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ParihuelaSpicy seafood soup

Parihuela is the big weekend seafood soup of Callao and the Peruvian coast, eaten at long Sunday lunches in cevicherías and praised as a cure for tiredness and late nights. A deep red broth of ají panca, ají amarillo, tomato and fish stock is loaded with chunks of fish, prawns, squid and mussels. A portion gives about 30 g of protein, from the fish and shellfish, for roughly 300 kcal. Some cooks add chicha de jora or beer; this version has none. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at once: squid and prawns turn rubbery while the fish cooks, so they go in last. Before cooking, discard any mussels that stay open when tapped, and after cooking discard any that stay shut. Chef's tip: fry the chilli pastes in the oil until they darken and smell sweet; that toasted ají is what gives parihuela its depth.

70 min

Peruvian Fish

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Ba bao zhouEight-treasure porridge

Across China, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is Laba, and households and Buddhist temples simmer a big pot of eight-treasure porridge to share: glutinous and black rice cooked slowly with red beans, mung beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, red dates and longan until thick and gently sweet. Beijing families still give bowls to neighbours, and it is a warming winter breakfast all season. A bowl gives about 9 g of protein from the beans, peanuts and lotus seeds, so it is a filling porridge rather than a high-protein one. Soak the beans, peanuts and lotus seeds for at least 4 hours or overnight. The common mistake is putting everything in at once: the rice goes to glue before the beans soften, so the beans get a head start. Chef's tip: add the rock sugar only in the last 10 minutes; sugar added early toughens the bean skins.

120 min

Chinese Breakfast & Brunch

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Wandouhuang (豌豆黄, Beijing chilled yellow pea cake)

Wandouhuang is a Beijing spring and early-summer sweet, sold from carts around the Qingming festival and once polished into an imperial version for the Qing court that is still served in Beihai Park's old-style restaurants. Yellow split peas are boiled to a mush, pressed through a sieve and cooked down with sugar until thick, then left to set in a tray and cut into neat pale-gold blocks. Chilled, it is cool and smooth with a fine, melting texture and the gentle, nutty taste of peas. Serve on small plates with jasmine tea, or after a rich meal. It is naturally egg-free and needs no setting agent at all: the starch in the peas firms the paste as it cools, like a polenta. Chef's tip: the common mistake is not cooking the paste down far enough; keep stirring until a line drawn through it with a spatula stays open for a few seconds, or it will not slice.

480 min

Chinese Desserts

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WowotouSteamed cornmeal cone buns

Wowotou are the little golden cones that fed northern China through hard decades, and Beijing restaurants now serve them, made small and slightly sweet, as nostalgic winter food alongside stews and pickles. A hollow is pressed into the base of each with a thumb so they cook through evenly. Soybean flour gives them a nutty taste and about 10 g of protein for three buns, from the soy and corn, so they are not high-protein on their own. They are gluten free if your cornmeal and soy flour are milled where wheat isn't; check the packet. The usual mistake is mixing with cold water: the dough stays crumbly and the cones crack, so scald it with near-boiling water. Chef's tip: wet your hands before shaping each cone; the dough won't stick and the surface steams smooth and shiny.

45 min

Chinese Breads & Parathas

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Haidai doufu tangKelp and tofu soup

Kelp and tofu soup is everyday drinking soup across China, ladled out at family dinners in Qingdao, Dalian and inland cities alike, and thought of as cooling and good for the body. Strips of kelp give a savoury sea flavour, cubes of soft tofu turn tender in the broth, and ginger, white pepper and spring onion keep it clean and warming. Each bowl has about 130 kcal and roughly 12 g of protein, from the tofu, so it is a light side soup rather than a high-protein meal. The common mistake is not rinsing dried kelp well: grit and the white salt bloom make the soup cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: simmer the kelp first on its own for 10 minutes; it softens and seasons the water before the tofu goes in.

30 min

Chinese Soups

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Qingtuan (青团, mugwort rice balls with red bean)

Qingtuan are the taste of spring across Jiangnan: in Shanghai, Hangzhou and the water towns like Wuzhen, steamers of them appear in March and April, and families take them on Qingming tomb-sweeping visits. The dough gets its deep green colour and grassy, slightly bitter scent from young mugwort leaves blanched and blended into glutinous rice flour. Steamed and brushed with oil, the balls are glossy, soft and stretchy, with a smooth sweet red bean centre. Eat them warm or at room temperature with green tea. Qingtuan is naturally egg-free: glutinous rice flour mixed with hot water and mugwort purée forms a pliable dough that steams firm, so no binder is needed. Buy lard-free red bean paste or make your own. Chef's tip: a pinch of soda in the blanching water keeps the mugwort bright green; the common mistake is leaving it out, which gives an olive-grey dough.

