Chinese philosophy pays a great deal of attention to opposites. Light and dark, sad and happy, black and white. These concepts are called Yin and Yang. But these concepts are more than opposing. They are complimentary. There can be no light without dark, no dark without light. No heaven without earth, and no earth without heaven. This philosophy permeates all of Chinese culture, including their cuisine. The philosophy of Yin and Yang is represented in the familiar sweet and sour dishes in Chinese cuisine. The two flavors are opposite in the reactions and sensations they give the taste buds, but yet they also compliment each other, are both present in one dish to be savored separately and in combination with one another.
A basic no-frills sweet and sour sauce can be made with the following ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Place sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. Stir together and put on stove. Heat mixture on high heat, stirring continuously until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Add cornstarch to cold water, stir to combine. Put cornstarch mixture into vinegar/sugar mixture. Continue to stir until mixture boils again. Remove fro meat, cool and refrigerate.
This sweet and sour sauce works best to cook with, not for the usual type that is more familiar and used for dipping. Stir-fry chicken and vegetables, and when done pour some of this basic sweet and sour sauce into the wok. Stir sauce in, allow to come to temperature, and it is ready to eat. This sauce can be used with pork and most every kind of vegetable that can be stir-fried.
This basic sweet and sour recipe can be used to make a more familiar kind of sauce with this recipe:
1 cup of basic sweet and sour sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1-8 ounce can crushed pineapple
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Heat the basic sauce mixture in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ketchup, soy sauce, ginger and pineapple. Mix cornstarch with cold water, put mixture into saucepan with other ingredients. Bring mixture to boil, stirring often. Cool and use for dipping sauce.
