Many Chinese who grew up with fantasy stories from the 16th-century literary classic Journey to the West have pondered the same question: Why do the evil spirits and monsters who capture Monk Tang—whose flesh is believed to grant immortality to those who eat it—insist on steaming him before consumption? The time spent waiting for water to boil gives the Monkey King, Monk Tang’s disciple, time to rescue him and defeat the monsters.
Luo Gang has asked himself just this. The co-founder and vice president of the restaurant chain Zheng Liu Ji from Liuyang in central China’s Hunan province, Luo thinks he’s found the answer: “Because steaming is the most nutritious way of cooking,” he says jokingly.
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All in One Pot: A Healthy Alternative to the Stir Fry Is Gaining Steam is a story from our issue, “Youthful Nostalgia.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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