Copycat Danshan Spice Mix (for those that can't find it)

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey guys, a few notes: 1. Just a quick hit of a video, as it was something that should’ve been included in our original Danshan introduction. Often we’re guilty of assuming that if something is available in the USA and Canada… that it’s also available in the UK, Europe, and Australia. It’s a reasonable heuristic most of the time, but apparently not always :/ 2. As you can tell from the spice shop in Yunnan in the original video, there’s loads of various styles of Zhanshuila. This recipe was 100% focused on mimicking Danshan. 3. Ginger powder is not something used very often in Chinese cooking - in this sort of application, you’d usually see people include dried ginger in with their spice mix. We used ginger powder mostly out of convenience (for us, as well as for those living outside of China?). If you would like to used dried ginger instead, try using ~2g and toasting it in with the spices. 4. Be careful not to over-toasted your chilis/spices. When in doubt, under-toast. That’s all I can think of for now. I know we just released a video yesterday... figured we'd more-or-less shoot this one out at the same time, as it's not the same level of depth that you'd usually see from us :)

[@KrKrp0n3]

On the vegetarian note: Mushroom powder (I’m using the plain old Lee Kum Kee one) is a great substitute umami flavor. Not even vegetarian myself, I just genuinely like the stuff and find it often preferrable to chicken powder. Certainly better than just more MSG.

[@ampersand64]

what's the difference between green and red sichuan peppercorns?

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

@@ampersand64 There are subtle differences in flavor. We used green here mostly because (1) they're quite common in Yunnanese cooking and (2) we had some on hand. If you only have red peppercorns, no problem, use those - don't buy green just to use in this recipe :)

[@tortillawrap6955]

@@ampersand64 geen has a stronger citrusy flavour, red tastes more vegetal imho

[@ampersand64]

@@tortillawrap6955 oh cool, thanks for the response!

[@Nuuriell]

Thanks so much! Procuring the actual spice mix has been something I've been trying to do since I saw that video.

[@turtlepowersf]

I just recieved mine today, purchased from ebay. I ordered it a day or two after the original video upload. I think I paid around $11 for a bag with 10 packets, with free shipping from China. Pretty excited to try it. The seller was called "China specialty supermarket".

[@skrunglywungkus]

literally me, i’ve been checking all the markets near me 😂

[@ltakahashi3802]

Did it! Finally got the fennel seeds and reached the end of my Danshan odyssey. I was nervous as there has been a very long lead up to the moment where I could finally try this DIY composition. It completely surpassed my expectations. More than worth the wait and effort. Spectacular seasoning!

[@IAmTheUltimateRuler]

for what it's worth ime, it's not always that easy to find specific things through the search function of online chinese supermarkets, at least in the uk. They might use their own names or translation, or require specific spacing to get the right results. Sometimes you just have to browse by category, check descriptions and ingredient lists, and maybe google the chinese characters to check whether it's what you're looking for. For example, I found danshan at Wai Yee Hong under the name "Barbecue Seasoning" (and this video is a helpful reminder to actually use it, lmao) for the cooking nerds, they also have penghui listed as "Noodle Additive", so I've got some noodles to try and pull once my shoulder pain eases up

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Oh, I remember the shoulder back when from making the lamian video. Suggestion: don't go too hard one yourself, noodles will still be delicious even if they're a bit on the thicker side.

[@JamesDumas-b1x]

No need to atone, you're two of my favorite sinners, addressing your oversight is quite welcome but don't stop having fun👺.

[@sneer0101]

What a bizarrely worded comment

[@n4ughty_knight]

@@sneer0101 Kinda sounds like the devil

[@Hydramus89]

It's funny how now in London UK, it's easier to get Chinese chillies like erjintiao than those guajio or arbol American chillies 😅 thanks for the recipe!

[@heistingcrusader_ad3223]

Probably because the demand for asian ingredients is higher than South American. Well at least we have online shopping even if the shipping fees can be ludicrous

[@MGX93dot]

is it? didnt find shit in chinatown, what should have been anyones first guess to find chinese ingredients. i get its touristy but they have shops, with basically nothing i cant get locally

[@Quest723The]

Talk about timing. I saw your "Danshan" vid and got carried away and ordered some on ebay 3 wk ago, just came in yesterday and this vid goes up today.

[@jordanhodder8481]

Seems like a solid investment unless you happen to have fennel seeds, white peppercorns, erjintao peppers, and a specific brand if chicken bouillon powder that contains 'I+G' lying around lol

[@turtlepowersf]

I wouldn't say you got carried away, unless you bought $50 worth, or something. I paid $11 for a bag of ten packs that I just recieved today. Gonna find some stuff to try it out with, tomorrow.

