Fragrant pork

If you cook this dish in a fairly large quantity it can be served at a number of meals, or the leftovers can be used in other dishes such as Yangchow fried rice, or stir-fried ten varieties. [...]

The Chinese laurel is a large tree which produces bright yellow, fragrant flowers. The pork in this recipe is cooked with eggs, which give a yellow colour to the dish - hence the name. [...]

For this recipe, use small, thin-skinned green peppers if possible. [...]

The green pepper or pimento, a native of America, is now cultivated in all parts of the world. Its crunchy texture makes it very popular in China. [...]

This recipe originated in Shandong, a province in the north with which Peking cuisine is closely associated, and which is famous for its leek and onion-flavoured dishes. [...]

Sichuan (Szechuan) preserved vegetable is made of the root of a vegetable whose texture resembles a radish, pickled with chilli and salt. It is very hot and salty. [...]

My earliest recollection of the Chinese countryside is of a trip to a Buddhist temple high up in the wooded hills a few miles from Nanchang, my grandparents' home town, south of the Yangtze River. [...]