Osmanthus ‘Gui Hua’ Bean Curd

When I saw this recipe in my favorite Beancurd Flavor book, I knew I gotta try it. Osmanthus ‘Gui Hua’ Bean Curd is sort of a replica of Osmanthus Shark Fin dish that I so loved. Typically you can find Osmanthus Shark Fin as one of the ‘season’ in the four season dish served in Chinese banquet.

Sweet Osmanthus or gui hua 桂花 in mandarin or also known as sweet olive, tea olive and fragrant olive is a flowering plant with heavily scented flowers. The scrambled eggs in the dish resembles the beautiful and tiny Osmanthus flowers… thus the name of this dish. With the addition of Shaoxing wine, a nice aroma as sweet as Osmanthus is achieved. Prior to this, I had no idea why the name Osmanthus is used in this kind of dishes until I investigated it. With the new found meaning, I believe I can now really appreciate the dish. What say you?

Let’s get started.

First, soak glass noodles in hot water so that it’ll soften faster.

Next, shred carrot, crab filament stick and spring onions as shown above.

Mash firm bean curds using a fork. Then add eggs and seasonings.

Next add shredded carrot, filament stick, spring onions and soaked and sectioned glass noodles. Mix well.

Allow me to add a little information about Shaoxing wine before we proceed.

Shaoxing wine is traditional Chinese fermented wines made from glutinous rice and wheat originating from the region Shaoxing, China. It’s special because of the water used in brewing this wine. This wine is renowned for its strong fragrant and will make a dish unique and aromatic. Because of its special qualities, many have been trying to replicate this wonderful wine and nowadays you can find many ‘fake’ Shaoxing wine in the market.

Now here’s a tip that my dad taught me on how to identify the ‘real’ genuine Shaoxing wine. When purchasing Shaoxing wine, the first thing you look for is the Pagoda Brand on the blue color sticker.

But to make sure it’s genuine, look for the ‘Pagoda Brand’ imprint on the glass at the back of the bottle. In Malaysia, the sole distributor for this wine is Hai-O. You can purchase Shaoxing wine from most Chinese groceries store.

Now we are ready to cook.

Add oil in the preheated wok and add all the mixed ingredients. Stir constantly until cooked. Last but not least, add Shaoxing wine and mix well. Garnish with shredded lettuce.

Osmanthus ‘Gui Hua’ Bean Curd is a mild stand alone dish and yet it’s perfumey due to the used of Shaoxing Wine. The shredded lettuce gives a crispy edge to the dish. I don’t recommend this dish with rice. Just eat it without any accompaniment. Remember to eat it hot. You’ll thanks me (coz you won’t be able to put your cutlery down). Scoop after scoop into your mouth! Hehe

Two things I’ll change when I cook it next time is to add more glass noodles (coz I used 100g pre-soaked glass noodles and not 100g unsoak noodles thinking it was too much) and a little more Shaoxing wine for extra oomphness.

Osmanthus ‘Gui Hua’ Bean Curd
Adapted from Beancurd Flavor
Serves 3-4

160g white firm bean curd (I used 2 bean curds which weight about 200g)
3 eggs
50g crab filament stick, shredded
50g carrot, shredded
50g spring onion, shredded
100g glass noodles, soaked and sectioned
About 3-4 lettuce, shredded

Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granule (I used anchovies powder)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (add in later)

Method:
1. Place bean curd in a large bowl and mash with a fork until fine. Add salt, chicken stock granule, pepper, sesame oil, eggs, shredded carrot, filament stick, spring onions and soaked and sectioned glass noodles. Mix well.

2. Add 2 tablespoons oil in a preheated wok. Pour in the mixed ingredients and stir constantly over high heat until cooked.

3. Lastly, add Shaoxing wine and mix well. Plate it and garnish with shredded lettuce.

Enjoy!