Hainan gets short shrift as a cuisine,
even in China. And I agree, this is not as an extensive a cuisine as that of
its big brother to the west, Guangdong.
However, this tropical island perched
off of the southernmost coast of China near Viet Nam is home to some delicious
dishes that - like the foods of Guangxi and Guizhou on China's southern border
- blur the lines between Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine. Called Qióng
cài 瓊菜, the signature of this cuisine that just about everyone has heard of,
if not tasted, is Hainan Chicken, which is so popular in Singapore that it is
pretty close to the national dish.
The fishing grounds around Hainan have
traditionally been the source of much of this island's cuisine, and it has
become especially famous among local cognoscenti for its crustacean dishes.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Shrimp Steamed with Garlic, Hainan Shrimp Balls, and
Steamed Lobster all are perfectly delicious and have that tropical character
characteristic of this relatively unknown province.
The titles of some of its dishes can
harbor something even more delectable than the first image that pops into your
mind. Take, for example, Four Treasure Hainan Bean Curd. There's actually no
bean curd in there, as it is a delicate custard created out of egg whites,
coconut milk, and stock. The smooth texture of this delicate creation is
studded with tiny fresh shrimp, crab roe, and bits of fresh calamari for the
most comforting approach possible to seafood.
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| The easy ingredients |
But it's that coconut milk that
characterizes Hainan the most, as far as I'm concerned. And nothing else -
other than the lovely pandan leaves that scent many of its sweets - provides
such a sensual link between the tastes of China and Viet Nam.
Coconut milk is a big deal here because
this is China's very own Hawai'i. Coconut palms cover the island and are used
in a plethora of savory and sweet dishes. My own favorite for countless years
has been Sweet Coconut Tapioca Soup. If you are not a fan of tapioca, I
completely understand. In my book, tapioca puddings were things to be dreaded
as a child, sickly sweet and of questionable solidity, almost as bad as instant
pudding but somehow even scarier.
Chinese tapioca is different. Often
labeled as "sago" since the main ingredient in tapioca comes from the
sago palm, Chinese and Southeast Asian tapiocas are perfectly round pearls that
keep their lovely shape as they swell, and they therefore retain their chewy
texture rather than leaking it out into their surroundings. (And a quick note
here for all the Chinese-language students out there: the Chinese name for
tapioca - ximi - actually is short for Xīgòng mǐ 西貢米,
or Saigon rice, showing that this did indeed make its way into China via Viet
Nam.)
One of the most refreshing tapioca
recipes has to be this one. It is just perfect for this time of year when the
weather is hot and the melons are truly ripe and fragrant. You can use any type
of melon you like, or you could even use a mixture of them (green honeydew,
orange cantaloupe, red and yellow watermelon, for example) to make this a riot
of color.
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| Melon matchsticks |
My own twist on this is that in
addition to the coconut milk, I add a dash of coconut rum to really give the
flavor an extra jolt. Since there is only ¼ cup of rum to 10 cups of soup, that
works out to, um, let me calculate that... just a little bit per bowl. However,
if you want, you can omit the rum and serve it the traditional way.
Chill the soup for a couple of hours
before serving, and thin it out with some ice water if it seems too thick.
There's plenty here for seconds and leftovers, which is the way I like it!
Sweet coconut tapioca soup
Yēzhī xīmǐ lù
椰汁西米露
Hainan
Makes about 10 cups soup
3 cups water, divided
1 cup Chinese tiny tapioca pearls (ximi,
or sago)
½ cup sugar (rock, white, sugar
substitute, or agave nectar to taste)
1 cup ice water
1 (19 ounce) can good quality coconut
milk
3 cups melon cut into matchsticks (see
note below), or a 2½-pound slice of melon
¼ cup coconut rum, optional
More ice water, as needed
Ice cubes and mint sprigs, optional
1. Bring 2 cups water to a
boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Stir in the tapioca pearls, and keep on stirring
until the water comes to a boil again. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer
the tapioca, stirring occasionally, until the tapioca has swelled and the
mixture is very thick. Add the remaining 1 cup water to the tapioca, which will
"shock" the pearls and turn them translucent with little white
centers. Bring the pot to a boil again then remove from the heat.
2. Stir the sugar into the tapioca
until the sugar has melted. Add the cup of ice water to further shock the
tapioca and loosen up the pearls, and then stir in the coconut milk, melon
matchsticks, and rum, if desired.
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| Those tapioca pearls |
3. Pour the soup into a covered
container and chill for a few hours before serving. If the soup is too thick,
thin it by stirring in some iced water until the desired consistency is
achieved. On really hot days, float an ice cube or two in the soup, garnish
with some mint, and get ready to feel refreshed.
Note: To
slice the melon into matchsticks, cut the melon into wedges about an inch wide
on the outer (rind) edge. Trim off the rind and then slice the melon wedge into
long sheets about an eighth of an inch thick. Finally, cut widthwise across the
the sheets to form matchsticks that are more or less an inch long and an eighth
of an inch on the other two sides.