70 min

Chinese Desserts

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Baicai dun doufuCabbage and tofu stew

In Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin, napa cabbage is stored by the hundredweight for winter, and this gentle stew of cabbage and tofu is what many families eat on a cold evening with steamed buns or rice. The cabbage softens and sweetens into the broth, while the tofu turns silky and swells with flavour; ginger and white pepper give it warmth. Salt is the only seasoning, so it stays gluten free. Each portion has about 230 kcal and roughly 21 g of protein, from 150 g of firm tofu. The common mistake is adding all the cabbage at once: the leaves overcook while the thick stems stay crunchy. Chef's tip: fry the cabbage stems in the oil until their edges brown before adding water; it gives the broth a sweet, toasty depth.

35 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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Aiwowo (艾窝窝, Beijing stuffed sticky rice balls)

Aiwowo began as a Hui Muslim snack in Beijing and is now a fixture of old Beijing snack shops from Lunar New Year until summer, eaten cool as a mid-afternoon treat. Steamed glutinous rice is pounded until sticky, wrapped around a crunchy filling of toasted sesame, walnuts, sugar and sugared osmanthus, then rolled in cooked rice flour so the balls look like little snowballs. They are soft and chewy outside, crunchy and fragrant inside, and only lightly sweet. Serve them with jasmine or chrysanthemum tea. Aiwowo is naturally egg-free: pounding the steamed rice releases its sticky starch, which binds the dough and seals in the filling. Chef's tip: the common mistake is dusting with raw flour; steam the flour first, or the coating tastes chalky.

300 min

Chinese Desserts

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Aguadito de polloCoriander chicken rice soup

Aguadito is the soup Lima serves in the small hours: at the end of a wedding, after New Year's Eve and at weekend family lunches, it is ladled out thick and steaming to revive everyone. Rice simmers in chicken broth coloured deep green with blended coriander and warmed with yellow ají amarillo, along with peas, carrot, pepper, sweetcorn and potato. A portion gives about 24 g of protein, from the chicken with a little from the rice and peas, for around 480 kcal. The common mistake is adding the coriander purée too early: cooked for long it turns khaki and loses its fresh taste, so stir it in for the last 10 minutes. The chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone. Chef's tip: blend a handful of spinach with the coriander; it keeps the colour vivid green without changing the flavour.

75 min

Peruvian Soups

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Helado de dulce de leche (Buenos Aires dulce de leche ice cream)

Dulce de leche is the flavour Buenos Aires heladerías are judged by, and on a summer night the queues at neighbourhood ice-cream shops stretch out onto the pavement well after dinner. Locals order it plain, with a ripple of extra dulce de leche (dulce de leche granizado adds chocolate flakes), often by the kilo to take home. It is dense, chewy and deeply caramel. This home version is egg-free with no custard: a little cornflour cooked into the milk thickens it the way yolks would, and the dulce de leche itself is milk and sugar cooked down, its sugar and milk solids keeping crystals tiny so it stays smooth and scoopable. Churn it, or still-freeze and stir it every 45 minutes. Chef's tip: chill the extra dulce de leche before rippling it in; the common mistake is folding in a warm one, which melts into the ice cream instead of leaving ribbons.

295 min

Argentinian Desserts

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Guota doufuEgg-battered pan-fried tofu

Guota doufu comes from the Lu kitchen of Shandong, where guota means pan-fried and then simmered so the coating soaks up the sauce. It is a banquet dish in Jinan restaurants and a family favourite at home: tofu slices are dusted in flour, dipped in egg, fried golden, then simmered briefly in a savoury stock with ginger and spring onion until the eggy coating turns tender and juicy. This version uses vegetable stock and no cooking wine. A portion gives about 24 g of protein, from the tofu and eggs. The common mistake is too much stock, which turns the coating soggy and loose; add only enough to come halfway up the tofu. Chef's tip: shake off the excess flour well before the egg, or the coating peels away in sheets.

30 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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冰粉 (Bingfen, Sichuan ice jelly)Ice jelly with brown sugar syrup

Bingfen is what Chengdu reaches for after a numbing hotpot or on a sticky summer night: a bowl of wobbly, glass-clear jelly, cold from the fridge, splashed with dark brown-sugar syrup and scattered with hawthorn flakes, raisins, peanuts and sesame. It is sold at night markets and hotpot restaurants all over Sichuan and Chongqing, and the jelly itself tastes of almost nothing, just cool and soothing, so the syrup and toppings bring the flavour. It is naturally egg-free and plant-based. The jelly traditionally comes from shoo-fly plant seeds rubbed in water; here it is made with ice-jelly powder, a plant-based setting powder sold in Chinese grocers, which sets clear as it cools. Chef's tip: let the jelly set undisturbed; the common mistake is stirring or moving it while it is half-set, which leaves it cloudy and weeping.

