15 minute read
FOOD
Sophia's Kitchen: The Tale of How Tamales Came to China
p58
Advertisement
SINOVINICULTURE
Uncorking China’s Winemaking Potential
By Joshua Cawthorpe
Grapes have been grown in the Middle Kingdom for more than two thousand years. The diplomat and historian Herbert Alan Giles asserted that the plant and the knowledge were brought to China from the Greek Kingdom of Bactria by Chang Chi’en in 126BCE. However, grape wine represented an insignificant portion of Chinese liquor production until much more recently.
In 1892, an officer of the Qing government established the Changyu winery in Yantai, Shandong province, which remains one of the country’s dominant brands. At the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, annual wine production was estimated at below 100,000 liters per year. Production capacity grew significantly during the 1980s as red wine became more popular in Asia. Fast forward to 2015, Forbes reported that China had squeezed past France into third place to take the silver medal in total vineyard-area with 799,000 hectares. Despite allowing China onto the podium for grape cultivation, the year prior saw France and Spain produce 4.67 billion and 4.16 billion liters respectively – far beyond China’s modest 1.11 billion liters. In 2015, China imported an additional 395 million liters of wine, of which a whopping 166 million liters was of French origin, as per Decanter.
Nonetheless, the government recognized the opportunity to capitalize on the favorable climate and labor costs of inland provinces. Where the big name brands like Changyu, Great Wall and Dynasty had focused on Eastern coastal regions, these new ‘sustainable economic development’ and ‘natural resource management’ initiatives focused their sites on the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region – specifically the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain. In 2003, Ningxia was growing only 2660 hectares of grapes. That number more than doubled by 2005 and then exploded to nearly 40,000 by 2014.
In a surprise twist, the Ningxia government opted to incentivize the boutique ‘chateau winery’ strategy rather than allow the major players from the previous decades to monopolize production in the region. China’s obsession with imported wine is testament that many consumers in China view Changyu, Great Wall and Dynasty as cheap and unpleasant. The emphasis on quality, competition and reputation within the ‘chateau’ strategy aims to help Ningxia break into the international marketplace using the playbook of the world’s most storied wine regions.
Where the government does play a significant role has been in organizing international winemaking competitions to promote the region. Furthermore, the local government sends the winemakers of Ningxia on trips around the world to learn and explore the famous winemaking regions of France, Australia and elsewhere. The local universities and authorities are also focused on developing ways to modernize the industry as the demand continues to expand, as described in a paper published in EDP Sciences about sustainability in the region. Some projects aim to reduce the number of fertilizers used in the region, mechanize the laborintensive processes of cultivation and record crushed grape volumes as well as production volumes to prevent counterfeit wines damaging the Ningxia region’s reputation.
A government initiative approved in May 2021 aims to bolster production in the region to rival one of the world’s most famous wine regions: Bordeaux, France. The goal outlined in the 15-yearplan aims to increase production to 600 million bottles by 2035, surpassing the 522 million bottles produced in Bordeaux in 2020.
Another benefit of the ‘chateau’ model has been the rise of winery tourism in the region. If production was limited to large-scale mega-factories then we would be unlikely to see groups of tourists riding bicycles down country roads from one winery to another.
One such ‘chateau’ is September Helan which opened in 2012. September Helan’s winemaker is Gao Yujie, who got her Master’s in winemaking at Ningxia University. She tells us that small wineries can optimize the specific ‘terroir’ or soil composition of their vineyards and react to variable factors like the weather because they don’t need to standardize production the way large-scale wineries do.
That’s tried three of September Helan’s wines, all from the 2017 vintage – their dry Chardonnay, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Scan the QR code to learn more about the winery watch us try these wines.
Jonas Emil Coffee Roasters
Interview by James East
Jonas Emil Carlson left his home in Sweden at 14 years old because of the country’s potato shortage. Potatoes were a staple of the Swedish diet, and the blight caused widespread famine. With little more than the clothes on his back, Carlson decided to seek a better life in the United States.
The new world imposed many changes on the young man, but one thing that did not change was his love of good coffee. That love of coffee has been passed down for two generations. Jonas Emil Carson’s grandson, and founder of Jonas Emil Coffee Roasters, David Henry, tells That’s about his business and also gave us some great coffee making tips.
What brought you to China and why Shanghai? I came to China 25 years ago as the first stop in a grand vagabond scheme. I had taught English in Taiwan many years earlier and I figured I would spend a few years on the Mainland and just work my way around the world. I sent my resume to many universities in China and got a job at Shanghai International Studies University. What was supposed to be a waystation on my grand world tour became a home. I had a very rewarding 20-year teaching career.
