Chaozhou traditional snacks @ Ancient City Wall (Part I)

Chwee kway 咸水粿

On my second day in Shantou, we took a bus ride for a day trip in Chaozhou. It was an hour's ride away. Within Chaozhou's Ancient City wall was a 2.6 km old town where some of it is really run down. Parts of it have been renovated and we found some lovely cafes, tea houses where we stopped for refreshments.

To see the town at your own pace, visitors can hire a family bike (for 2 or up to 6 people). For added adventure, you could also hire a trishaw to ride round the city.

The first stall on the streets of the old town I found was chwee kueh (steam rice cakes). Compared to those sold in Singapore, they are smaller, taste coarse and hard. They are served cold with a warm radish side.

Soon Kueh

Teochew Soon Kueh 潮州笋粿 (bamboo shoot dumplings)
Unlike those sold in Singapore, bamboo shoot is used as the filling. For people who like bamboo shoot, this is yummy.

Handmade beef balls

Hammering away at the beef on a huge chopping board in front of his eatery, this was an amusing sight. From afar, I thought he was hitting a drum.

Hand hammered beef balls ()手锤牛肉丸 are the most common and popular of Teochew snacks. Beef mixed with some tendon is turned into a meat paste as he hammered the mixture using a pair of special wooden round sticks that resemble drumsticks.

The meat paste is then shaped into beef balls and cooked in beef bone soup. I didn't get to taste these beef balls as we were being herded to our next destination .... the downside of a guided group tour. :P

Kway Chap rice sheets

The kway chap noodles (粿汁) sold on the streets of Chaozhou old town is the dried version. The flat rice sheets was thick and hard like biscuits.

I couldn't find a kway chap stall here, hope to taste it before my trip ended.

Spring rolls 潮州春卷

Chaozhou Spring Rolls (popia)
Several tour members and I couldn't resist the aroma of freshly fried spring rolls sold at a stall. We bought some to taste .... were surprised that they added green beans to the filling. One member was so disappointed with the taste that he threw the remainder away.

Noticed how the snacks were made in unsanitary kitchens and have been sitting out in the open air all day, I was constantly reminding myself not to overindulge. I didn't want to get sick on my second day.

Teochew Culture @ Chaoshan - PhotoHunt

Teochew kung-fu tea demonstration 潮州工夫茶

Photohunt theme : Funny/Work tools

I had a glimpse of our fascinating Teochew culture during a trip to Chaozhou Ancient City (潮州古城).

Teochew kung-fu tea is unique to the Chaoshan area, I was served kung-fu tea in every house or shop I visited. Even my hotel room has a tea set for me to use. :)

I watched a Teochew kung-fu tea demonstration by a master craftsman and was awed by the elaborate steps required to prepare a cup of tea. I noted down the traditional technique of brewing tea including instructions on water type, temperature, infusion and grading of tea leaves.

To ensure the tea in every cup is the same temperature and strength, the tea is not poured one cup at a time. Without pausing, it is poured evenly over the cups in a circular motion. The brewing, serving and drinking of kung-fu tea is a fine art which I would love to learn more.

Notice the setup of a clay stove and kettle. Some older folks in Chaoshan still boil water like this. What's really interesting is the fuel they use for the stove - charcoal made from olive pits!

Inside the olive pits are nuts which carry oil substance that give out a unique light aroma when burnt. The master craftsman invited us to have a whiff of the aroma from the olive coal.

The shop sells a variety of tea leaves and basic sets of tea ware for those who want to enjoy a good brew. I already own a tea set and lots of good-grade tea leaves at home so I didn't buy any.

Teochew Hand-pulled teapot  潮州手拉壶

Next we visited a small factory to see the production of Teochew "shou-la" teapot..... i.e. hand pull method on spinning wheel.

Some members bought hand-pulled teapots which were made by a master craftsman and also come with certificates. A hand-pulled small teapot costs RMB 1250 while a medium one costs RMB 8000+.

Teochew Hand Hammered beef balls  手捶牛肉丸

One amusing scene that early morning was this hawker who was hammering away at the beef on a huge chopping board. From afar, I thought he was hitting a drum. I was thinking to myself : How funny! His drum didn't produce a sound.

When I saw what he was doing, I couldn't help laughing out loud. He offered a brief introduction without stopping what he was doing.

Hand hammered beef balls are the most common and popular of Teochew snacks. Beef mixed with some tendon is turned into a meat paste as he hammered the mixture using a pair of special wooden round sticks that resemble drumsticks.

The meat paste is then shaped into beef balls and cooked in beef bone soup. I didn't get to taste these beef balls as we were being herded to our next destination .... the downside of a guided group tour. :P