[@aaatrc7]

Thank you so much! I keep pretty strictly kosher and therefore need to make a lot of ingredients from scratch. I'm really grateful for recipes like this!

[@nottheoneyourelookingfor0504]

Thank you! I’ve been looking for it since you posted the video. Not available on Amazon Canada, nor anywhere in any Asian grocery I found here in The Great White North’s Capital. Btw, no need to apologize. There are many things where I’m from that are ubiquitous, but are difficult/impossible to find or are prohibitively expensive. (Maple syrup comes to mind. As does real cheese curds in poutine..) Keep up the great work you two!

[@turtlepowersf]

They didn't have it at any of the Ranch 99 stores near me, either. I did get some from ebay, though, and was shipped from China.

[@ohnodontbethat]

Yay thank you! couldn't find it anywhere in stores. Looking forward to trying

[@k.toffellampe869]

We have relatively large Asian markets in my town, and they do have quite a lot of exotic stuff. But man, I feel so handicapped sometimes when I try to cook one of your recipes! So thank you so much for this vid

[@ltakahashi3802]

I’ve been to more than a dozen stores in London and North London in my quest for Yunnan Danshan and it has still so far eluded me. HOWEVER, your tutorial did prime me to be receptive to Cuihong Spicy Dipping Powder. Also supremely addictive but peanut is a predominant ingredient. Alas for me, the Cuihong chilli powder is quite high in carbs (50%) so I can’t be as liberal with my servings as I would like, I’m really glad you have given the recipe showing suggested proportions for the Danshan ingredients. Just need to get fennel seeds today and I can finally have a taste of this food I’ve been lusting for.

[@Pepetess]

I can find the chilli with peanut powder everywhere... But danshan is nowhere to be found

[@ltakahashi3802]

@ I eventually found it a couple of weeks ago at the China Ark Market, a shop at 52 Fitzroy St, London W1T 5BS

[@michelleknox9835]

Thank you so much!! After seeing your video I searched all over!!!

[@benjarman9908]

Thank you! I couldn't find it at my local asian grocer so learning how to make it homemade helps! :D

[@DolceVitaGurl]

Not to toot my own horn, but I have every ingredient to make this already stocked. Love that 😊

[@gerryrussell5325]

Love your channel. Definitely time for merchandise.

[@wailoh4332]

Just made it. Very tasty

[@agr263]

Thanks for the copycat recipe! Tried to find Danshan on the spice aisle at a 99Ranch in Texas with no luck.

[@roastbeefguy]

I literally was searching for that this afternoon!

[@turtlepowersf]

Ebay has a bunch of sellers that have it. I bought it from seller "liteao".

[@jusjuicebox]

Whoa!!! bonus video!!

[@pandaplays971]

Me coming to this video after asking my local east asian shop about it and seeing them totally clueless. Thanks!

[@FreeBroccoli]

Thank you for posting this addendum. I haven't checked whether this is locally available to me, but I'd rather make it myself anyway.

[@emchem7439]

Thanks for this. I looked for Danshan in a couple Asian markets here in Queens NY and couldn't find it. Did anyone have better luck?

[@VerboseVindication]

This is the best day.

[@MaxIsBackInTown]

Is there any chance you could do a video on what types of dried shiitake mushrooms go best with various dishes?

[@maksi0013]

Thank you !🎉

[@markzambelli]

A big 谢谢 from the UK

[@manatoa1]

Nice! Thank-you

[@zehderp5451]

nice video!😊

[@zoubachan]

Might try this with kombu salt or some mushroom powder instead of the MSG and other flavor enchancers and see how it turns out. And i've got gochugaru so that's what's getting used. Lol

[@rickyg64]

Thank you so much! this is amazing.

[@gan911]

Couldnt find this at my ranch 99 here in texas. Thanks for the copycat!

[@turtlepowersf]

That was the first place I checked, also, but no luck. Went to ebay and there were a ton of sellers who had it. "China specialty supermarket" is who I bought mine from.

[@dextery1983]

Can you guys make 'luosifen' from scratch? Would be very interest to see.

[@dandane3819]

God's work

[@PhuongNguyen-_-]

omg, I was about to diy this!!!

[@7557adam]

Have you guys ever made suanla chaoshou or hongyou chaoshou? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas for a recipe!

[@Justab3an]

Thanks!

[@Totallnutjob]

Can you use Gochugaru as a substitute for the chili peppers?