When I arrived in Shanghai, the only coffee you could find was instant coffee. I remember going to the Huating Hotel thinking I could get a decent cup of brewed coffee there, only to be served instant. I found some old local restaurants that served coffee popular with the older Shanghainese people. It was very dark, very strong and very bitter. I think I would appreciate it more now, but back then I didn’t like it at all. I gave up drinking coffee for several years and drank tea instead.
Then my son started working for a small coffee roaster in the United States and I thought that was just what Shanghai needed. I talked about opening a coffee roastery for years but nothing happened until I met my Chinese business partner. A very good chef, he had come from the countryside to work in the restaurant industry here. He found that employment in the big city was often unstable. I told him about my plans for a coffee roastery and he said we should do it. It’s been a fruitful relationship. Fifteen years later we’re still partners.
Our beans come from all the major coffee-growing regions around the world. For example, our Ethiopian Sidamo comes from small-hold farms in a single woreda, or district, of several villages. Our coffees from Mexico and El Salvador each come from a single farm.
What flavors do you offer? Is there something for everyone? Taste is subjective. There is no perfect coffee for everyone. That’s why we offer a wide range of flavors.
Our single origins are mostly lighter, medium roasts because we want to preserve the fruitiness of the beans. But that fruitiness is different depending on the coffee: sweet fruits (strawberry jam, mango, grapes) in Costa Rica, apple in Colombia, apricot in Yunnan; red wine in Kenya. Our Mexican coffee has a light lemony accent to its predominantly earthy flavors.
Unlike most of our single origins, we roast our Yunnan coffee to highlight its smoky qualities over its apricot acidity. Sumatra is the only coffee we roast both medium and dark. Sumatra is naturally low in acidity. We like to keep the touch of red plum and longan flavors in the medium roast, but many customers like the deep rich flavor with virtually no acidity of the dark roast.
Our Shanghai Silhouette blend is our best-selling coffee because the price is friendly and the flavor is full and well balanced. This blend has been developed over time with small changes and adjustments. There is no fixed recipe because coffee characteristics
change from season to season. So, we are regularly adjusting the mix to achieve our target profile.
Can you give our readers some tips about how to make the best coffee at home? This is a question I was more eager to answer when I was new to the industry. Now I get stymied by all the contradictory advice. The basics are well documented. Use 13-18g of ground coffee to make an 8oz cup of coffee.
Use the same spoon every time you make coffee. A full-rounded Chinesestyle soup spoon is a good starting point, somewhere within the 13-18g guideline. It won’t be long before you know just how much coffee in that spoon makes a strength you like to drink.
Buy the best quality freshly-roasted coffee you can afford. Freshness is the key. After a coffee finishes roasting, it continues to develop. Some may reach peak flavor 3-5 days after roasting. Some blends don’t peak for 10 days. After that, the flavor slowly starts to deteriorate. You want to make coffee with beans that are as close to their peak as you can.
Buy a grinder and grind only as much as you intend to use. Coffee keeps its flavor better when in whole beans. 101 different coffee-making hacks will improve your coffee incrementally, but none of them will make as big a difference as grinding your own beans.
How should I store my beans? There are four elements you want to avoid when storing coffee.
Air. Keep your coffee in an air-tight container and open only when you have to. We put a one-way air valve in our packages so you can roll up the bag tight and squeeze out excess air when you’re ready to put the coffee away.
Moisture. Keep your coffee beans dry. Don’t keep beans in your refrigerator because it’s moist. Coffee also absorbs odors that might be present in the refrigerator. In climates with high humidity, you want to minimize exposure to the moist air as best you can.
Light. Light speeds up the degradation of coffee flavor, so better not to keep your beans in a clear glass container. Better to put them in an opaque ceramic one.
Heat. Don’t store beans near an oven or stove where the temperature may get very hot.
Freezing beans will help preserve the flavor for a long time as long as you are not opening and closing and refreezing beans. We think it’s better to just buy what you need for two weeks and then buy more from your favorite coffee roaster.
Sophia’s Kitchen: The Tale of How Tamales Came to China
By Sophie Steiner
Sophia Song started Sophia’s Kitchen four years ago as a hobby that grew out of her love for baking – cinnamon rolls, specifically. A series of serendipitous events found her baking tamales, a highly sought-after product that helped her gain a lot of traction in the Mexican and American Shanghai expat communities craving a taste of home.
We sat down with Sophia to learn more about how a northern Chinese girl got into baking – cinnamon rolls, pies, cakes, bread and of course, tamales. Many agree that Sophia’s tamales are some of the most authentic you can find in China.
How did you get into baking? I always had a passion for food and grew tired of my mom’s recipes, so I started searching for something different. From a young age, while my friends went shopping or hung out on the weekends, I looked up recipes online. I started cooking at home and eventually, after studying Business English in university, gained access to an oven where my love for baking truly started.
