Cooking & Baking

The Hot and Sour that I'm used to has only slight differences, but are bordering on significant, at least to me. First, "our" version has nowhere near that much veg in it, and I believe that the version you would get in rest's that serve it around here would be a little hotter. I have lived in the SW corner of BC my entire life, and between Greater Vancouver and Victoria, there is a huge Asian population, making a cornucopia of ingredients available. Maybe the slight differences are a bit of a regional thing.

Because the people I most often cook for have the palates of toddlers, I have to scale back any heat to the point that there is a tiny bit of warmth to a dish, falling quite short of "heat." I usually put a vinegar and pepper sauce, like Frank's, for example, on the table so people can heat theirs up if they choose, and not add too much extra vinegar.

A variation I've tried a couple of times that was very well-received was using fresh lime juice as a large portion (not all) of the sour, and a bowl of chopped cilantro that one can add to their bowl or not. I have always put a "shine" and silkiness on the broth with a whitewash, but the variation in this recipe seems like a good one!

H&S Soup is a VERY nice addition to anyone's repertoire, I believe, and one I've been making off and on for 50 years. Thanks for giving it exposure!