Victor Sack wrote:

> This is very interesting. I assume we are speaking of the "real", as
> distinct from the "fake" soup now. :-) There appear to exist some
> pan-Chinese recipes and sour-and-hot soup, usually, it seems,
> transliterated as "suan la tang", may well have by now become one, but
> most recipes are regional, of course. I wonder where suan la tang
> really originated. I am anything but an expert on anything Chinese, but
> it looks like there are at least three versions of its origin:
>
> 1. Peking, under which name the soup is known in a lot of places
> 2. Shanghai
> 3. Szechuan, particularly Chengdu
>
> Again, I have no idea where the "authentic" version originated. I
> wonder if there is more than one. Anyway, here is what appears to be a
> nice version said to be from Shanghai:
> <http://www.student.nvcc.edu/home/chhuang/project2/soup1.htm>
>
> Shanghai Style Spicy Sour Soup
>
> Suan La Tang (Mandarin)
>
> Materials
> Shredded Meat 100 g
> Dry Black Fungus 4 pcs
> Dry Black Mushrooms 5 pcs
> Shredded Doufu 1 pc
> Shredded Bamboo Shoots 1/2 can
> Shredded Solid pig blood 1/2 cup
> Shredded Red Carrot 1 tbsp
> Egg 1 pc
> Spring Onion 1 stalk
> Cornflour 3 tbsp
>
> Sauce 1
> Light Soy Sauce 2 tbsp
> Red Vinegar 2 tbsp
> Sugar 1 tbsp
>
> Sauce 2
> Sesame Oil 2 tbsp
> Spicy Red Pepper
> Oil 1/2 tbsp
> Pepper some
> Salt 1/2 tbsp
> Chinese Parsley some
>
> Steps
> 1) Soak the dry fungus and mushroom, clean and wipe dry, shredded
> 2) Whisk the egg with 3 tbsp of water and a little cornflour
> 3) Stir fry the spring onion, mushrooms with 2 tbsp of oil
> 4) Add 6 cup of water (approx. 1/2 liter) until boiled
> 5) Shred spring onion, add all shredded materials to soup
> 6) Add sauce (1) and cornflour solution, stir well until boiled
> 7) Pour the egg solution and stir gently until egg float on surface
> 8) Add sauce (2), mix well and until boiled for 1 minute, serve
>
> Remark
> tbsp - table spoon
> Pig blood can be instead by chicken's - steam blood with 1/3 water in a
> bowl until cooked
> Pig blood - this material is not necessary, but better taste if applied
>
>
>>Most Chinese restaurant versions of hot and sour soup around here (the
>>Baltimore-Washington area) are wimpy, lacking in both black pepper and
>>vinegar. It's best to ask for vinegar on the side (pepper is usually
>>already on the table) to correct the flavor.
>
>
> FWIW (not much), most Chinese restaurant versions here (Germany) are
> also almost always fairly wimpy, but they do usually include hot pepper
> flakes and, at least occasionally, it seems, a bit of hot chilli oil.
> BTW, pepper and vinegar are not always on the table, but hot chilli
> paste (of the sambal oelek type) nearly always is.
>
> Victor

One thing I find quite interesting is that the contents vary
considerably depending on where the recipe is from. Here in the
United States (Boston area, to be more specific), I regard golden
needles and wood ears as necessities. Also, of course, egg, tofu,
scallion, perhaps some shreds of pork. Possibly shredded bamboo
shoots. White pepper, vinegar, a little sesame oil. But I note
that various recipes from what appear to be authentic Chinese
sites seem to be very different. Some have ham in them, and, as
above, some contain blood. I have to say I am not used to
coriander in the soup. Had that recently at some restaurant, and,
not being used to it, it threw the flavor off a bit.

--
Jean B.