CHINESE TOMATO & EGG DOUGH DROP SOUP (GEDA TANG):
In this episode of Why it Works, Lucas Sin explains how to make a rich broth from oil, egg, and chicken stock.
"Geda Tang 疙瘩汤 is a homespun delight from Northern China. Unfortunately, geda (sometimes spelled ge da) suffers from a problem of translation. All over the internet, geda is separately translated as “Chinese gnocchi,” “Chinese spaetzle,” or “Chinese dough knots,” in no small part to avoid the literal translation of geda, which disgustingly means “pimple.” I will note that this affliction of difficult-to-translate dish names is not unique to Chinese food (consider the Italian vermicelli-“little worms”-or British spotted dick) but this is an issue we run into often. Here, my preferred translation is “dough drop,” because in effect, that’s the technique. Warm water is mixed into all purpose flour and dropped into boiling hot soup to form small, hearty dumplings of irregular shape and size, to give simple soups a little bit of substantiality. (You can also make a “dry” version of these dumplings-see the Test Kitchen Notes below.)
The soup in question is a variation of the Chinese favorite: tomato and eggs. It utilizes a technique of building an opaque soup even in the absence of stock from animals or vegetables. Soups are in part flavorful because the aromatics and the savoriness is emulsified into the liquid, meaning that as it cooks, the normally immiscible fats and water all come together. This effect is achieved here by cooking at high heat, thoroughly cooking scrambled eggs, and pouring boiling hot liquid into the pot, thereby causing violent movement of the fats, proteins, and water to eventually emulsify. The tomatoes in the soup balance out the bowl with their sweetness and acidity. It's then garnished with a little cilantro for herbaceousness and chili oil for spice. The result is a deeply satisfying soup that comes together in a matter of minutes." - Lucas
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - All About Geda Tang
01:03 - Making The Dough
04:47 - Making The Broth
10:36 - The Perfect Seasoning Ratio
11:40 - The Dough Drop (Wet)
13:51 - The Dough Drop (Dry)
16:00 - Taste Test!
GET THE RECIPE:
Chinese Tomato & Egg Dough Drop Soup (Geda Tang): food52.com/recipes/89976-chin...
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