Happy Lunar New Year! Zha Jiang noodles with wasabi for longevity in the Year of the 🐂 my grandma just turned 💯 so I probably have that covered! @dooediligence sent me this gorgeous @xianfoods book and it partially inspired the #quarantinecookbookclub because the recipes and stories transported me across the world to Xi’an, China at a time when we cant leave the house.
That has been one of the best parts of this quest: mentally traveling to so many different places through the cuisine and storytelling of these books. Xi’an was the longest serving ancient capital of China, the epicenter of culture in the country, with access to the flavors of the Silk Road, influenced by the Muslim community that grew in the city over the centuries.
@jais3n had me at “i got fat off this dish in middle school.” As a fatty preteen myself, i know 5th grade me would have loved this, though maybe not the dollop of wasabi Jason recommends. That is from his childhood when his dad worked at a Chinese/Japanese restaurant and experimented with putting wasabi on everything, including this classic pork dish 🐖
