seasonal dessert recipe

in this season, Guangzhou rains a lot. it almost rain few times a day, or keep raining all day long. the weather is humid and you will feel tacky and very sleepy all the time. so  in the season, Cantonese will eat something which helps the body to dehydrate. you can also drink a cup of coffee to achieve that, but for non coffee drinkers, I would like to introduce this recipe of dessert. 

red bean sweet soup

use your hand to measure

(serve 3-4 people) 

1. red bean              3  grabs

2. red ricebean        1 grab

3. coix seed              1 grab

4. rice                         1 grab

5. figs                        few (depend on your favour)

6. dates                    3-5 

7. jaggery                 1 (depend on your favour)

a. soak the fist 4 ingredients over night.

b. put everything into a pot, pour in  about a liter of water. 

c. cook until it was boiled. 

d. pour in a slow cooker and keeping cooking for about an hour. if you didn't have a slow cooker, use the same pot, and turn the fire to smallest after it was boiled, and keep cooking for about an hour.

e. put a slid of jaggery, and keep cooking until it was melted. 

Canton Fair

Most foreign people come to Guangzhou for the Canton Fair every year. there are two fairs each year, spring and autumn. I used to go there for work, but this year, I just go for fun and wanted to  get few packs of travel size soya source.  

I knew the Pearl River Bridge Soya source will give out free sample small packs in their booth.  that is my favourite brand of  soya source when I lived in England. in Guangzhou, there some even better small local brands, but Pearl River Bridge Soya source is the best exported one. last year, when I was travelling in Armenia, I could not found soya source in this country! I like cooking by myself, while without soya source, I can't make satisfactory food. I planed to go to Armenia again this year, so I must get some travel size packs!

I said I am a super fan of their soya source, the manager was very happy and nicely gave me a lot,haha¬lucky me!  ^_^ 

even happier than was given the travel size pack of skin care. 

this remained me the first day I moved to Oxford. when I set up everything in my new home, then I went shopping in the small supper market near by. when I was searching for soya source, a man kindly  recommended me to buy the  Pearl River Bridge Soya source. I smiled, and say: yes, I know it is good, I am Cantonese, this is one of our famous local brand. then he recommended me use this soya source and oxford source to fire mixed vegetable. he say the taste is incredibly amazing, and this is the local taste here in Oxford. I think, well, maybe it is good to have a try,oxford source in oxford. I always like to try local food. then I listened to him, and buy all the needed ingredients home and have them cooked by followed his recommendation. 

how it was taste? --- why had I listened to an England about how to make chinese stir fry?! am I stupid?   the oxford source taste weird! I should never trust what English means " taste  incredibly amazing ". 

information about the canton fair:  http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/

expats take your passports or ID, and paid about 400 CNY, you can register as a buyer, it is a permanent pass, don't forget to keep it for the next Canton Fair.