How crispy duck and ‘seaweed’ became British favourites
Now ubiquitous in British-Chinese restaurants, crispy seaweed – which is not seaweed – and crispy aromatic duck were adapted to suit Western palates, with the latter even served with pancakes
Walk into almost any Chinese restaurant in Britain and it’s likely crispy seaweed will be on the menu, alongside crispy aromatic duck.
Most diners, though – those of Chinese descent included – are unaware of what the dish actually is. Not seaweed, as the name suggests, it is instead terrestrial greens, such as bak choi or collards, cut into thin strands, dried and deep fried.
The dish is so widespread that Ken Hom, who made his career in Britain as a television chef and cookbook author, has included a recipe for it in at least two of his books, as well as his 2000 TV series, Foolproof Chinese Cookery. The American-Chinese chef acknowledges that it’s a British invention, but in his Complete Chinese Cookbook, published in 2011, Hom says of the dish, “I am not sure who was the first to bring this unique eastern-northern Chinese dish to England; suffice it to say, however, that not ‘seaweed’ but cabbage is now being used. The special type of seaweed which is indeed used in China is unfortunately not yet available in the UK or the West. The adaptability of Chinese cuisine is once again demonstrated in this dish: if the original ingredients are not available, technique and ingenuity will overcome the deficiency.”
The Chinese dish Hom references may be deep-fried peanuts and tai cai, an algae known as Enteromorpha linza, which is popular as a snack or appetiser in eastern Zhejiang province.
