Wokipedia: M is For...

In Wokipedia, we introduce aspects of Chinese gastronomy, one letter at a time. This time, 'M' gets the treatment.

… mahua 麻花
A type of twisted, fried dough, mahua (pictured above) are a popular snack throughout northern China, although perhaps the most famous come from Tianjin’s Guifaxiang company. Guifaxiang’s mahua are slightly sweet and come stuffed or rolled with a variety of toppings, such as sesame, walnuts, osmanthus, and, in the 21st century, even chocolate.

… mala tang 麻辣烫
Like moths to a flame, mala tang shops all over China draw late-night revelers with their beguiling cauldrons of steaming spicy soup. Traditionally a Sichuan dish, today mala tang has evolved into two separate styles: the more common Sichuan version where you choose your raw ingredients before passing them over to the cook to be dunked in broth a la hot pot, and the version that has become popular in Beijing, where skewers of meat and vegetables are pre-cooked in a spicy broth. Diners pick out the skewers they want, which are then topped with sesame paste.

… miancha 面茶
Despite its misleading name, miancha does not actually contain any tea. This traditional Beijing snack is actually a thick porridge made from millet and rice flour, topped with a layer of sesame paste. Any lao Beijing ren worth their salt will tell you that miancha is always drunk straight from the bowl without a spoon or chopsticks.

… mooncakes 月饼
Eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes’ rounded shape is meant to represent the full moon, as well as the coming together of family. Anyone who has worked in an office in China around this time will know that mooncakes are both a hot and unwanted commodity – everyone wants to give them but no-one wants to eat them. This could be because a single Cantonese-style mooncake, with its lard pastry, salted duck egg yolk, and sugar-packed filling, can contain upwards of 1,000 calories.

That's M sorted. Click here to see what you missed with L.

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Photo: JD