Chillies have been an important part of several regional Chinese cuisines since the Qing dynasty and in search of spicy recipes Grand Hyatt Macau recently sent three experts from Beijing Kitchen to visit China’s three spice-loving cities – Chengdu, Guiyang and Chongqing. Their mission was to bring back classic and authentic spicy flavours to please the palates of diners in Macau, and those who love hot food can savour the diverse and spice-laden menu at Beijing Kitchen from 24 September to 31 October.
Beijing Kitchen’s Chef de Cuisine, Jason Sun, Chef Neo Ng from Pastry and Assistant Manager of Beijing Kitchen, Ms Celine Li tasted all kinds of spicy dishes, learned recipes from local Hyatt chefs and visited chilli fields and markets to unravel the authentic secrets of this type of spice. During their travels, the trio discovered that every city has its own unique spice style.
In Chengdu, they visited one of the China’s biggest wholesale chilli markets. “You can follow your nose to find it – it covers an area the size as our entire events floor,” says Chef Jason. “Spice from Chengdu is less hot than that from other cities. The dishes concentrate more on the fragrance of the spice and incorporate numbing elements from Sichuan pepper,” he continued. Celine particularly liked Chengdu’s iconic dish, Sichuan-style cabbage soup which is a signature dish and is served at national banquets. The finest chicken and other fresh ingredients are cooked for hours to create a rich and nutritious consommé that looks simple to make but is full of flavour.
Chilies are as indispensable as salt in Guiyang cuisine and people prefer a “dry spicy” flavour with added acidity. The Head Chef of Hyatt Regency Guiyang took the Grand Hyatt Macau team to visit a famous local hot-pot restaurant where it was stunned by the vast variety of soup bases, condiments and sauces available. Guiyang style dishes on the Beijing Kitchen “La” menu include the well-known local dish of sliced fish with preserved vegetables and chillies which combine sour and spicy flavours.
Chongqing’s cuisine is the hottest of the three and is often doused in spicy red oil. The team went to an organic chilli plantation in Chongqing to learn more about how chillies are grown and spotted the rare black chilli that looks like an eggplant and is said to be full of vitamins. Garoupa fillet in numbing pepper and hot chilli oil and Sichuan “dan dan” noodles are Chongqing signature dishes that have been adapted to suit local tastes for the Beijing Kitchen “La” promotion.
Chef Neo was impressed by Chengdu’s local rice pudding dessert which goes well with spicy food. He uses traditional brown sugar to make this classic Chengdu dish, accompanied by watermelon and crunchy peanuts to enhance the sweetness and freshness. During the trip, what he learnt and found in the cities also inspired him to make a dessert of Mao Tai infused ice cream and Sichuan pepper sherbet to accompany the “La” menu.
The Spicy “La” Promotion runs from 24 September to 31 October at Beijing Kitchen.
