Wokipedia: Y is For... Yin'er, Youpoumian, Youtiao, Yuenyeung

Wokipedia is a regular column in which we introduce aspects of Chinese gastronomy, one letter at a time. This issue, 'Y' gets the treatment.

… 银耳 yín'ěr

Jelly-like yin’er (or “silver ear”) mushrooms fall firmly into the “purely textural” category of Chinese ingredients. Like the more common wood ear mushrooms, silver ear mushrooms are usually bought dried then rehydrated in hot water before being added to soups or stir-fries. Silver-ear mushrooms are a yin, or “cooling,” ingredient and are used to combat an excess of hot, yang energy in the body. They are often combined with pears and rock sugar to make a sweet soup that is used to treat dry winter coughs.

… 油泼面 yóupōmiàn

No Shaanxi-style restaurant menu would be complete without youpomian (literally “oil-splashed noodles,” pictured above), one of the province’s most famous noodle dishes. Thick, belt-like wheat noodles are cooked until tender then placed in a bowl and topped with ground chili, raw garlic, scallions, and other seasonings. To finish, a ladle of hot oil is poured over the top – the “oil splashing” part of the name. A simple dish, perhaps, but certainly a satisfying one.

… 油条 yóutiáo

Calling youtiao “Chinese donuts” does them a disservice, as these deep-fried delights have a texture and allure all their own. The simple wheat dough is augmented with baking powder or alum to help the youtiao crisp up when they are fried. In northern China, youtiao is colloquially referred to as guozi and you will often find them wrapped inside Tianjin-style jianbing.

… 鸳鸯 yuenyeung/yuānyāng

This popular Hong Kong drink is perfect for the sleep-deprived, as it combines both coffee and strong milk tea. The name "yuenyeung" (or yuānyāng in Mandarin) originally refers to Mandarin ducks, which symbolize pairs of unlike items that go together perfectly, as the male and female ducks look very different yet are always seen in pairs. The traditional recipe calls for three parts coffee to seven parts milk tea, although you can often ask to change the ratio according to taste. 

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Photo: thewoksoflife.com