When Mao Zedong (Tse-tung) started to open China to tourists around 1979, I wanted to experience China before the great tourism expansion began.
My friend Brenda and I went to our favorite travel agency, Bee Kalt Travel in Royal Oak. Bee’s son Steven was our advisor. He warned us to wait a year and go when the regular tourist programs would begin in 1980. He said two women alone who don’t speak the language fluently makes for a difficult trip.
Of course, to two strong women this was a great challenge. We planned the trip with him using some basic tour organizations and a lot of trips and time on our own. We phonetically learned 10 phrases in Cantonese and Mandarin. Very simple, easy and friendly phrases.
Our first stop was Hong Kong. In 1979 Hong Kong was the shopping and cuisine mecca of Asia. Lots of business, high rises, Rolls Royces and great restaurants. We shopped till we dropped, had great food, met interesting people and many spoke English.
We even got into the China Clipper Club where all the diplomats socially congregated. That access turned out to be an important place in our trip. We went to the many sites including the Bird Market, played mah jongg in the street tables and, since I was in the jewelry business, we went to many small jewelers for stones and items that my customers wanted to find for them.
We stayed at an excellent hotel but took the time to visit at that time the best YMCA in the world. It was terrific and in an excellent location.
We started the China portion of the trip on Civil Aviation Administration of China airline. It was an old refurbished Russian plane. When the plane accelerated in climbing, all the seats went way back. I thought I was going to land in the person’s lap behind me. So, we are on our way to Beijing and getting thirsty and hungry as it was lunch time. A stewardess was coming down the aisle with something in her hands. We thought for sure it was food. She comes to us and hands us a box of Chinese checkers. There is no food, no drinks.
After an unusual landing we deplaned on the tarmac and walked to a makeshift terminal. They herded us into an old rusty bus and took us to our lodging called the Swan Inn, which was a government mandated tourist sleeping building. No big hotels at that time. There were no keys, the rooms were all open. As it was Mao’s custom, if anyone was stealing the government did bodily harm to their hands. I’m not spelling it out, but you can imagine. Part of the time we joined the simple tours the government had started and other times we went out on our own. We found the Chinese people were very kind and willing to help two American women on their own, which at that time was unusual.
There were NO CARS, NO BUSES, NO TRAINS. Everyone was on bicycles, (picture thousands upon thousands of bikes) coming at you and horse-drawn wagons. The only vehicles were for tourists, diplomats and Communist Party members. We toured The Forbidden City, at that time there was nothing inside as Chiang Kai-shek had taken all the treasures to Taiwan. The Arts and Craft District, The Queen’s Palace, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors outside of Xian and the Li River cruise. Jackie Kennedy thought it was one of the most beautiful trips she ever experienced. We thought it was magnificent. Then we stopped in a small town to go to the bank to get some money. Picture a bank in the 1910 period in the old West in the USA. Steel bars in front of the tellers, old, dilapidated buildings and of course everything was figured out using an abacus. As was usual in Communist countries, we realized we were being followed everywhere we went. I found that years later in Russia, too.
Our last stop was in Guangzhou; at that time, it was an important business center. The buildings for businesses were bare bones, nothing fancy or interesting. The business representatives spoke excellent English, and we easily put our orders together for hand-painted room screens, rugs and other home accent pieces that the Chinese are famous for manufacturing.
We made our way to the train station which was available to tourists and other high priority individuals.
Our seat mate was a young woman who was a US diplomat stationed in Hong Kong. We really enjoyed our time with her and she handed us her business card and suggested we get together at the China Clipper Club. We made our plans and arrived at the high rise where the club is located. We got into a huge elevator where we were pushed to the rear continually.
We got out and proceeded to the club. When I got to the front desk to show my passport, I discovered my passport and all my credit cards were gone from my purse which I mistakenly hung from my shoulder. A pickpocket did their job. At that time a diplomat’s passport was worth $10,000 and a regular USA passport was $5,000 on the black market. We asked the front desk to find our friend to vouch for me. I told her the story and she said, “Meet me at the American Embassy tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp and I will process your replacement passport and the papers to get you into Japan.”
