In My Kitchen this month I am listening to the music of Jiang Yang Zhuo Ma. I can’t start the day without her deep voiced Tibetan ballads stirring my spirit. With a cup of tea in hand, the first of many, I drift away and travel back through Szechuan Province in China. Then the kitchen business day begins.
In keeping with the Chinese theme, we have some very good Chinese tea, gifts from our dear friends in Chengdu. It tastes of Spring and flowers. The tea shops in China are surprisingly beautiful. Some teas cost a fortune.
On our road trip through the north of Szechuan Province, we visited a Szechuan pepper oil factory. Back in Melbourne, I immediately sourced a bottle ( sadly not from the same factory). Used like sesame oil, it provides a deep, peppery finish to MaPo Dofu or drizzled over stir fried wongbok cabbage, for example.
I have a slight obsession with these vintage floral tin plates from China. Produced during the period of the Cultural revolution ( 1970s), they have become quite rare. I use them as prep plates, or as trays to cart things outside, or to collect, then wash, greens from the garden.
I also have a big pile of these Chinese fish patterned bowls as I am sure many others do. They are economical and handy for one bowl meals.
I found this Chinese thermos in Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia in the hardware store for $6.00. I had to buy it, even though it meant lugging it back to Sanur, Bali, before heading home to Australia. I fill it up in the morning and drink tea the Chinese way, topping up the same leaves.
Mr Tranquillo likes a beer after work and this is his current drop of choice, Tsingtao of course.
I always keep a kitchen Buddha nearby to help with the day. My Chinese kitchen sits very comfortably within my Australian kitchen, alongside the Italian cuisine, when I’m not cooking Turkish. Thanks to Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting the ‘In My Kitchen’ monthly, thus allowing me to expose my love of China. Visit Celia’s site and open the many links to worldwide kitchens.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
I love your plates, they’re gorgeous!
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Thanks Jess. Always on the lookout for more!
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Wow, that pepper oil sounds like something we would enjoy. Your small plates are lovely. TsingTao is a favourite of ours too. My kitchen doesn’t look as international as yours sounds, but I can definitely relate to the flavours you describe. Nicely themed post!
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Thanks Ardy. the pepper oil is quite delicious. A few drops and magic happens. I had it on some chilli squid last night… hmmmm.
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Your kitchen is more Chinese than mine – too funny. I’m collecting the enamel plates and trays too – the large ones are great for nibbles and beers on the balcony. I’m also collecting the large washing bowls too although I fear I’m just collecting more clutter…..
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I think I once saw some of your enamelware Nancy. I have another lot in my camping kitchen, but I must say, I would die for an floral enamel wash bowl. They don’t turn up here anymore. Do not think clutter- think investment.
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If I see one in good condition I’ll get it for you and put it in our container. You might have to wait for it that’s all 🙂
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Thank you Nancy- such a kind thought. Yes, that would be lovely, I can wait forever and a day.
BTW, I am sure you would know enough about Chengdu but am happy to send you any info you need re day trips, restaurants and so on, and for the province too. We had local friends who took us all over the place for two weeks.
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A great Chinese theme indeed. the pepper oil sounds like the go. I will have to try and find some
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As there is no English writing, you need to ask in the Chinese grocery for Sechuan pepper oil. Its a rare thing but well worth the search.
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Love the chinese crockery and that thermos is really beautiful. Drinking tea is partly about ritual and enjoying using nice cups and pots (not that often drink tea out of a pot these days but I do love the ritual of it and I think having a pretty thermos is a nice alternative)
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I lust after trad thermoses and old mid- century Chinese ware. Tea rituals are central to the Chinese way of life. Even if out of a jar!
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Francesca, a beautiful post… such haunting ballads by JiangYangZhuoMa and a beautiful collection of bits and pieces.
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Thanks Lizzy, I do like to do themes! Makes me assess all the crazy clutter.
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That thermos Francesca is lovely!
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It HAD to be bought. The things we buy when we travel. Mr Tranquillo thought I was mad.
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G’day! I love that music Francesca! Love your plates, teapot and tea!
Thank you for allowing me share in your love of China!
Thanks for sharing this month’s kitchen view too!
Cheers! Joanne
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Thanks for dropping into my Chinese kitchen, Joanne.
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I love the theme of your post Francesca and I love your teapot and bowls.
Have a wonderful day.
🙂 Mandy xo
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Thanks Mandy.
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Those vintage plates are absolutely divine! They’re hard to find though 😦
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I am always on the lookout for them. Scored two more a few days ago so they are still floating around in second hand shops.
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What a fabulous collection of Chinese wares you have! I’m intrigued by your Szechuan pepper oil – it sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
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The szechuan pepper oil is like magic- brings plain vegies to life with just a dash.
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Hi Francesca, I too am really interested in your pepper oil. I have never heard of it. I love pepper big time.
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It makes a plain stir fried vegetable sing.
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Love the patterns, especially on the water bottle. Very nice post!
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Thankyou kindly- those floral thermos flasks enchant me.
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Love your IMK post. Lots of beautiful in your kitchen. I’m very jealous.
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Thanks Jennifer. All cheaply acquired.
