fish. A classic  Mediterranean diet.

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Iperlando Background:

• Italian supermarket operating in food sector for over 40 years.
• located in provinces of Padua , Treviso, Venice and Rovigo .
• Mainly sell foodstuffs,  fresh gastronomy, butchery

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Campodoro Background:

• more than 32 years Campo d’ Oro in Sicily, Italy.
• range over 150 products that are divided into four lines: Villa Reale, Villa Reale Supreme, Paolo Licata.
• Typical preserves, sauces, pates, fish, marmalade and jam, sweet creams & organic products

-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

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Credits:
https://www.campodoro.eu/en/Sugo-al-Nero-di-Seppia%0A.xhtml?prod=235
https://www.campodoro.com/paololicata.pdf
http://www.iperlando.it/azienda/storia/
https://www.specialtyfood.com/organization/125482/campo-doro-di-licata-paolo-csas/
https://www.campodoro.com/en/history/

Business hours:
Monday to Friday: 08.30 - 20.00 (continuous hours)
Saturday: 08.00 - 20.00 (continuous hours)
Sunday: 08.30 - 19.00 (continuous hours)
Address:  Iperlando, Strada Statale 309 Romea, 56, 30034 Gambarare VE, Italy

Google location: IperLando, Venice, Italy.

180g , used half for 2 pax 

Italy Tomato Sauce with squid & black ink with wine , Camporo Paulo licata + Germany white wine + France white wine vinegar + Italy  truffle oil + United States wild catch scallop + Chile  mussels + Italy spaghetti + Australia  chili flakes + Italy hard grating Parmigiano Reggiano cheese + bacon + cherry tomatoes +  Turkey JamieOliver Himalayan pink salt + Italy clamps + garlic

Black squid ink pasta and cabonara pasta with Germany white wine.

Available at Iperlando, Venice, Italy.
 

Italy grocery: Parmigiano Reggiano, King of Cheese & Original Parmesan cheese - What to buy in Italy

Q: Why carry all the way from Italy when I can get Parmesan cheese here right ?

• Authentic traditional Parmigiano Reggiano is govern by Italian law, made in specific region of Italy & follow a very specific recipe to provide authentic Italian taste. It's not labelled as Parmesan cheese that's typically found in Asian supermarket.

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Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan?:   

• Do u know in Italy trademark law, only cheese made in Italy according to a specific recipe are allow to be labelled as “Parmigiano Reggiano”?
• Parmigiano Reggiano is always made in Italy, while Parmesan cheese can be made anywhere else with no recipe restrictions
• In simple words, Parmesan label is an imitation of the real Parmigiano Reggiano.

Why buy Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy?:

• Italy law, DOC (Denominazione di Origine controllata) is a rule governing production of Parmigiano Reggiano. It specifies how and where it's produced.
• Similar to the rules governing production of Champagne / tequila. It has to be produced in provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua / Bologna in Italy, follow a very specific recipe to receive  official seal.
• Italian cheeses have denominazione di origine protetta ("protected designation of origin (PDO)", or DOP), status under European Union regulations. This is a legislation is designed to protect regional foods & names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs. Cheese with PDO certification has an orange yellow certified tag.

Why PDO?:

• product quality / properties are significantly & exclusively determined by the geographical  environment (natural, human factors, production, processing & preparation)
• to receive the PDO status, the entire product must be traditionally & entirely manufactured within specific region to acquire unique product properties.

Aging/ maturity: 

• different maturity stages & recognized by aging seals given at 18 months, 24 months and 30 months.
• 40 mesi = 40 months (aging)
• Aging determines flavor intensity. A well-aged cheese will be more flavorful, less creamy and grainier in texture.

Paring:

• Parmigiano Reggiano can use cooking
• most typical pairing is with honey or balsamic vinegar from Modena.
• also pair with walnuts, zesty pear, champagne / sparkling wine.

Taste: 

• Parmesan taste more acidic & saltier.
• Parmigiano Reggiano are deeply rich & with nutty flavor.

Bag of pre-grated cheese or hard cheese by hand?:

• Hard grating cheeses have low moisture contents & more shelf-stable. Frequently they are aged for multiple years. Pre-grated cheese in bag tends to stick together over time in fridge.
• firmer in texture & melts more smoothly.
• worth more. with the same weight, cheese block will yield more grated shred compare to pre-grated cheese.

So, it’s not just a cheese that u can just get it here. Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of cheese, the price tag is higher but once u taste the real deal, u’ll never want to go back to the cheese with Parmesan label. It’s sounds a little crazy to travel with a piece of certified cheese but both of us just enjoy it this way.
-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

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Credits: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_DOP_cheeses  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_indications_and_traditional_specialities_in_the_European_Union#Protected_designation_of_origin_(PDO) 

https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-library/Parmigiano-Reggiano

Damon braces food trick

Damon braces food trick & kitchen shortcut - Daiso apple cutter review

Q: Do you bite apples directly when you wear damon braces? 

• During damon braces treatment, do not directly bite into hard fruits like apple to avoid breaking the bracket.
• Apples are required to cut into small slices.
• Use apple cutter as shortcut to save time and effort.
• Even after braces removal, do not bite directly. Biting whole apple directly will cause misalignment to your teeth (if you do it very often). 

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How to cut apple quickly into small slices especially for damon braces user?

• use Daiso apple cutter

Recommended? : Yes

• helps to cut apples into symmetrical slices effortlessly, remove the apple core without using knife and complete within seconds. Highly recommend this quick & easy kitchen tool

Cutting result: 3-excellent

rating scale: 1-slow, 2-moderate, 3-excellent

• apple slice are equivalent if the apple didn't have abnormal shapes. apple core is directly removed when press down the cutter. Very effective and can complete within 1-2 seconds.

Original Price :

• (2019, December), RM 5.90

Note:

• Ikea has the same design with cover for the cutter area for safety reason.
• The first apple cutter I used was from Ikea. The price is 2-3 times higher than Daiso. Material is better. However, there's not much difference in function. 

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-the information provided is based on personal experiences & reference materials during purchase 

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Address : Daiso outlet 

peel the apple before using apple cutter if you don't like apple skins

apple slices are even and apple core is removed