Low Carbon Digital Cookbook
低碳唐人街食谱

Explore the various low carbon recipes developed by UK-based East & Southeast Asians in collaboration with a data scientist and acclaimed East & Southeast Asian chefs and food writers. Understand the carbon footprint of our food system through its processes from ingredients, cooking techniques to food sources. Experiment with cooking the dishes at home yourself while assessing the impact of your own cooking on the climate. The Digital Cookbook is developed as part of Low Carbon Chinatown, a project by artist and designer Ling Tan.

London's Low Carbon Recipes

Low carbon recipes developed in collaboration with celebrated East & Southeast Asian food writers

Leeds' Low Carbon Recipes

Low carbon recipes developed by East & Southeast Asian community members living in Leeds, UK

The Carbon Footprint Of Diasporic Chinese Food System
中华食物的碳足迹影响

The data below shows the carbon footprint rankings of ingredients, food sources and cooking methods that are often used in popular Chinese dishes in the UK such as Chicken Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork and Wonton Dumpling Soup. Working with data scientist, Raphael Leung, the data were gathered to encourage participants involved in the Low Carbon Chinatown Workshops to think of inventive ways to reduce their meal’s carbon footprint. Click on the different buttons to explore the various carbon footprint information.

Carbon footprint data used here draws from several sources and is meant simply to provide a general understanding of relative impact.

Carbon Footprint Ranking | 碳足跡排名

All carbon footprint units are kgCO2eq per kg unless otherwise specified.

Protein | 肉类

1 portion of beef fillet steak | 牛肉 (90g) Highest | 最高

1 portion of lamb meat | 羊肉(90g)

1 portion of prawns, frozen | 冷冻虾(90g)

1 portion of salmon fillet, frozen | 冷冻鲑鱼 (140g)

1 portion of pork chops | 猪排 (90g)

1 portion of duck |鸭肉 (90g)

1 portion of chicken |鸡肉 (90g)

1 portion of tofu | 豆腐 (100g) Lowest | 最低

This approximate comparison uses carbon footprint per 1 portion of food ingredient. Generally speaking, the protein will be among the highest carbon footprint food items on the plate, by a large margin. Note that body part, type of processing, and cooking method may change the footprint – e.g. beef ribeye has a higher footprint than beef sirloin; pork bacon is higher than pork mince. Source: Portion sizes from Association of UK Dietitians aggregated by FT Carbon Food Labeling, carbon footprint per portion from the same source. Duck value from the Chinese Food LCA database/ Cai et al. 2022.

Vegetables | 蔬菜类

1 portion of tomatoes | 番茄 (80g) Highest | 最高

1 portion of bamboo shoots | 竹笋 (80g)

1 portion of mushrooms | 蘑菇(80g)

1 portion of carrots | 萝卜(80g)

1 portion of onions | 洋葱(80g)

1 portion of cabbage | 卷心菜 (80g)

1 portion of cauliflower | 菜花 (80g) Lowest | 最低

This approximate comparison uses carbon footprint per 1 kg of food ingredient, though one portion is rarely 1 kg. Generally speaking, the vegetable will be among the lowest footprint food items on the plate, though not as low as any starches. E.g. Steaming tomatoes on the hob, the highest footprint way of cooking them, is still more than ten times lower in total footprint per kg than slow cooking beef, the lowest footprint way of cooking beef. Source: Portion sizes estimated from FT Carbon Food Labeling, carbon footprint from pre-consumption values Frankowska et al. 2020; the Chinese Food LCA database/ Cai et al. 2022 for bamboo shoots value.

Starch | 淀粉类

1 portion of cooked white rice | 未煮过的白米饭 (200g) Highest | 最高

1 portion of boiled potato | 煮土豆 (120g)

1 portion of uncooked Brown rice | 未煮过的糙米 (75g)

1 portion of uncooked wheat flour | 面粉 (120g)

1 portion of uncooked Glutinous rice | 未煮过的糯米 (75g)

1 portion of uncooked Egg Noodles | 生鸡蛋面 (50g)

1 portion of steamed plain bun | 蒸馒头 (50g) Lowest | 最低

This approximate comparison uses carbon footprint per 1 kg of food ingredient, though one portion is rarely 1 kg. Generally speaking, the starch will be among the lowest carbon footprint food items on the plate. Note that the cooking method may change the footprint – e.g. stirring dried potato powder and hot water will increase footprint to be as high as polished rice. Source: the Chinese Food LCA database/ Cai et al. 2022 for cereals comparison (the academic term for rice, noodles, bread etc) comparison, we used steamed bread value for steamed plain bun, and polished rice for white rice; Frankowska et al. 2020 for cooked white rice (using electric pressure cooker for cooked) and potato values; and Xu et al. 2020 for potato vs rice comparison.

