Food Time

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs hosted a party for 60 foreigners to choose their favorite Taiwanese dishes and snacks. First the results.

Top 5 snacks
1. Oyster omelet 蚵仔煎
2. Pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶
3. Crispy salted chicken 鹽酥雞
3. Steamed pork dumplings 小籠湯包
5. Taiwanese meatballs 肉圓
6. Braised pork on rice 滷肉飯
Other LESS favorite choices
Stinky tofu 臭豆腐, Thin oyster noodle 蚵仔麵線, Chicken on rice 雞肉飯, and Shrimp rolls 蝦捲

Top 15 dishes
1. Scrambled egg with dried radish 菜脯蛋
2. Sauteed chicken cubes with dried chili 宮保雞丁
2. Sauteed spring onion beef 蔥爆牛肉
4. Deep-fried mushrooms 酥炸香菇
5. Mud crab with rice cake 紅蟳米糕
6. Steamed grouper 清蒸活石斑
6. Stir-fried Chinese cabbage 炒高麗菜
8. Three-cup chicken 三杯雞
8. Bitter melon with salted egg 鹹蛋苦瓜
10. Roast mullet roe 烤烏魚子
11. Sour and spicy pig intestines 五更腸旺
11. Buddha jumps over the wall 佛跳牆
11. Rice wine chicken 燒酒雞
14. Hakka stir-fry 客家小炒
15. Sesame oil chicken 麻油雞

Looking at the list I realized that there were several dishes that not only have I never tried, I've never heard of. So, I will set out in search of these dishes, eat and document as many as I can stomach and see if the 60 Taipei foreigners have a clue. After all, they are in Taipei.

If you look at the first #2 you will see sauteed chicken cubes with dried chili. That is more commonly known as Kung Pao Chicken ( or Gong Bao, as I use). This is a dish that I have had many times and is quite easy to make. I would like to give you a little variation that a buddy and I came up with several years ago and served it successfully at another friend's restaurant: Gong Bau Popcorn - 宮保爆米花.

Ingredients: oil, dried chiles and popcorn

Method:

• Choose a pot, dutch oven, stock pot or any thing big enough to yield a big batch of popcorn. It needs to be thick so the popcorn won't burn.
• Use oil with a high smoking point such as corn oil. Olive oil won't do. Heat to medium-high and add the dried chiles.
• Stir as they cook. Remove after they turn dark but not completely black. The oil is absorbing the chile oil and heat which will flavor the popcorn. You don't want to add a burnt flavor to it. You can add the chiles back later, but if you leave them in with the popcorn they will char and create a fumes and smoke that will knock you down.
• With the chiles removed, turn up the heat to high and let pot and oil raise their temperatures.
• When the oil starts to lightly smoke, add 1 or 2 kernels, cover and close. Wait for them to pop.
• After the 2 kernels have popped, add popcorn to cover the bottom. A little extra is okay but you don't want 2 or 3 layers of kernels.
• When popping begins, you can shake the pot a little to prevent any burning. You know best about the range you cook on. I use a gas range and find it great for this.
• When the popping slows down to single pops, remove from heat.
• Stir, add the chiles if desired and salt.
• Enjoy.