We had a flight out that day at 11 a.m. to Tokyo. I had a record of my credit card numbers and contact information. Then I proceeded to call everyone to cancel the card and reissue. By the time I was able to contact all the companies the thieves had charged a lot of money in different locations around Asia. Only one card made all the arrangements with my future hotels and was able to get me a new card within 48 hours. That was American Express who really cared about their customer. I never forgot that kindness and have been a member for 47 years.
The food in China was nothing like we had in the USA. Where we were, restaurants in Southern China and Hong Kong are usually Cantonese style. I fortunately was fluent in the use of chop sticks, but Brenda never got the hang of it. Everywhere we ate she had to use the white wide spoon that is usually used for soup. That was the only way she could do it. People looked at her with great amusement. Only in tourist restaurants in Hong Kong were there regular Western eating utensils. We ate street food, family style, boat restaurants and high-end elegant places. The traditional banquet included eight- to 12 courses. We enjoyed cold appetizers, shark fin soup (now they serve substitutes to control the use), lobster, abalone, Peking Duck, steamed whole fish, braised vegetables, fried rice or noodles, dessert soup, sweet pastries and fresh fruit. We only did that once and it was memorable.
The food I remember that I liked so much was the Sweet and Sour Pork. In Hong Kong the true recipe is not the gloppy, overly sweet versions served in many Chinese American restaurants. I tried for many years to recreate that taste. Finally, this year I was watching on PBS “Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street” program and saw Courtney Hill create this recipe — the closest I have tasted to what was experienced in 1979. You can use pork or boneless chicken thighs in this sweet and sour recipe.
The meat is typically deep fried; this one is lighter by pan-frying it in ¼ cup of vegetable oil to crisp a thin cornstarch coating. Traditional versions are flavored with Hawthorn berries, we will use apple jelly- it provides fruitiness, sweetness a little body to the glaze -like sauce. Finally, a little MSG amplifies the savoriness, but it is optional. A 12- to 14-inch wok is the best pan to use, but I used a 12-inch skillet because it works. If using the skillet, cook the meat in a single batch instead of two.
DON’T USE CANNED PINEAPPLE. ONLY FRESH CUT IN CHUNKS. This makes the flavor and texture perfect. Be sure the sauce is adequately reduced and thickened before returning the meat to the pan. If it’s too thin, its flavor will be diluted and it won’t cling properly to the meat and vegetables.
Sweet and Sour Pork
1 ¼ lb. of boneless country-style pork ribs or boneless chicken thighs, CUT INTO ¾ TO 1-INCH PIECES
4 T. white sugar, divided.
3 T. soy, soy divided.
¾ t. MSG divided (optional)
½ t. Kosher salt
1 1/4 t. ground black pepper
½ C. unseasoned rice vinegar (our markets carry it)
¼ C. apple jelly (If you cannot find it here, Amazon carries it)
2 T. ketchup
¼ C. cornstarch
¼ C. neutral oil
1 ½ C. of fresh pineapple chunks (3/4 to 1-inch pieces)
1 small red onion, cut in 1-inch pieces.
1 medium bell pepper whatever color you liked, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
In a medium bowl, combine meat, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of MSG (if using) ¼ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper Set aside until ready to use
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, remaining 2 Tablespoon soy sauce, remaining ¼ teaspoon MSG (if using), vinegar, apple jelly, ketchup, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; set aside until ready to use.
When you are ready to cook, sprinkle the cornstarch over the meat and mix until it is evenly coated. In your wok or 12-inch skillet over high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add half the meat, separating the pieces and distributing them in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Stir, then cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and evenly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate and set aside. Using the remaining oil in the skillet or wok, cook the remaining meat in the same way and transfer to plate. Pour off and discard all but 1 Tablespoon of the oil. I used a bit more oil just to use your judgement.
Return the wok or pan to high and heat the oil until barely smoking. Add pineapple and onion and bell pepper: cook, stirring once or twice, until spottily charred but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to another plate and set aside.
Pour the sauce mix into your pan and bring to a boil over medium- high heat. Cook, whisk to combine and to scrape up any browned bits, until the sauce is thick and syrupy and forms large bubbles across the entire surface, 5 to 7 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and cook, and toss, until well glazed, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the vegetables to the pan.
Mixture and cook, toss, until well coated, for 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve with the rice of your choice.