Seasoning | 调味料

1 teaspoon (4.2g) of palm oil Highest | 最高

1 teaspoon (4.2g) of olive oil

1 teaspoon (4.2g) of sunflower oil

1 teaspoon (4.2g) of soy sauce

1 teaspoon (4.2g) of sugar Lowest | 最低

Sources are CarbonCloud for soy sauce in glass bottle, Poore et al. 2018 for oils, and Cai et al. 2022 for sugar.

Carbon footprint data used here draws from several sources and is meant simply to provide a general understanding of relative impact. | 這裡使用的碳足跡數據來自多個來源，只是為了提供對相對影響的一般理解。

On Farmed Vs Wild-caught Fish | 养殖与野生捕捞的鱼

• Farmed fish on average may be a little bit lower, but it's not conclusive whether a fish has a higher/lower footprint just purely if wild-caught vs farm-raised.

• The main cause of carbon footprint for fish farming is feed, whereas for wild caught it is fuel eg ships.

• Wild-caught is a really wide category, so the confidence bands are high-- so I imagine the lowest would be hook and line from a local fisherman, and highest would be a fishing tanker.

• Generally speaking, farmed salmon very likely has less footprint than chicken, whereas wild salmon may also have less footprint than chicken but this is less certain. Depends on what type of wild.

• Source is Fig 1 from Gephart 2021 (5.1 kgCo2eq/kg for farmed salmon and 6.9 for wild -- the beige band is chicken). Their method is simplified LCA.

Carbon Footprint Ranking | 碳足跡排名

Sourcing Of Ingregients | 原料采购

1. Buying from Chain Supermarket (e.g Sainsbury) | 從連鎖超市購買（例如 Sainsbury）Highest | 最高

2. Buying From Your Local Grocer | 從您當地的雜貨店購買

2. Buying Online From Dedicated Online Supermarket (e.g Ocado) | 從專門的在線超市在線購買（例如 Ocado）

3. Buying A Tote Bag to Carry Groceries | 買一個手提袋來攜帶雜貨

4. Re-using Plastic Bags From Home to Carry Groceries | 重複使用家裡的塑料袋來攜帶雜貨 Lowest | 最低

Carbon footprint data takes into account operational costs to run a supermarket. Dedicated online retailers can store and deliver food more efficiently, reducing last mile emissions. However, going to your local store by foot or bike can have the same effect. Carbon footprint data used here draws from several sources and is meant simply to provide a general understanding of relative impact.| 碳足跡數據考慮了經營超市的運營成本。專門的在線零售商可以更有效地儲存和運送食物，減少最後一英里的排放。但是，步行或騎自行車去當地商店也有同樣的效果。這裡使用的碳足跡數據來自多個來源，只是為了提供對相對影響的一般理解。
On Food Source | 关于食物的来源

• Scientific consensus has been that food transport is not a major contributor to emissions, compared to what you eat eg Poore 2018 and Ritchie's data viz

• Some also argue "food miles" is not a helpful concept -- as it stresses distance, when mode of transport is more important. E.g Same distance by seas is lower footprint than same distance by road (source: Coley 2011)

• More recently, the food miles debate has surfaced again: there is a Nature food paper 2022 which is "a significant deviation from the former scientific mainstream opinion that transport is no major contributor to emissions from the food system"

• They measures food miles in a different way: looks at transport of "everything upstream, from fertilisers to pesticides to machinery" (twitter thread from Ritchie)

• main suggestion from that lead author: eat local/ seasonal ("localising food supply still leads to emissions reductions”, but adds: “For consumers, in addition to shifting towards a plant-based diet, eating local seasonal alternatives is ideal, especially among affluent countries.” source: carbonbrief)

• Food miles is a useful data point (frequently printed on labels), but what matters as much is the mode of transport. The same distance by air incurs the highest footprint, followed by sea, then road (HGVs) and finally local food has the lowest footprint. Eat local, eat seasonal if you can! Source is Coley 2011.

