Gardenia Fruit (Zhi Zi)
鶏肉が黄金色に輝く！日本の栗きんとんと同じ天然の黄色
Description
The 'Gardenia fruit' used in Japan to color Kuri Kinton and Takuan. In Chinese cuisine, it's prized as a natural food coloring to dye the skin of whole boiled 'White Cut Chicken' (Bai Qie Ji) a beautiful golden yellow, or to brighten the color of Lu Shui (master stock).
Classification: Everyone, Spice, Zhi Zi, Gardenia, Colorant, Yellow, Poultry Dishes, Pickles
Shops selling Gardenia Fruit (Zhi Zi)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Dried fruit of Gardenia jasminoides
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Bai Qie Ji (Cantonese Boiled Chicken)]: Toss 1-
- cracked gardenia fruits into the boiling broth; the chicken skin dyes a mouth-watering vivid yellow.
- Boil to extract color for yellow pickles or Chinese sweets.
- Drink as tea for its heat-clearing medicinal properties.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Almost no taste or aroma; purely dyes dishes a vivid yellow
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Can be perfectly substituted with JP supermarket gardenia fruit
Pairing
Bai Qie Ji (Boiled Chicken) / Lu Shui / Chinese Sweets
Trivia
The secret to why chicken served in high-end Chinese restaurants shines so golden and glossy is because it's boiled in water infused with this Zhi Zi. Affecting no flavor, it is a spice purely for the 'aesthetic of appearance'.
Eating tips & etiquette
When using, 'smack' the hard shell with pliers or knife back to expose the red seeds before putting in hot water. Without cracking, no color releases.
Allergen
None