[@ReadThisOnly]

y'all are the best

[@meversace]

I'm in the US and I have problems finding Sichuan peppercorns. Not just finding them, but finding quality ones as well.

[@BoxyBlue]

If you don't have any good markets near you, mala market and penzeys spices sell great quality ones online

[@coffeeortea547]

Do they pronounce it as dan1 shan1 in Yunnan? I know that 单 can also be pronounced as chan2 or shan4. I found a retailer in Canada that has it labelled as Danshan for the original flavour and Shanshan for the BBQ flavour. Perhaps this inconsistency in translated labelling might've made it harder for people abroad to find it online.

[@natalieh3304]

can pls y’all try an egg tart recipe that emulates the realllly good thin n flaky dim sum restaurant ones!?

[@angelad.8944]

So, the one Apenjie makes is also called Danshan? I made that one but it has more ingredients. 🤔

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Apenjie's and this are both 'Zhanshuila'. There are many variations, this one is aiming exactly for Danshan (the most common brand)

[@angelad.8944]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified ohhhh, ok. Thank you. ☺️

[@matthewbohill4147]

"Europe" is rather a large place. Its available at the dozen or so chinese supermarkets in my city

[@PursuingHeaven]

Does this have a strong licorice flavor? Not a big fan of fennel because it is so overpowering. I guess I just don't see the appeal of a flavor profile that is basically, chilis, peppercorn and licorice with MSG, but I am not a huge fan of 5 spice either. So when I do use it I get brands that taste as little as black licorice as possible or I make my own with all the other flavors in it and reduce the fennel and anise to very little. I do like certain flavors that have a mild undertone of it but it can go south very fast if its not balanced right. I am Italian and I will not use fennel at all in my family sauces or sausage. Funny thing is I really like black licorice on its own.

[@MGX93dot]

fennel is aniseed, which is similar to liquorice

[@orientalmoons]

Hmm, guajillo chillies are not widely available as far as I know in Europe. Would be interested to know if anyone has found another alternative that's more widely available? Where I live in the north of England, I have access to South Asian (Indian, Pakistani etc), Middle eastern, generic Asian/Chinese (mainly Cantonese but with small sections of Korean, Japanese, south east Asia but absolutely not comprehensive) and a Thai supermarket. Zero Mexican (again I think this is presuming universality of something that is mostly American).

[@orientalmoons]

There are Eastern European shops too but I don't think they are likely to have any dried chillies - I have eaten foods they describe as 'hot' spice level and they're barely spicy. Not unlike German food...

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Can you get Kashmiri chilis? You could use a mix of those and something spicier Honestly, any medium-spicy chili that you enjoy should work great

[@EmsThaBreaks441]

How far away are you from Manchester? Or indeed any other town with a sizeable Chinese student population? (Note Kashmiri chillis in the UK are rather hotter than the version Chris refers to)

[@orientalmoons]

@@EmsThaBreaks441 wrong side of the Pennines 😄 Leeds is where I go for Chinese ingredients. The selection is pretty good but as usual English labelling can be generic. Perhaps spur chillies if the Thai supermarket has them...

[@orientalmoons]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified I can probably get Kashmiris as south Asian foods are readily available. I'm just not sure if they're labelled as such, I had a look at the usual brands and they are just labelled 'dried chillies ' (you made a joke about generic chillies in the UK in a video a couple of years ago which made me laugh out loud, it was so true!). Same with the English names on the chillies in the Chinese supermarket. There isn't much of a culture of using dried chillies, and even the fresh chillies in the supermarket are just "mixed chillies" (probably serrano from my research). I think some experiments will be needed. 😀

[@giuliotosi270]

Thank you for the recipe. Could you provide all the ingredients in grams next times? It is more accurate and easier in cooking. Here for example the chilies are in grams but everything else is in tsp.

[@corwingraves6808]

Can you link to that spice grinder?

[@m13b]

If you share the Han characters for Zhanshuilan that would help a great deal in finding the spice. Most ingredients aren't labelled well in English my local Chinese groceries so I try to play a character matching game. Biggest problem is sourcing dried chillis, they're all just labelled "chilli" with the ingredient "chilli" despite looking vastly different

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

蘸水辣=zhanshuila. But many products are not called 蘸水辣, they just have brand names, lol. You can try to look at the ingredients list, if they have chili and salt together then there's a high chance they're this type of things.

[@sweatygoblin2335]

Hey guys, unrelated to this video but I can't figure out how best to reach y'all; I've ordered what the Mala Market calls dried erjingtiao and the product I got looked WAY different from what you've shown in this and previous videos. I can't be entirely sure they're actually erjingtiao either, since I've tried germinating the seeds but never once had a success. Any idea what's going on there, or am I just being paranoid?

