Sha cha beef facts for kids
 |
|
| Place of origin | Chinese |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | shacha sauce, tenderized beef strips |
Sha cha beef (Chinese: 沙茶牛肉) is a delicious Chinese dish. It's also known as sa cha beef or cha beef. This meal features tender strips of beef cooked with a special sauce called shacha sauce.
When you find Sha cha beef in places like America, it's often served over a bed of fluffy white rice. It usually comes with fresh green onions (scallions) and cilantro. This tasty dish originally comes from the Gansu province in China.
What is Sha Cha Beef?
Sha cha beef is a very old and traditional dish. It has been enjoyed for thousands of years! The main ingredients are thinly sliced beef and shacha sauce. The beef is often made extra tender before cooking.
The Special Shacha Sauce
Shacha sauce is a unique Chinese condiment. It's made from a mix of ingredients like soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chili, and dried shrimp. This gives the sauce a savory, slightly spicy, and umami flavor. It's what makes Sha cha beef so distinctive and flavorful.
A Balanced Meal
Sha cha beef is special because it follows an old Chinese cooking idea called fan-ts'ai. This idea is about balancing your meal.
- Fan means grains and starchy foods, like rice.
- Ts'ai means dishes with vegetables and meat.
To make a truly balanced meal, you need the right amount of both fan and ts'ai. Sha cha beef, with its meat and sauce served with rice, is a great example of this balance. It shows how Chinese cooking often focuses on healthy and complete meals.
