| Chinese name: 西湖牛肉羹 (xī hú niú ròu gēng) Style: Zhejiang Cuisine Characteristics: West Lake Beef Soup tastes rich, mellow, fresh and smooth and has an attractive color. It is served as an appetizer before the main meal. A well-known soup on the Chinese dining table, West Lake Beef Soup is a local Zhejiang dish. It seems like the lake water by the added cornstarch and it originates from Zhejiang, where the famous West Lake is, hence its name. Although its name is shocking, but its ingredients are very common and it is really simple to cook. |  |
| Ingredients: 100 g beef 100 g tofu parsley chicken essence (chicken stock/bouillon) salt wet cornstarch Note: the amount of the ingredients especially the seasonings listed above can be appropriately used according to one's personal taste. |  |
| Preparation: 1. Wash and chop the beef. Put on a plate. 2. Wash the tofu and cut into thick slices, then dice very finely. Put on a separate plate. 3. Wash and chop the parsley. Put on another plate. |  |
Methods:
| Step 1: Fill the wok with one bowl of water. Turn on the heat. Add the chopped beef when the water is boiling and stir it slowly with the cooking ladle. Turn off the heat and remove the beef when it turns to yellowish white, using a colander. |
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| Step 2: Pour the boiled water out of the wok and clean the wok. Add in one bowl of water and turn on the heat again. Add the boiled beef and diced tofu when the water is boiling, and boil it for about 2 minutes. Add the salt, chicken essence and wet cornstarch. Stir well and turn off the heat. Sprinkle the chopped parsley in the soup. |
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| West Lake Beef Soup is now cooked. Spoon it into a soup bowl and serve. |
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On July 13, 2010, Mr. Jorge Cesar Mireles Zambrano and his wife made a family tour arranged by TravelChinaGuide in Xian. At the local Xian family, the friendly hostess didn't only give detailed answers to the couple's questions about China, but she also taught Mrs. Zambrano to cook Chow Mein, West Lake Beef Soup & Black Pepper Beef patiently.
Mrs. Zambrano Learning to Cook West Lake Beef Soup
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