Thanks for the good news about the heat-treatment being discontinued! That may explain the big difference in the quality in various brands and the noticeably less fragrant and dull-colored versions (age of product aside).
A 4 oz. bag of Soeos is about the same price as 1 oz. of Penzy’s, at least on Amazon. The bag had a total of three thorns and not many seeds. The main difference was the aroma, when I opened the bag, which was very intense and rich.
For those who have not read Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees, by Kian Lam Kho, It’s one of my favorite books, going into great detail about the various styles and techniques of authentic Chinese Cooking. It’s a beautiful work, very well designed and full of interesting historical tidbits . Still, in any traditional Chinese cook book, there are going to be items which are not in everyone’s pantry, e.g. Sea Cucumber and Soon Hock. The bulk of recipes’ ingredient listings are attainable, though.
His introduction to Kung Pao Chicken: “Kung Pao Chicken is one of those takeout dishes that is usually covered by a landslide of sickeningly sweet brown sauce. It would not be recognized by anyone arriving in the United States from China.”
Nice!