Carbon Footprint Ranking | 碳足跡排名

Electrical/Gas Consumption Based on Cooking A Portion of Chicken | 烹制一份鸡肉的电/气消耗量

55 min of roasting or baking in the oven Highest | 最高

41 min of broiling or grilling in the oven

45 min of boiling on the stove

40 min of steaming (gas hob)

34 min of deep frying (gas hob)

34 min of deep frying (electric)

20 min of shallow frying on stove

40 min of steamer (electric)

20 min on an electric grill (eg Foreman)

52 min in a slow cooker Lowest | 最低

Electrical/Gas Consumption Based on Cooking A Portion of Pork | 烹制一份猪肉的电/气消耗量

60 min of roasting or baking in the oven Highest | 最高

62 min of Steamer (hob)

31 min of Toast, broil, or grill in the oven

41 min of Deep fry (hob)

41 min of Deep fry (electric)

62 min of Steamer (electric)

18 min of Shallow fry on stove

71 min of Slow cooker

Lowest | 最低
Electrical/Gas Consumption Based on Cooking A Portion of Rice | 烹调一份米饭的电/气消耗量

20 min of pressure cooker (gas hob) Highest | 最高

19 min of steamer (gas hob)

15 min of boiling on the stove

20 min of pressure cooker (electric)

19 min of steamer (electric)

5 min of microwave

21 min of slow cooker Lowest | 最低

Carbon footprint data used here draws from several sources and is meant simply to provide a general understanding of relative impact. This approximate comparison uses the carbon footprint contribution, per kg of cooked food, that cooking is responsible for, taking into account cooking time for the type of food. Generally, if the cooking appliance has an option between hob and electric – e.g. steamer, pressure cooker, deep fry – the hob version would incur higher footprint than electric. Source: Frankowska et al. 2020

On Gas Vs Electricity Hobs | 燃气灶与电灶

• Gas is slightly cheaper £17/yr, electric hob is £40/yr if you run it 5 hrs a week (source: Which? September 2022)

• but electric hobs are easier to clean, distribute more even heat, and gas is becoming more expensive

• gas is "cleaner than coal, but still bad for the environment", gas hobs may soon be banned from being installed in new UK homes like the Netherlands (source: BBC) smart meters and grid management can reduce running costs of electrical heating (source: ECA)

• gas is "cleaner than coal, but still bad for the environment", gas hobs may soon be banned from being installed in new UK homes like the Netherlands (source: BBC) smart meters and grid management can reduce running costs of electrical heating (source: ECA)

• estimated 49% of UK have a gas hob (source: survey 2020) 46% have an electric hob; whereas 85% have a microwave oven, 50% have a slow cooker, 37% have a electric eg Foreman grill

• right now, the biggest single energy source entering the Grid is still gas (source: National Grid, Sheffield uni energy dashboard).

• Renewables, which excl nuclear, generated 45.5% of electricity in June 2022 (source BEIS gov.uk), the highest record was 47.1% in 2020 Q1 when the UK experienced exceptionally high wind speeds

• the main big actions are around the oven: don't preheat for longer than needed, thaw/defrost food with microwave, only use oven if can be used efficiently (using up different shelves), if you're replacing the hob, go with electric. Also: use a pot lid, cook foods in pots that are full to capacity (sources: various 1,2,3,4)

• cooking is about 6.1% of household energy consumption (source: Eurostat); many actions that cut carbon footprint also save bills.

Origin Of Ingredients In The Low Carbon Dishes

Ingredient

Origin
Where To Buy In London

The ingredients listed above are based on making a dish in London. Most of the ingredients listed here are sourced from Waitrose. According to Which? Research, Lidl and Waitrose are the greenest supermarkets in year 2022.

Low Carbon Chicken Rice By MiMi Aye
低碳鸡饭

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

"Chicken thighs are a good choice, because they are basically a by-product of the more popular chicken breast which means less waste (they’re also cheaper for the same reason). Thighs also cook more evenly and quickly than whole chickens. Some of the ingredients can be home grown, e.g ginger and spring onions"

Servings | 多少份: 4 people

Taste | 味道: "It tastes exactly like the traditional dish! | 味道和传统菜一模一样！"

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional chicken rice recipe - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

For the Chicken
8 small or 4 large chicken thighs (about 1 kg), with skin and bone
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 l just-boiled water from the kettle
2 spring onions, whole, but roots trimmed (you can regrow your spring onions in water for a steady supply)
40g fresh ginger, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon sugar
½ tsp chicken powder or MSG (optional)
Large bowl of very cold water (keep it in the fridge)
1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil (local ingredient substituted for sesame oil)
For the Rice
The reserved chicken trimmings
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10g fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 rice cooker cups of Jasmine rice, washed (this is usually shipped rather than flown and I would not dare suggest a substitute, because rice is life)
½ teaspoon salt
Stock from poaching the chicken
For the Chilli Garlic Sauce
6 long red chillies, roughly chopped
20g fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (local ingredient substituted for lime juice)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons stock from poaching the chicken
For the Ginger and Spring Onion Sauce
22. 2 spring onions, whole, trimmed and finely chopped
30g fresh ginger, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil (local ingredient substituted for sesame oil)
½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Food photography by Uyen Luu and styling by Sam Dixon –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

