西红柿炒鸡蛋. Huh?: Tomato and Egg Stir Fry

Plenty of food items are historically associated with a certain culture, region or people.  Kimchi?  Korea.  Feta?  Greece.  Baklava?  Turkey. Gravlax?  Norway.   Peanut soup?  Ghana.

But there is one food that has not only claimed the hearts (and stomachs) of practically every society in every corner of the planet (even dating back to pre-historic times), but also has significant religious, mythological and philosophical relevance and associations.

The egg.

According to the Food Timeline, a specific date for the introduction of the egg in human diet is unclear.  The best estimation?  ‘Since the beginning of human time.’  Since then, humans have discovered innumerable benefits and advantages of the egg, allowing societies to salvage the reproductive process of a chicken.

In Chinese culture, the egg has an impressive and influential history, cultivating the region’s cuisine, beliefs and art.  Some of the most famous dishes known to foreigners involve some kind of egg:  egg tart, egg drop soup, Lo Mein and egg rolls.  But one dish that many non-Chinese are not familiar with is 西红柿炒鸡蛋.  Or pronounced, in Mandarin: xi hong shi chao ji dan.  And in English:  Tomato and Egg Stir Fry.

While most of us (on this side of the world) generally eat our scrambled eggs for breakfast, this popular college-cafeteria dish can practically be eaten at any time of the day.  It is jammed full of flavor as the very high heat (used in most stir-fry dishes) allows the tomatoes to release their juices and caramelize and infuse the spongy/springy eggs with its vibrancy and freshness.  In addition, the distinct salty/sweet combination is most definitely pleasing to the palette, particularly if you like Thai food (like me)! Please don’t be afraid to try this!  The Chinese knew exactly what they were doing when they combined these 4 simple ingredients!

Note:  Traditional recipes do not include the use of grape tomatoes, but now that tomato season is officially over, I find that the grape tomatoes are sometimes the most flavorful and easy to substitute given its firm flesh and abundant juiciness.  Also, when frying the tomatoes, STAND BACK!  Lots of oil popping and flying in the air!

Tomato and Egg Stir Fry

西红柿炒鸡蛋 – Tomato and Egg Sir Fry
Serves 2 people:

Ingredients:

4 eggs
handful of grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of oil

Directions:

Pre-heat a wok or very large skillet on high heat.

Beat the eggs until very well combined – you want to whip as much air into these as possible as it helps create fluffy eggs.  Add salt.

When the wok is screeching hot, add ½ tablespoon of oil.  Add the eggs and quickly scramble.  When the eggs are almost done, remove from heat (should definitely look coagulated, but wet).

With the heat still on high, add the tomatoes and sugar.  Move tomatoes around the wok until they start to release their juices and the tomatoes look caramelized.

Add back the eggs and combine with the tomatoes until eggs are completely done.   Serve hot with a bowl of steaming white rice!

Tags: baklava, chinese cuisine, Chinese food, chinese history, egg, egg and tomato stir fry, egg significance, egg symbolism, feta, food timeline, gravlax, kimchi, peanut soup, tomato and egg stir fry, xi hong shi chao ji dan, 西红柿炒鸡蛋

Category: Asia Pacific, Breakfast/Brunch, Featured Articles: Travel & Culture, Main Dish - Vegetarian, Recipe Vault, Travel & Culture