Serves: 5

tangerine peel
(mandarin orange peel or orange peel):
Dried, preserved tan-colored tangerine skin. Used as a flavoring. Imparts fresh, subtle taste to meat, poultry (particularly duck), soups and congees. Must be soaked. Should be used sparingly. (The older the skin, the more prized and expensive some rare ones are said to be one hundred years old.) Sold by weight. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 23- Soaking Information.)

taro:
Starchy, tuberous, rough-textured brown root, about the size of a large potato. Can be stir-fried, braised with duck or steamed with Chinese sausages. Can also be shredded and deep-fried as a savory. Sold fresh by weight.

tea melon
(Chinese pickle, cucumber pickle, preserved cucumber, preserved sweet melon, or sweet tea pickle):
Tiny, 2-inch miniature cucumber-like melon, preserved in honey and spices. Amber-colored, sweet and crunchy. Used as a flavoring. Can be steamed with pork, beef or fish, added to noodle dishes, or eaten cold as a relish. Available in cans and jars. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 22- Storing Information.)

thousand-year eggs: See eggs, preserved.

Tientsin cabbage: See lettuce, Chinese.

tiger lilies: See lily buds.

transparent noodles: See noodles, peastarch.

tree fungus: See mushrooms, cloud ear.

trepang: See bêche-de-mer.

turnips, Chinese:
Vegetable resembling large, white horseradish. Very subtle in taste. Combines with beef, pork, bacon, fish and shrimp. Can be stir-fried or braised. Also slow-cooked in soup and marinated for cold dishes. Plentiful and best in winter months. Sold fresh by weight. To use: Peel and slice. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 21- Substitutions.)

turnips, dried:
Dehydrated turnips. Can be stir-fried or slow-cooked. Combine with pork and snow peas. Must be soaked. Sold by weight in flat sheets. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 23- Soaking Information.)

turnips, preserved
(preserved parsnips):
Small, brown, pungent bundles of cut-up turnips, tops and all, steamed, preserved with salt and dried. Have salty, aromatic flavor, chewy texture. Used as seasoning in soups, congees, steamed fish and pork. Sold by weight. To use: Rinse. Drain. Unroll. Shred or chop fine. In most cases, half a bundle is sufficient. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 22- Storing Information.)
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vegetable steak
(choplets):
A high-protein soy-bean product used as a meat substitute. Needs little cooking. Available in cans in health food stores.

vermicelli: See noodles, peastarch noodles, seaweed.

vinegar:
Rice vinegar used in flavoring soups and sauces as a table condiment for seafood, meat and noodles. Comes in three types: white, red and black. White rice vinegar is used with sweet-and-pungent dishes red rice vinegar, as a dip for boiled crab and black rice vinegar, with braised dishes and as a general table condiment. All are available in bottles. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 21- Substitutions.)
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walnuts:
Nutmeats used as a garnish and in sweet dishes. (See HOW-TO, _Walnuts: To blanch and _Walnuts: To toast.)

water-chestnut flour: See flour, water-chestnut.

water chestnuts:
Aquatic bulbs of an Asian marsh plant about the size of large walnuts. Have tough, purplish-brown skins usually covered with mud to prevent their drying out. (Are called "Horse's Hooves" in Chinese because of their color, texture and shape.) Used as a vegetable. Must be washed and peeled. Their meat is crisp, white, sweet and delicate. Can be stir-fried with pork, beef, poultry, seafood or with other vegetables. Are also used in soups and cold dishes. Sold fresh by weight. Also available canned. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 22- Storing Information 21- Substitutions.)

water-lily root: See lotus root.

weihsion powder: See anise, star (powdered).

white bean curd cheese or white sauce: See cheese, Chinese white.

white fungus: See mushrooms, snow.

white nuts: See ginkgo nuts.

wild pepper: See pepper, Szechwan.

wine:
Used as a marinade and liquid seasoning. Flavors meat, neutralizes the strong taste of fish and duck. The Chinese use a yellow rice wine which doesn't travel well. A good quality, medium-dry or pale-dry sherry, not cooking or cream sherry, can substitute. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 21- Substitutions.)

winter melon:
Very large round melon frosty, green and tough on the outside, delicate and pulpy-white on the inside. Needs little cooking. Can be stir-fried as a vegetable, or combined with pork in soup. (For banquets and special occasions, this soup is often cooked right inside the melon itself.) Can also be glazed with sugar as a candy or sweet-dish ingredient. Sold fresh by weight, either whole or in wedges. To use: Remove rind with a sharp knife and discard. Scrape out yellow seeds. Slice or dice meat. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 22- Storing Information.)

winter mushrooms: See mushrooms, black dried.

winter vegetable: See cabbage, pickled.

wanton skins:
Thin egg-flour skins or wrappings, about 3 1/2 inches square, which are stuffed with minced pork, seafood or vegetables. Can be deep-fried, pan-fried, steamed or boiled. Boiled wantons are usually eaten in soup the others, served with soy sauce and vinegar dips. Wonton skins can be purchased fresh by weight, or made at home. (See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, 22- Storing Information Eggrolls and Wontons, Wonton Skins.)

wood ears: See mushrooms, cloud ear.
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yellow sauce: See bean paste, yellow.
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The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

More Recipes from the Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook Cookbook:
13- Preparing a Complete Meal
14- Serving a Chinese Meal
15- Setting a Chinese Table
16- Chopsticks and How to Use Them
17- Guide to Stir-Frying
18- Chinese Teas
19- Chinese Wines
20- Glossary of Chinese Ingredients: A-K
20- Glossary of Chinese Ingredients: L-S
20- Glossary of Chinese Ingredients: T-Z
21- Substitutions
22- Storing Information
23- Soaking Information
24- Chinese Terminology
25- Mail Order Sources