A Restaurant Looks Like a Chateau in the Air

The Chateau in the Air (天空之城), as its name suggests, is a castle-like concrete structure on the top of a hill. However, this stunning building in the sparsely populated wilderness is not a real chateau, but instead, it’s a highly recommended restaurant that has a classic façade with an art nouveau feel. Hidden on a small ...

Billy Shyu

Chinese Rainbow Stir Fry With Eggplant

Check out the color of the Asian eggplant in YouTube chef Tom Lin’s stir fry recipe — pure purple power: The Chinese believe that food should be bright and colorful to arouse the appetite, and present like a piece of art. When you have all the vegetables sizzling in the wok, add the XO sauce ...

Nspirement Staff

The Rainbow Stir Fry with Eggplant.

A Unique Restaurant Featuring Pickled Cabbage and Meat Hot Pot

Taiwan is known for its exquisite and delicious cuisine, and high on the list is hot pot. Not only is hot pot something that many Taiwanese people cannot do without, but it is also part of Taiwanese culture. Wherever you go in Taiwan, big streets and small alleys alike, you can always find a hot ...

Billy Shyu

The Emperor’s Mirror: Wei Zheng

Wei Zheng, one of the most celebrated Chinese officials of the Tang Dynasty, defied his Emperor by slaying a sinful dragon. In his sleep. The Dragon King of Jinghe River secretly dared to change the amount and time of the rainfall, violating a heavenly law and incurring the wrath of Heaven. But the Dragon King ...

Nspirement Staff

Wei Zheng.

Baked Mushrooms with Basil Pesto

Earthy, flavorful mushrooms play an important role in both Western and Chinese cuisines. With thousands of varieties to choose from, the white St. George’s mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) is one of the most popular. Its thick caps are hearty and tender, and can be fried, stir-fried, boiled, or baked, infusing any combination of ingredients with a ...

Nspirement Staff

Mushrooms with basil pesto.

Food Facts: Star Anise

During my formative years in Germany, star anise was the flavor of choice to add to plum jams that we cooked and preserved for the winter. The spice gave the jam a fragrant, licorice-like fragrance, which we were so fond of. I have kept this family tradition since moving to the United States. I have ...

Armin Auctor

China’s Big Four

China has a long history and profound culture. From China’s big four classic novels to China’s big four talented women, some netizens came up with more of China’s big four after going through all aspects of China’s history and culture. Here is a list of China’s big four Four most talented women: Cai Wenji, Ban ...

Nspirement Staff

China's big four most talented women.

Shanghai Smoked Fish

Most people have heard of the masterpiece Dream of the Red Chamber, one of China’s four great classical novels. Yet, few may realize that the dishes described in the novel are Huaiyang cuisine, which originates from China’s Jiangsu Province. This region was a transportation hub for the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, wealthy ...

Nspirement Staff

Mediterranean-Style Grilled Fish

The Mediterranean diet features many disease-preventing foods, and people who live in that region have fewer instances of heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. This Mediterranean-style grilled fish recipe offers many of these health-giving ingredients. Tomatoes, for example, can reduce the oxidation of cholesterol, decrease heart disease, and have anti-cancer effects. Garlic can lower cholesterol ...

Nspirement Staff

Real Soy Sauce

The most famous sauce in traditional Chinese cuisine is soy sauce. It is made by fermenting soybeans and roasted cracked wheat with brine in wooden containers that are regularly opened to release gases and to stir the mixture. After a year of slow fermentation, the resulting mash is pressed to expel soy sauce. The liquid ...

Nspirement Staff

chopsticks next to soy sauce bottles