Introduce 4 SOUPS of hot to you

Have you ever wondered how the Chinese can make such delicious soups out of what appear to be very simple materials? The secret is, of course, the stock that is used as a basis for the soup, and the addition of MSG in the seasonings. A Chinese cook can make a soup fit for the gods merely by adding a handful of fresh greens to boiling water and pouring the whole mixture over a pinch of MSG and salt in a serving bowl.

The ingredients for the soup, either raw or part-cooked, and almost always cut into small, thin shreds or slices, are rapidly poached in the boiling stock for less than a minute, so that they retain their delicate texture and flavour.

Do not use a stock cube as a short cut, since the commercially manufactured produce contains quite different constituents; it has an entirely un-Chinese taste.

Allow about 175ml (6 fl oz) stock per person when making soup; therefore 600ml (1 pint) will serve four with the addition of other solid ingredients.

Like the Cold Starters, very little cooking skill is required for making any of these soups, therefore you should have no difficulty in achieving a 98%– 100% success rate, provided you have a good stock to start with, and the right seasonings.

hancheng

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