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Hong suan tang
红酸汤: wild tomatoes and red chillies fermented into Guizhou's bright red sour base for soups and hot pots
In the Miao and Dong villages of Qiandongnan, south-east Guizhou, small wild 'hairy' tomatoes and red chillies ripen together in late summer, and every household fills tall jars with them to ferment into hong suan tang, the red sour base of the region's famous sour-soup fish and sour-soup beef hot pots. The fermented paste is bright scarlet, sharply sour, fruity and fiery, with a funk from the ferment that ordinary tomato never has. People say three days without sour and you walk unsteadily, and it goes into soups year round. Outside Guizhou, use cherry tomatoes, which have a similar high acidity. Common mistake: fermenting with too little salt or with wet produce, which goes mushy and off; dry everything first and weigh the salt. Normal signs: bubbles, a sour, wine-like fruity smell and liquid rising. Bad signs: fuzzy coloured mould, pink or black patches, or a rotten smell; discard. It is ready after 2–3 weeks, when it tastes clearly sour and the raw tomato taste has gone. Then keep it in the fridge for 3 months or freeze it. Chef's tip: fry a few spoonfuls in oil with ginger before adding stock; it turns a deeper red and smells richer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the tomatoes
- 2 ¼ lb small wild or cherry tomatoesripe, red and firm
- 1 ¾ oz salt
For the chillies
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh red chillies
- 1 ¾ oz fresh gingerpeeled
- 1 ⅜ oz garlicpeeled
- 1 ¼ oz salt
To finish
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- ¾ cup water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash the 2 ¼ lb small wild or cherry tomatoes and 1 ⅛ lb fresh red chillies and let them dry completely on a cloth, at least 2 hours.
10 minStep 2: Wash two 1 litre jars in hot soapy water, rinse and dry them in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes; cool.
10 minStep 3: Crush the tomatoes by hand or pulse in a food processor into a chunky pulp, mix with 1 ¾ oz salt and pack into one jar, leaving 4 cm of space.
10 minStep 4: Pull the stalks off the chillies and chop them with 1 ¾ oz fresh ginger and 1 ⅜ oz garlic into coarse pieces; mix with 1 ¼ oz salt and pack into the second jar, pressing until juice covers.
10 minStep 5: Close both jars loosely and ferment at room temperature for 2–3 weeks, pressing down daily and opening the lids to release gas. Bubbles, a sour fruity smell and rising liquid are normal; discard if fuzzy coloured mould or a rotten smell appears.
Step 6: When both taste sour, combine them in a pan. Whisk 2 tbsp rice flour into ¾ cup water, add and simmer over a low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring, until thick, glossy and a deep red that coats a spoon.
20 minStep 7: Cool completely, spoon into clean jars and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months, or freeze in portions for a year. Use a clean dry spoon each time; discard if mould or a rotten smell develops.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does hong suan tang take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of small wild or cherry tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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