Marinades
Marinades are an essential part of many Chinese recipes and marinating may take place before or after ingredients are cooked.
Ban
In ban, raw foods or those that have
been cooked and cooled are cut into
small pieces and mixed with soy sauce,
vinegar, and sesame oil. Other seasonings,
such as garlic, ginger, sesame paste,
sugar, or ground peppercorns, may
also be added to heighten the flavor.
Qiang
In qiang, the main ingredient in the
marinade is peppercorn oil, mixed
with other seasonings and poured over
foods that have first been parboiled
or partial fried.
Yan
The yan method of marinating uses
saltwater brine, water, or liquor.
In salt-marinating, the food is soaked
in brine, which draws out the moisture
from the food so it can better absorb
the seasonings in the marinade that
follows. Wine-marinating is similar
to salt-marinating, but uses fermented
rice liquor instead of seasonings
in the marinade.
Finally, the Chinese speciality called "drunk-marinating" means soaking live food, especially seafood such as shrimps, in a clear liquor and then marinating them in salt. Then the food is often eaten while still alive (see recipe "Drunken Fresh Shrimps").