I always wanted to keep it as just a hobby. In 2016 I worked for Hyatt where the head Pastry Chef asked me if I wanted to join her team. I refused, however, still wanting to pursue my interest in my own way.
At the beginning of 2017, I traveled to the Philippines and tasted Cinnabon for the first time. I instantly fell in love and, after returning to China (trying messily to sneak some in my suitcase), I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
Then and there I decided I needed to share my love of cinnamon rolls with China.
I tried out different recipes and shared them with my eager-to-taste friends. Based on the positive feedback I got from everyone, I ultimately decided to quit my job and pursue baking full time, even though many people in my life thought I was crazy.
I started advertising on Chinese platforms, but I found that most Chinese people don’t know what cinnamon rolls are, so I changed my tactic to Facebook groups, and the expats living in China responded in droves.
Initially, I was baking at home, but after a year of dealing with neighbors complaining about me baking at all hours, I moved to an official store and named it Sophia’s Kitchen.
Why do you focus primarily on tamales? To clarify, I have never actually been to America or Mexico before. However, one of my Mexican-American friends taught me to make his favorite food from home, and I instantly fell in love with tamales.
About a month after starting my baking business, I made tamales and posted about them online. Immediately, many of my customers reached out to see how they could purchase them. Over time, I perfected my recipe, added in a variety of different flavor profiles – like mole, green and red salsa, jalapeño and cheese, guava cream cheese, etc. – and my business began to grow rapidly.
I realized that, while cinnamon rolls are a sweet treat, people love to stock up on tamales because they can be stored easily and prepared quickly when people don’t have time to cook an entire meal.
Tamales soon overtook my baking business as my most in-demand product. That's the story of how a Chinese girl brought a love for tamales to China, despite never having tasted 'the real deal' herself.
I like to keep a tight menu to ensure that all products have the highest quality and best taste. I mostly focus on tamales and cinnamon rolls.
This year, I started selling a few different kinds of pies around the holidays, as well as seasonal products like conchas, pan de muerto (for the Day
of the Dead celebration in Mexico) and Rosca de Reyes (for the Dia de Los Reyes celebration in Mexico).
Where did you learn to make tamales? My customers often ask me this, and the answer is quite simple. I’m neither a professionally trained cook nor baker, I just have a strong passion for baking that came out of searching for and testing out recipes.
I spend most of my free time watching YouTube videos about baking and cooking and combine the good ones to make my own recipes.
Funnily enough, I have never actually tried tamales other than the ones I’ve made. I just used the feedback from customers and ended up with a product that everyone says reminds them of home.
How do you source the ingredients for making your tamales? The most important ingredient is maseca, which is the cornflour for the tamale dough. When I started in 2017, there was only one imported brand available in China, Red Mill. It was so expensive and there wasn’t a stable flow of it, so many times I was left with no available product.
Also, the Mexican chilis were nearly impossible to source. Many of my customers would bring me back bags full of dried chilis from the USA and exchange them with me for more tamales. A pretty good deal if you ask me.
After a year, I found a reliable supplier. They even sell Mexican chilis. My biggest issue is price fluctuation, but sourcing has gotten easier over time.
My biggest challenge is the supply of ingredients because the key ingredients are imported. There are steep markups on these products that have only gotten more drastic because of COVID.
Slow shipping also caused my supplier to run out of stock for nearly three months last year, and recently butter prices have increased 50%. All of these fluctuations affect my ability to serve my customer base. But for the most part, people are understanding.
There have been times that I have felt discouraged, but many of my regular customers have consistently thanked me for providing them with a taste of home and that encouragement gives me the strength to keep doing it, despite a few grumpy customers along the way.
In the past two years, I've had some customers that couldn’t return to China, and many others left. This pushes me to reach new people by trying out new marketing avenues and products.
What would you like Sophia’s Kitchen to grow into in the upcoming years? When I started Sophia’s Kitchen, I only thought of it as a hobby. I did not expect it to grow into a real business that has survived four years already. But my goal for the business is still the same as it was at its inception – I want everyone who tries my products to enjoy them.
In the future, I want to make sure that goal stays at the forefront of my mind. I don’t want to grow so big that I sacrifice quality or the personal connection I have with my customers. I want to continue growing my customer base and trying out new products, but – most importantly – I want to maintain the core business I have now.
How can tamale lovers around China purchase your products? I use SF Express to deliver all products, as they have the best and fastest service. This September, I designed a WeChat mini-app for Sophia’s Kitchen so anyone in China can see the product offerings and purchase directly through WeChat.
How has your business grown or changed throughout COVID-19? I think most businesses have faced problems during COVID-19, especially those like mine that rely on a mostly expat customer base.
