Description
Japanese eat lettuce as a 'cold raw salad'. In China, where cold food is historically disliked, lettuce is commonly eaten as a 'piping hot stir-fry'. Flash-fried on max heat for exactly 10 seconds with garlic and soy (or oyster sauce) to leave it perfectly crisp.
Restaurants serving Qing Chao Sheng Cai (Stir-fried Lettuce)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Veg Prep) Tear fresh lettuce (or Romaine) into large pieces by hand. Wash and dry 'COMPLETELY'. (Any remaining water drops the wok's temperature, making it a soggy mess).
- Coarsely mince garlic.
- (The Secret of Stir-frying) Heat the wok until smoking violently. Add generous oil.
- Drop in garlic, and the millisecond it blooms, dump in all the lettuce.
- A race against time. Violently toss the wok to coat the lettuce in oil.
- Shower with salt, a pinch of sugar, and chicken bouillon. Drizzle soy sauce (or oyster sauce) down the blistering sides of the wok to scorch it.
- The exact moment the lettuce 'wilts slightly and turns vivid green (about 10-
- seconds total)', remove instantly from the heat and plate.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Roasted garlic aroma、Scorched soy sauce aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Substitute for a cold Japanese lettuce salad)
Pairing
Braised Pork / Mapo Tofu(Heavy main dishes)
Trivia
[Trivia] Because Chinese historically believed 'raw water' and 'raw vegetables' cause stomachaches or chill the body, salad culture didn't exist until recently. Instead, their technique of 'second-speed flash-frying' (Qing Chao) evolved into the absolute best in the world.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Eat the piping hot, crunchy lettuce and its garlicky sauce directly over white rice. Because cooking reduces its volume, you can easily and deliciously consume massive amounts of vegetables compared to a raw salad.
Allergen
Wheat, Soybeans