Hot and Sour Soup
$8 play money
A thick soup that is sour and peppery in equal measure. On the ChowChow Feast menu it costs $8 in play money, which puts it in the Snack tier ($1 to $14). It is one of the small, cheap things that make an order feel real.
No payment, no address, no delivery. This is a game.
Key facts
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Menu section
- Chinese
- Price tier
- Snack ($1 to $14)
- Play-money price
- $8
- Main ingredients
- tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, vinegar, white pepper
- How it is served
- A bowl of dark thick soup with egg ribbons, tofu strips and mushrooms
History, tradition and origin
Stir-frying in a wok became common in China as a fuel-saving method: food cut small cooks in seconds over a fierce flame. Sichuan cooking is known for chili and numbing pepper, Cantonese for freshness, and sweet and sour sauces come from the east and south. Many of these dishes are served family-style, with everyone sharing from the centre of the table.
Food economy and industry
Chinese restaurants are found in almost every town on earth, and many were started by emigrant families as a first business. Soy sauce brewing, chili bean paste and tofu making are large traditional industries. China is the world's biggest producer of vegetables and of many of the spices its kitchens depend on.
Related dishes
-
Kung Pao Chicken
Diced chicken with peanuts, dried chilies and a tingle.
$16 -
Sweet and Sour Pork
Crisp pork in a glossy sweet and sour sauce.
$16 -
Mapo Tofu
Soft tofu in a red, numbing, spicy sauce.
$13 -
Wonton Soup
Silky wontons in a clear broth.
$10 -
Pork Dumplings
Pork and cabbage dumplings with black vinegar.
$9 -
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Thin, crisp rolls filled with vegetables.
$7 -
Crispy Egg Rolls
Thick, bubbly-skinned rolls of pork and cabbage.
$7 -
Egg Fried Rice
Rice, egg, scallion and a hot wok.
$10