诗礼银杏 Shili Gingko Nuts

诗礼银杏 or Shili Gingko Nuts is a well-known dish in Kongfu cuisine (孔府菜) and is made with gingko nuts that are exquisitely prepared. It is bright red in color, has a soft and chewy texture, sweetened by honey, and perfumed by the thick and sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers (桂花).

The dish takes its name from Shili Hall (诗礼堂) which was originally built by Confucius to teach his son about Shi and Li. During the Song dynasty, two gingko trees were planted in front of the hall. It was said that the chefs who originally created this dish used the gingko nuts from these trees. And hence the dish was named after the hall. Surprisngly, the trees are still flourishing today.

The gingko tree is best known as a living fossil and dates back 270 million years. It belongs to the family Ginkgoaceae, and is a deciduous tree with distinctive, fan-shaped leaves. Individual trees are either male or female and are very beautiful in autumn when the leaves turn a bright yellow. But, the fruits are foul-smelling.

I remember back during my university days there were rows of gingko trees on campus and it was a wonderful sight in autumn. But when the fruits dropped on the ground and were stepped on, the smell was terrible. Somebody could mistaken that it was dog poo. Occasionally I would see an Asian grandmother picking up the fruits. I suppose not many people knew it was edible.

The foul smell comes from the flesh that covers the seed and is attributed to butanoic acid (C4H8O2) which is what rancid butter smells like. I guess this is a way to prevent the seeds from being eaten and to ensure the survival of the species. But unfortnately it does not seem to be effective against some humans!

Gingko nuts are usually sold with the shell on but nowadays there are also canned ones. The shoot that is in the nut need to be removed otherwise it would taste bitter. Gingko nuts can be found in many Chinese dishes, both savory and sweet. The nut is quite bland in taste but has a distinctive flavor that is unmistakenly "gingko nut". In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that gingko nuts are good for its drying and shrinking effects on the lungs due to its bitter and astringent properties. It is often prescribed for coughs and asthmas.

Traditional Recipe for Shili Gingko Nuts 诗礼银杏

750 g gingko nuts, shell removed
265 g sugar
100 g hot water
50 g honey
2.5 g osmanthus paste

boil gingko nuts in salted water and remove papery skin covering seeds

boil gingko nuts again and let them sit covered for a while

blanch with hot water (these 2 steps are to remove the bitterness)

heat wok and cook 15 g of the sugar till reddish brown

add the hot water, honey, remaining sugar, osmanthus paste, and cook till dissolved

add gingko nuts, simmer till syrup is thick

add a little lard and garnish with red and green shreds

serve in shallow soup dish

This dish has been around for ages. Does it still suit today's taste? How can it be made more contemporary? Here's my two-cents worth:

Option A:

continue cooking until the syrup reaches the hard ball stage (if you have a thermometer, the temperature should be about 125C)

remove gingko nuts and drain quickly

sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and toss rapidly to evenly coated the gingko nuts

allow gingko nuts to cool so that the exterior turns hard (keep them away from each other to prevent them from sticking to each other)

serve as a snack

Option B:

remove gingko nuts from syrup and allow to drain

while draining, melt some chocolate in double boiler or microwave (caution: temperature should not exceed 45C)

add gingko nuts to melted chocolate, stir to ensure that they are evenly coated

remove gingko nuts and allow chocolate to drain and harden

sprinkle finely cut gold leaves on the surface

chill in refrigerator

serve as dessert

What about you - any innovative ideas to transform this dish to something modern?