Si Xi Kao Fu (Shanghai Braised Gluten with Four Joys)
The sponge sucks up the sweet sauce! A cold dish of Shanghai's finest gluten
Description
An absolute staple appetizer in Shanghai homes and restaurants. 'Kao Fu' is a dry, bubble-filled sponge. It is braised pitch-black and sweet-savory with soy sauce, rock sugar, and the 'Four Joys': dried shiitake, wood ears, daylily, and peanuts.
Restaurants serving Si Xi Kao Fu (Shanghai Braised Gluten with Four Joys)
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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
- Kao Fu
- Dried shiitake
- Wood ears
- Daylily buds
- Peanuts
- Soy sauce
- Rock sugar
- Star anise
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Rehydrate dry Kao Fu for hours. MUST tear into bite-sized pieces by hand to keep bubbles intact. Boil briefly to remove sourness, then squeeze violently dry.
- Flash-fry the Kao Fu in generous oil. Coating the sponge with oil prevents disintegration.
- Prepare rehydrated dried shiitake, wood ears, daylily buds, and peanuts.
- Boil soy sauce, dark soy, star anise, cinnamon, massive rock sugar, and shiitake water.
- Add all ingredients, cover, and simmer on low.
- Open lid and blast on high heat to evaporate liquid.
- Kill heat when the gluten sponges have absorbed every single drop of the pitch-black syrup. Serve chilled.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Profound depth of reduced soy and rock sugar、Shiitake broth
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese Kuruma-bu or Atsuage
Pairing
Warm Shaoxing Wine / Longjing Tea
Trivia
[Trivia] 'Si Xi' means four joys, referring to the 4 auspicious ingredients. Rooted in Buddhist vegetarian cuisine with zero meat. Through Shanghai's heavy seasoning technique, it evolved into an ultimate sweet-savory appetizer.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Most delicious eaten as a cold appetizer. The exact second you bite into the gluten sponge, the extremely sweet-savory shiitake syrup trapped inside gushes into your mouth. The crunch of the peanuts elevates the fluffiness perfectly.
Allergen
Wheat, Soybeans, Peanuts