Sesame prawn toast is an all-time favorite part of a Chinese takeaway but have you ever tried making your own? Not only does it make for a satisfying small snack, but it's also a great way to use up the leftover bread that's been sitting in your bread bin.

Prawn toast is a Hongkongese-Cantonese dim sum dish and is an example of an early form of fusion cuisine, combining prawn paste—a staple of Hong Kong cuisine-and toast, which originates from the West. Don't forget soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Method:

1. Place the prawns, garlic, ginger, egg white, sugar and soy in a food processor and make a paste. Stir in the spring onion. Remove it into a bowl. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Lightly brush one side of each slice of bread with sesame oil. Spread the prawn mixture on top. Brush the beaten egg carefully over the top and sides and sprinkle with sesame seeds so they stick to the prawn mixture.

3. Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan until hot, and cook each piece of bread it's easier to cook one at a time. Firstly, cook the non-spread-side down for 1 minute, then carefully turn over and cook for 1-2 mins on the prawn side or until the sesame seeds are golden and the prawn paste is cooked through.

4. Cut each piece into four triangles and enjoy!

Learning to Love Locally-Grown Foods

Cooking shows on TV are usually all about foreign foods. Thanks to globalization, people everywhere are introducing their taste buds to dishes from every corner of the world.【小题1】 In the past few years, the number of people purchasing local foods has been rising because it offers a lot of benefits.

For starters, local food is often tastier because it is fresher. Imported goods must be flown or shipped in from far away, so they naturally lose some of their freshness during the journey.【小题2】These materials may cause the nutritional value of these goods to decline during the shipping process. Food safety is another reason why people are choosing local produce. Today's laws regarding foods vary from country to country.【小题3】But when you know the local farmer who grows your food, the chances of it being polluted are greatly reduced.

Buying local foods can also have a beneficial impact on the environment. Buying local, consumers can maintain green space and farmland in their communities. Besides, if farmers can sell directly to consumers, they will earn more money for their families. Additional profits also enable farmers to better care for their soil and keep quality standards high.【小题4】

【小题5】This is an open area where farmers sell fruits, vegetables, and meat directly to the public. Once you experience the freshness of local foods for yourself, it might be tough to go back to the supermarket.

Have you ever wondered what the food you eat every day can tell you about where you come from? Have you ever wondered why people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? Do you ever ask yourself why certain foods or cooking traditions are so important to your culture? There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think.

On a personal level, we grow up eating the food of our cultures. It becomes a part of who each of us is. Many of us connect food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us.

On a larger level, food is an important part of culture. Traditional food is passed down from one generation to the next. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity (身份). Immigrants (移民) bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of keeping their culture when they move to new places.

In China, harmony (和谐) is an important quality in almost every part of life. This is mirrored in Chinese food, where almost every flavor is used in a balanced way creating delicious dishes with flavors that go well together. The food of the United States also mirrors its history. The European colonization (殖民) of the Americas brought European ingredients (原料) and cooking styles to the U.S.

As the world becomes more globalized (全球化), it is easier to get food from different cultures. We should hug our tradition through our culture’s food but we should also know more about other cultures by trying their foods. It’s important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it.