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Isn’t it a wonderful world of multi-cultural influences and passions all working together. I’ll now keep an eye out for the Chinese plates etc but yes, I too have fish bowls… I always marvel at how inexpensive and lovely they are. Your Chinese thermos is gorgeous. And I’ll ask for pepper oil next time I’m at an Asian supermarket.
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Yes, ask them for the oil as it is impossible to find otherwise. I think the fish plates are essential in a kitchen, along with other little fish sauce bowls. Cheap, summery, tough. I also have a fish patterned enamelware serving platter in my campervan kitchen which is about to get a run from tomorrrow off to the Flinders Ranges. Hooray.
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What a wonderful collection of things! Those plates are divine!
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Thanks Adri- I can’t resist them.
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What a lovely collection, and I just love your Buddha 🙂
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Thanks Tandy. Collecting is a passion and a problem.
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Oh I so love your Chinese theme, and your plates and thermos are just lovely indeed!
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Thankyou, I might now start writing about the trip.
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Love the happy colours!
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It is all rather bright this month!
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Somehow you had dropped off my reader….anyway, all fixed! Love the Chinese theme Francesca. Fish bowls might be cheap and everywhere, including my cupboards, but I love their open shape and whimsical decoration. I’m on the lookout for szechan pepper oil too, I use the peppercorns lots.
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I found the pepper oil in a little Chinese shop near the Preston Market. Well not really. didn’t find it. I described the product to the shopkeeper and she found it. Then she wanted to know how I intended using it and why I was buying it. Same thing when I bought some dried beancurd skin. Next time, I am going to get her to tell me how to use other odd things in the shop. It makes anything taste exotic.
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Curious to know what you did with the dried beancurd skins. I tried then once only. They had a horrible acrid smoky taste. Maybe I didn’t prepare them properly..
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Lovely plates and thermos!
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Thanks the enamel plates are becoming quite rare.
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I love the plates and thermos too Francesca! Chinese fish tableware is so cheap but lovely isn’t it? Your Chinese tea looks almost good enough to eat. Happy cooking and collecting for another month.
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what a wonderfully interesting post francesca. Love the Chinese theme. We have a Chinese friend who introduced us to eating her way- whole steamed fish, lots of jasmine tea, much rice, dumplings etc. great stuff.
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Thanks Sherry- Chinese cuisine is quite exciting and very regional. Lucky that you have a Chinese friend who shares her good food.
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What a lovely post and so great to see into your kitchen. I am a bit partial to a fish plate and love your thermos, what a great find. You have to bring things like that from a holiday home, no questions about it!
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I’m loving those tin plates so much! How lucky that you have them. Something so disposable and therefore now quite rare. The thermos made me smile too. Cheers xx
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I am not sure that they are disposable plates- I should have described them more correctly as enamelware. The Chinese and Vietnamese produced wonderful designs on these platters from the 50s to the 70s. It is a dream of mine to open a mid 20th century Chinese decorated cafe. But with no customers.
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I love your plates. They’re really beautiful. Your tea pot is gorgeous too xx
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Thanks for sharing you wonderful kitchen this month… I can almost smell the tea as you reflect on life every morning! Those plate are beautiful and the pepper oil sounds like something I would like! Liz x
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Hi Francesca, your kitchen is full of such lovely items this month! I love those beautiful plates, bowls, and tea thermos. The tea itself looks quite inviting; I love to brew a cup of tea and sit with a good book, or just sit and listen to some good music. I am intrigued by this artist and will look her up!
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Love the sound of that oil and the thermos I use at work with green tea is nowhere as pretty as that. Just an ugly old SS one. Lovely colour on that tea pot!
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It’s great being inspired from your travels to fill you kitchen with sights, sounds, smells and tastes from far away places. I absolutely love those Chinese tin plates/trays.
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Oh how lovely! Your Chinese thermos was so familiar that it’s made me smile and smile. And I’ve never used that pepper oil before – I shall look out for it, thank you!
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It’s hard to beat a nice tea and your vintage floral plates are adorable. Filling your kitchen with memories of travels is also very comforting. I used to have a plate with the same blue fish on it (which I loved) many years ago but unfortunately it got broken. Thank you for the peek into your kitchen 🙂
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How amazing is China? I just loved China & can’t wait to get back there one day as I never had the chance to visit the Szechuan Provence, I’m a bit jealous! Your floral serving plates and thermos are absolutely gorgeous! I am definitely going to be hunting every Asian grocer for some of that Szechuan pepper oil – this will be the perfect addition to my homemade dumplings I make 🙂 It’s lovely meeting you and thank you for sharing IMK
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Francesca, I read your post with Jiang Yang Zhuo Ma’s beautiful and haunting music playing – absolutely perfect!! The tin plates are so pretty, I don’t think I have ever seen them before and the thermos too, is very pretty – what an ideal way to keep hydrated – something I am terrible at! The szechan pepper oil sounds fantastic – I feel a trip to Chinatown coming up…I love how international your kitchen is – a true melting pot of influences!
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This is by far the most intriguing In My Kitchen peep I’ve had for ages. What an amazing experience. Look forward to visiting again.
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That is very kind.
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