80 min

Chinese Desserts

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Chilcano de pescadoClear fish broth

In the fishermen's terminals of Chorrillos and Callao, chilcano is what you drink on a Sunday morning after a long night: a clear, gingery broth made from the heads and bones left over from cleaning fish for ceviche, with chunks of fish, red onion, chilli and a squeeze of lime in the bowl. It is light and warming, around 160 kcal a bowl, and still gives about 24 g of protein from the fish fillet and the broth. The common mistake is squeezing the lime into the pot while it boils, which turns it bitter; add it to each bowl at the table. Don't boil the bones for more than 30 minutes either, or the broth turns cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger for heads and frames from mild white fish like sea bass or cod, and leave out oily fish such as mackerel, which makes the broth strong and fishy.

55 min

Peruvian Soups

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Xiqin chao baiheCelery and lily bulb stir-fry

In Guangdong homes and dim sum restaurants this pale green and ivory stir-fry is served as a cooling dish in the dry autumn months, when lily bulb is said to soothe the lungs. Celery is cut on the slant and stir-fried hot with garlic, then the sweet, starchy petals of fresh lily bulb go in for the last minute, with a glossy thin sauce. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is cooking the lily bulb too long: it turns floury and falls apart, so add it last. If you can't get fresh lily bulb, use soaked dried lily bulb or water chestnuts for crunch. Chef's tip: blanch the celery for 30 seconds first; it keeps its jade colour and only needs a quick toss in the wok.

16 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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Hongshao doufuRed-braised tofu

Hongshao doufu is the meat-free cousin of red-braised pork, cooked in home kitchens from Shanghai to Sichuan as a weeknight dinner with rice and a green vegetable. Slices of firm tofu are fried until golden, then braised in a glossy, mahogany sauce of light and dark soy, a little sugar, ginger and spring onion until they turn sweet-salty and slightly chewy. This version skips the usual splash of Shaoxing wine. A portion gives about 26 g of protein, from 200 g of firm tofu each. The common mistake is moving the tofu too soon in the pan; leave it until it releases on its own, or it tears. Chef's tip: let the sauce reduce until it bubbles thickly and coats the back of a spoon; that is when the tofu is properly lacquered.

30 min

Chinese Vegetarian

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Malan tou with pressed tofuAster greens and pressed tofu salad

When the first malan tou shoots appear in Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou markets in early spring, families make this little cold dish to start a meal: the tender aster leaves are blanched, chopped very fine and mixed with diced smoked pressed tofu, salt, a pinch of sugar and sesame oil. It tastes grassy, nutty and clean. Malan tou can be hard to find outside China; young spinach or shepherd's purse works well. As a side dish for four, each portion has about 120 kcal and roughly 9 g of protein, from the pressed tofu, so it is light rather than high in protein. The common mistake is leaving the greens wet, which dilutes the dressing; squeeze them hard. Chef's tip: press the mixture into a small bowl and turn it out onto the plate for the traditional neat mound.

18 min

Chinese Salads

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Xin tai ruan (心太软, jujubes stuffed with sticky rice in osmanthus syrup)Sticky rice-stuffed red dates

Xin tai ruan, 'the heart is too soft', is a small sweet plate found in restaurants all over Jiangsu and Zhejiang, often served as a starter or between courses at banquets, and it is especially popular in the cold months when jujubes are said to warm the body. Dried red dates are pitted, stuffed with a little glutinous rice dough, steamed and then glossed with syrup scented with sugared osmanthus flowers. Each bite is chewy, then soft, with the deep caramel taste of the dates and a floral finish. Serve warm or at room temperature with tea. It is naturally egg-free: glutinous rice flour and water make a dough that turns sticky and elastic when steamed, filling the dates and holding them closed. Chef's tip: the common mistake is cutting through the whole date when pitting; slit only one side so it stays in one piece and wraps the dough.

