Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Freshwater shrimps with vinegar and the local flavors

During my stay in my brother-in-law's place in Suzhou, we enjoyed great hospitality and food similar to the tastes of home, thanks to the great cooking skills of their domestic helper who came in every day.
At the same time, we were constantly surprised by the occasional local dishes she whipped up to share with us, as some of the dishes that the local Chinese enjoy.

One of such dish is the Boiled Freshwater Shrimps
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing
The shrimps were medium-sized but really fresh; as one could taste the sweetness bursting through the shells!
According to Ah Yi (means Aunty in Chinese), the helper who prepared it; this is a local favorite dish and the way to take it is to dip it into a sauce made of vinegar, chili, soy sauce and garlic (I think) and with the shells on!
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing
I may be a fan of shrimps but honestly, I didn't like the idea of having it with the shells on. It was just a little bizarre to me; and I think I still prefer the shrimps without their shells:)
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

Stir-fried zucchini with eggs
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

Braised pork belly in soy sauce
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

Steamed grouper the Chinese style; with Chinese wine and light soy sauce, garnished with spring onions and ginger
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

Stir-fried mixed vegetables
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

Fishballs with Chinese spinach in soup
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing
I love the local fishballs; they are much tastier and bursting with the fishy flavor.

We did enjoy her culinary skills and variety, and who will ever say no to the comforts of homecooked food once in a while during travel?
Image Hosted by PicturePush - Photo Sharing

8 comments:

  1. These dishes look very fresh and healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. it's always nice to be able to try out some local home cooked food while on holiday. that braised pork belly and soup looks my kind of food!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow, I think I need a domestic helper :) That all looks so good, I would definitely try all of it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yeah the peeling the shells can be too much trouble so I sometimes get lazy to try. On the other hand my husband doesn't mind at all for great flavor so he peels a couple for me and I get to eat. Ha! =D I think shrimps keeps flavor well when it's still with the shell. Crabs too, I'm way too lazy. I love all these seafood you shared. I love Chinese food!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Yum List, absolutely, and extremely yummy too!:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. lena, I totally agree! However, we don't get lucky every time..hehe, when we travel alone to places where we don't have friends or relatives, well, we are on our own;) Not that it's any less fun either :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dining Alone, don't we all? I won't mind having someone who cooks all this and does most of the work hehehe....:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nami, that makes the two of us!:) Great hubbies who peel the shells for us..LOL, and yeah, prawns and crabs can be delicious but cumbersome when it comes to the shells:p
    I am also a big fan of Chinese food...just healthy and varied;)

    ReplyDelete