06/16/2022
Chaine + Grain + Rain = Six
April 24, 2022—San Francisco, CA.
The San Francisco Bailliage met at The Warehouse, a lovely waterfront restaurant located just south of San Francisco, in Foster City. The group celebrated World Chaine Day with the theme, The Sixth of the 24 Solar Terms.
The 24 solar terms, representing a complete circle of the sun in the zodiac, were created by ancient Chinese farmers as a guide to farming activities. The terms, each lasting approximately 15 days, reflect the changes in climate, agricultural production, and other aspects of human life. In other words, the warming and rains of Spring, crops growing in the heat of Summer, maturing crops and harvesting of Fall, and the cold and dormancy of Winter.
The first solar term for 2022 began February 4, and marks the start of spring. The sixth term, known as the Grain Rain, started April 20. This is the last solar term of spring, and is the wettest time of the year. With summer just around the corner, and the weather warming, many crops--including grain--go through a growth spurt. The old saying, "Rain brings up hundreds of grains," indicates the importance of this season.
In the southern part of China, drinking tea is an old custom during the Sixth Term because the tea plants experience a major growth spurt. Their plump leaves during this time are rich in a variety of vitamins and amino acids that give the tea a fresh, pleasant aroma.
But, enough on the background of the Sixth Term… and on to our feast.
Our dinner was prepared by not one, but three very talented chefs:
Truman Du (Master Chef)
James Liu
Chang C. Yang
The Menu for the Grain Rain (Gu Yu) Celebration
Our starter course, the Master Chefs’ Deluxe Combination Platter, was a feast of appetizers, and a feast for the eyes-- arranged around “jaw-droppingly-beautiful” vegetable centerpieces, each one unique, and masterfully carved by Chef James Liu. The intricate details of the carvings were amazing.
The second course consisted of a deeply rich broth Lion’s Head Soup (Yang Zhou Style Meatball in Broth).
Our next six plates, the Hot Courses, did not disappoint:
- Crab Meat and Truffle Lettuce Wrap
- Classic Hangzhou Style Braised Pork Belly
- Beijing Sauce Duck Wrapped in Lotus leaves
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Bi Feng Tang Garlic Pepper Fish Nuggets
- Sautéed Blue Lake Beans�
Dessert:
Sesame Rice Dumpling�
In addition to sipping the traditional Sixth Term beverage of tea, our trio of chefs chose the following wines to accompany our dishes:
Patz & Hall 2015 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Kieu Hoang Napa Valley 2014 Proprietary Red
Kieu Hoang Napa Valley 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