50 min

Chinese Desserts

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Liangban bocaiCold dressed spinach

Liangban bocai is one of the cold dishes that open a family meal or a restaurant banquet all over China, from Beijing homes to Sichuan noodle shops, and it is made year round but especially in spring when spinach is sweet. The spinach is blanched briefly, squeezed, and dressed with raw garlic, black vinegar, soy and toasted sesame oil, then scattered with crunchy peanuts; it is garlicky, tangy and fresh. A portion gives about 6 g of protein from the spinach and peanuts, so it is a side, good with rice and a tofu dish. The most common mistake is not squeezing the spinach dry, which drowns the dressing; press it firmly in your hands. Chef's tip: pour a spoonful of smoking-hot oil over the garlic before mixing the dressing; it takes the raw edge off and makes the whole dish smell wonderful.

15 min

Chinese Salads

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Hand-torn cabbage

Shou si bao cai is a Hunan restaurant classic that every Changsha family also cooks at home: cabbage leaves torn by hand, then flash-fried in a roaring wok with garlic and dried chillies and splashed with black vinegar until smoky, sweet and still crunchy. It goes alongside rice and a meat or tofu dish at dinner. The mistake is putting wet leaves into a lukewarm pan: the cabbage stews and goes limp instead of charring at the edges. Chef's tip: tear rather than cut, because the ragged edges catch the heat and the sauce better than clean knife cuts.

11 min

Chinese Sides

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Hua dan xia ren (shrimp with silky scrambled egg)

Hua dan xia ren comes from Guangdong and the Hong Kong cha chaan teng, where it is spooned over rice for a quick lunch or set in the middle of a family dinner: prawns folded into eggs that are barely set, glossy and soft as custard. The classic error is stirring the eggs like a breakfast scramble over a high flame, which gives you dry little curds. Because the eggs are only just set, cook them a little longer for anyone pregnant, very young, older or vulnerable. Chef's tip: a spoon of cornflour slurry and a little oil in the beaten eggs keeps them silky even if you overshoot by a few seconds.

14 min

Chinese Fish

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Zhacai rousi mian (pork and pickled mustard noodle soup)

Zhacai rousi mian is a breakfast and late-night bowl from Chongqing to Shanghai noodle shops: plain wheat noodles in a light seasoned broth, topped with shreds of pork stir-fried with crunchy, salty zhacai, the pickled mustard tuber from Fuling. This is a pork dish. The mistake to avoid is salting the topping before you taste it; zhacai is already very salty, and rinsing it briefly saves the bowl. Chef's tip: season the empty bowls with soy, sesame oil and spring onion first, then pour the hot stock over, the way noodle stalls do.

22 min

Chinese Pasta & Noodles

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Dragon and phoenix cakesLotus seed paste wedding pastries

In Guangdong and among Cantonese families in Hong Kong and overseas, a groom's family sends boxes of 'lung fung beng', dragon and phoenix cakes, to the bride's relatives ahead of the wedding, and the cakes are shared out among guests as a token of the match. The dragon stands for the groom and the phoenix for the bride, and the cakes are stamped in red with the two creatures or the double-happiness character. Inside the many-layered, flaky crust is smooth, sweet lotus seed paste, sometimes with a salted duck egg yolk, served with tea. Older bakeries often use lard; this version uses butter and vegetable shortening, so it is vegetarian. Chef's tip: roll the laminated pastry lightly and evenly; uneven rolling is the common mistake that leaves thick patches of raw dough and torn, leaking sides.

138 min

Chinese Baking

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Tomato and egg drop soup

Tomato and egg drop soup, fan qie dan hua tang, is one of the first soups Chinese home cooks learn, made from Shanghai to Chengdu in the ten minutes before rice is ready. Tomatoes cook down into a light, sweet-sour broth and beaten egg is poured in to set into fine yellow ribbons, finished with spring onion and sesame oil. The mistake that makes it cloudy is pouring the egg into a rolling boil and stirring hard; you want a gentle simmer and a slow, thin stream. Chef's tip: fry the tomatoes in a little oil before adding water, so the broth turns rosy and full of flavour.

17 min

Chinese Soups

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Chinese walnut cookies

Hap toh sou are a fixture of Cantonese bakeries in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, sold loose by the catty or packed in red tins for Lunar New Year visits, when walnuts stand for family happiness. They are wide, crumbly and slightly sandy, with a cracked golden top crowned by a walnut half and a gentle sweetness that suits a pot of oolong or pu'er. Traditionally they are made with lard, which gives an extra-short crumble; this version uses vegetable shortening or neutral oil, so it is vegetarian. The top is brushed with beaten egg for shine; milk mixed with a little honey or golden syrup is an egg-free alternative. A common mistake is pressing the balls flat: leave them domed and they crack open naturally in the heat. Chef's tip: toast the walnuts before chopping; it deepens their flavour and keeps them crunchy inside the soft crumb.

45 min

Chinese Baking

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