[@89Geminian]

If you add cumin, it should basically turn into Asian lamb skewer seasoning (maybe minus ginger)

[@HXTPJH]

Found some on Ebay. Shipped from China to US so took a week or so to get here.

[@violetviolet888]

@HXTPJH Have you tasted it? What do you think?

[@HXTPJH]

@@violetviolet888 I haven't tried it yet but I'll let you know when I do. I have some tofu I think I can fry up to try it on.

[@gmanjapan]

I going to have to try ordering the real thing. I just tried making it and mine tastes like 90% peppercorn and 10% salt and nothing else. I can barely feel my tongue 😝

[@tktyga77]

Should be much easier to run a Yunnan style place (mobile or otherwise) with that now

[@Zacky703]

Now hear me out. Use this as a shao kao seasoning base? Maybee?

[@teridacktaljones4553]

🐼

[@e8ghtmileshigh1]

Is that Lao Gan PA?

[@Urahara_san]

It's weird that people have problem with getting Danshan in Europe. Maybe it's not avaiable in stationary stores , but there is no problem with ordering it online from Ebay with free shipping to Europe

[@turtlepowersf]

Same here. Couldn't find locally, so went to ebay. I guess a lot of people just don't think to check ebay for certain things.

[@user-sj1gr6kr3e]

Just did a search on ebay. 0 found.

[@EmsThaBreaks441]

As usual with a CCD vid, you usually face this scenario. Strain to get a signal at the local chinese shops to see if the clerk there can decipher the product shown with their stock. Usually the response is that the lady in the video - Steph - is too picky - or some such variations with Chris - and use whatever they suggest instead. (With the Cai zi you video, one is directed to the cheapest brand of Soya Oil - the clerk oblivious to the fact that you get cold pressed rapeseed in the UK that Dunlop says is a good sub). Two weeks ago, I showed the Danshan video - got blank looks and was given a £1 packet of chilli powder. Looking at the ingredients, it is not pure powdered chilli but has Sichuan Peppercorn, MSG, Salt, Sesame seeds and a touch of oil. Equivalent?

[@violetviolet888]

@robbasil4441: "to see if the clerk there can decipher the product shown with their stock" Don't show them the whole video. Look up the product online and get a good image of it with the chinese characters, better yet, a couple of different brands. Download the image or take screen shots. Show them that. Even in English if you showed me a cooking video and didn't speak my language I would not necessarily know what you were looking for. My method works for me at every Asian grocery I've ever gone to.

[@MaizeANDBlue1957]

After you get your peppercorns ground up, I suggest using the gridder to mix them. (Make sure you take a BIG WIFF when you open the grinder for an unforgettable experience.)

[@brucegraham7652]

Test

[@TheBoyjah]

Why are you removing seeds from the chilis? For me, they are the best part. You really should explain why your recipe recommends removing the most delicious part of the chilis...

[@kingoftheshadowland]

Because they are trying to emulate an existing product that they have tested for extensively....?

[@sarmatiko]

Because chili seeds add nothing to the taste except the fact that they are hard. The same reason why black cores and white shells in Sichuan pepper are undesirable - they taste like sand and get in the way. Chilli seeds do not contain capsaicin (except of some miniscule residual amount of oils on the seed surface) - all the heat is in pod placenta (the veins to which seeds are attached).

[@bea3558]

fresh chili seeds are fine, but dried chili seed add no flavour whatsoever. my guess is that youd probably just muddy up the flavour.

[@bjones9942]

Thank you :) I can get very few things where I am in México, and Mercado Libre/Amazon are prohibitively expensive (if they even have the item). I have no ginger powder, nor sichuan peppercorns either - so I'll buy when I visit the USA next time.

[@nottheoneyourelookingfor0504]

I feel your pain, my friend. But I am lucky that where I am, there’s a largish community of asian students, and they bring with them their needs for spices and snacks. But not everything is available, and some things are quite expensive. As for your ginger requirements, if you have access to a dehydrator you can pretty easily make your own ginger powder. Or just a low oven. Or I suppose sun-dried depending where you are. Key is to slice as thinly as possible so as to dry the fastest. And you want bone dry for powders. The Sichuan peppercorns, on the other hand, is a different story. You could, depending on the shipping laws, have a friend send you some in the mail. But, if you visit the states often, that’ll be your best bet. Word of advice though… don’t chew on a whole Sichuan peppercorn. Those who know are laughing right now. Happy cooking from the Great White North!