Difference between a 妃子笑 (Fei Ji Siu) and other 荔枝 (Lychee)

This is a regular Lychee

Laichi or Litchi or Lychee have always been my favourite fruit and Fei Ji Siu is the best kind of Lychee.

FeijiSiu/Feizixiao/妃子笑 literally translates to concubine smile/laugh. This is in reference to the famous Tang Dynasty Yang Concubine who was the emperor's favourite concubine who happened to really like eating lychees. (you can read more in the "more backstory" section)

inside of a lychee

Since Lychee season is coming up, I decided to talk about the difference between the premium best lychee (FeiJiSiu/Feizixiao/妃子笑) and regular, normal, lychees!

These lychees are hard to find because they are expensive (most grocery stores don't carry them) and are hard to grow. I was very fortunate to find some this year and help you tell the difference between these and "regular" types of lychee.

these are all feijisiu (the premium lychee)

What makes them special:

• they have a good flesh/pit ratio (contains thick flesh)
• they are super sweet
• have a small core/seed
• has a lovely lychee aroma
• they have a beautiful green colour*

Contrary to popular belief, the more green the lychee, the tastier it is. Back in ancient China, people preferred green lychee over red lychee.

can you tell which one isn't a 妃子笑?

Can you tell the difference between the 妃子笑s and the regular lychee?

from appearance:

• it is green
• smaller than a regular lychee
• has a smaller pit/core

these are all 妃子笑 (Fei Ji Siu)

Preservation:

If you ever get your hands on these premium lychees (or any lychee) make sure you eat them right away.

After leaving the branch, on the first day, the colour will change, on the second day, the fragrance will change, on the third day, the flavour will change and on the fourth day, the colour and fragrance will be gone. 

fei jisiu have small seeds

more backstory:

Yang Guifei (Yang Concubine) is known as one of the four most beautiful women in China and she was a concubine in the Tang dynasty to emperor Li Longji. They were in love. Yang Guifei likes to eat lychees. During Lychee harvesting season, she wanted fresh lychees every day. 

Since the capital of China in the Tang Dynasty was in Xi'an and the lychees were grown in Southern China, the emperor ordered the lychees to be shipped after picking so that his most beloved Yang concubine can enjoy them. These lychees were named in reference to the saying " The concubine must eat these lychees in order to make her smile (be happy).

Vita Japanese Sweet Peach tea drink short review

I've been seeing their advertisements across Social media but this drink was not easy to find at all!... After weeks of searching, I finally found a store that sells them! (For those in Toronto, I found this box drink at a Foody Mart. I checked and all Foody Marts have them (except for the one across the street from Markville Mall).

their advertisement

I really like this Sweet Peach Tea. The website claims it is refreshing and I couldn't agree more.

impressions:

• not overwhelmingly sweet
• has a good tea/juice balance
• smells and tastes very peachy 🍑

I consider this Sweet Peach Tea one of VitaSoy's best products... it tastes better than their other "juice" products. It quenches my thirst and the sweet/flavour/tea balance is just right! :) 

I am also glad that they didn't over brew their tea, so the tea is very smooth. (Most Japanese peach tea products usually over brew their tea and the whole beverage becomes very rough)

score: 9.9/10

website: https://www.vitavitasoy.com/en/product/peach-tea/peach-tea

Haagen-Dazs Ruby Cacao Ice Bar review

Spring is in the air!... I am glad the temperatures are finally coming down so I can sit down and enjoy a nice cool popsicle :)

I found these at Metro (a Canadian supermarket) and the colour and flavour attracted me.

I have always been a huge Haagen-Dazs Strawberry ice cream fan... so I knew they couldn't go wrong with anything "strawberry".

actual product... and my nails match it

These are available for a limited time. I only see them during Spring (I've had these thrice before deciding on writing a review and recommending them). 

layers

What is it:

These are Haagan Dazs' signature strawberry ice cream dipped in a berry-rich coating made from ruby cacao

Ruby Cacao is a new type of cacao red/ruby in colour. They are naturally red.

strawberry ice cream

The Experience:

These bars taste how they look. a tangy strawberry crispy coating with lots of strawberry taste inside. There are no added colours or flavours. 

Upon writing this review, I discovered these bars are made with 100% Canadian dairy. I'm not sure whether these are available outside of Canada.

score: 8.9/10

website: https://www.haagen-dazs.ca/en/haagen-dazs/ruby-cacao-ice-cream-bars

Mac and Cheese from Scratch recipe

 

If I can cook, I'm sure everyone else can too! :D

The weather has been flirting with us lately... it can be 35 degrees (Celcius) a day then it can suddenly drop to just 12 degrees the next day... on colder days, my body craves comfort foods... so this is what I made!... It is a very simple recipe (and like I said... ANYONE can make this)

It took years for me to finally make a decent mac and cheese... Here's what I did! No cooking skills are required. I am terrible at giving measurements... so please adjust the amount according to your taste.

in the process... if you see your mixture looking like this, it is not ready

Ingredient list:

• water
• milk
• dry macaroni
• starch or flour
• butter
• salt
• powdered/grated parmesan cheese
• shredded cheddar cheese (if you prefer a less cheesy taste, shredded Mozerella cheese will do)

Instructions

1. Boil water and milk (in equal amounts) you can refer to your pasta/macaroni instructions on the box/bag for guidance. For example, if they call for 2 cups of water, then use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk.

2. When water and milk boil, add in dry macaroni

3. Let simmer and bring to a boil, if you want al dente, then let the macaroni boil for 4-7 minutes, 

4. While boiling, add in more milk, starch or flour, butter, salt, and stir. For this step, go easy on the starch/flour... if you add too much, your sauce will be too thick. (If you are into super thick sauces, then adding more than 2 teaspoons will be more than enough)

5. Once the consistency is creamy, add in powdered/grated parmesan cheese

6. Add in shredded cheddar cheese (or if you are afraid it will be too cheesy, add in a mix of cheddar and white mozzarella cheese). 

7. Bon Appetit!