For the Chicken Trim any fat from the chicken, plus any skin attached to it and place in a wok or large frying pan. You will use this fat to cook the rice.
Rub the chicken all over with salt to polish the skin, leave for 5 minutes and then brush off and discard as much salt as possible.
Place the chicken in a large saucepan with the spring onions, ginger, sugar and chicken powder, if using.
Fill the pan with enough boiling water from the kettle to just cover the chicken (about 1 l) and place over a high heat. Heating water using a kettle is more efficient than heating it on a stove.
Cover the pan with a lid and bring it to the boil. Let the pan boil vigorously for 5 minutes and then turn off the stove.
Place a clean tea-towel over the lid to seal it tightly and allow the chicken to poach in the residual heat for 30 minutes.
Then remove the chicken and ‘shock’ it in the bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. This lets the chicken skin become glossy and tight.
Remove and discard the ginger and spring onion from the stock and set the pan to one side.
Drain the chicken from the water, remove the bones and then brush or rub the skin with the rapeseed oil. Set the chicken to one side.
For the Rice Render the fat from the trimmings by frying on a high heat for one minute then turn down to medium and fry for another 10 minutes. Remove (and eat) any crispy bits.
Fry the garlic and ginger for 1 minute in the rendered fat until fragrant and golden. Add the rice and salt and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to high and fry for 4 minutes until the rice ‘pops’.
Transfer everything to your rice cooker. Top up to the ‘2 rice cooker cups’-level with chicken stock and press ‘cook’. A rice cooker is the most energy-efficient way to cook rice.
For the Chilli Garlic Sauce Blend everything together into a smooth paste using a pestle and mortar.
For the Ginger and Spring Onion Sauce Place the spring onions, ginger and salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a small pan for 2 minutes until it smokes and then carefully pour onto the spring onion mixture. It should sizzle and cook using the residual heat of the oil.
To Serve Slice one chicken thigh per person and place on a plate with a portion of rice and some cucumbers. Serve with the two dipping sauces. You can also serve any leftover stock on the side as a soup.

British-born to Burmese parents, chef and writer MiMi Aye is well-used to adapting recipes and dishes to give a taste of her motherland Myanmar (formerly Burma) using whatever techniques and ingredients are available. Her award-winning book ‘MANDALAY: Recipes & Tales from a Burmese Kitchen’ was chosen by The Observer, The Financial Times, The Mail on Sunday and Nigella Lawson as one of their Best Books of 2019. With bylines in TIME, The Guardian and The Independent.

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour Pork By Uyen Luu
低碳咕噜肉

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour Pork

"I will do cauliflower instead as pork has such a high foot print and usually when I make this, no one misses the pork."

Servings | 多少份: 2–4 people

Taste | 味道: "It tastes exactly like the traditional dish! | 味道和传统菜一模一样！"

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional sweet & sour pork recipe - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

For the marinade
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) cauliflower florets (British grown)
For the sweet & sour sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Large bowl of very cold water (keep it in the fridge)
4 tablespoons caster or brown sugar
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) vegetable stock (make from half a stock cube)
3 tablespoons ketchup
10g fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato purée (paste)
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
For the vegetables
2 free range eggs, beaten in a shallow bowl
100 g (3 1/2 oz/generous 3/4 cup) cornflour (cornstarch) plus more for dusting
cooking oil, for deep-frying
1 tablespoon cooking oil (go for UK produced rapeseed oil)
1 onion, sliced into eighths
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 red (bell) pepper, sliced into 2 cm (3/4 in) wide strips
1/2 yellow (bell) pepper, sliced into 2 cm (3/4 in) wide strips
200g courgette (zucchini), cut into thin long strips (allotment grown)
100 g (3 1/2 oz) green beans, sliced (allotment grown)
small tin (about 225 g (8 oz)) of pineapple chunks (supermarket)
For the garnish
2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Food photography by Uyen Luu and styling by Sam Dixon –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together and set aside.
Mix together all the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce. Set aside.
Have 3 shallow bowls ready, one for the beaten egg, one for cornflour and one to place the coated cauliflower. Dip a cauliflower floret in the beaten egg, then dredge it with cornflour and tap off any excess flour, then place it in the third bowl and repeat with all the florets.
Bring an electric deep fat fryer to about 170°C (325°F/gas 3). Deep-fry the coated cauliflower for exactly 4 minutes until they turn golden then set to cool on a rack or paper towels. For a crispier affair, double fry, the second time for 2 minutes at 170°C (325°F/gas 3).
In a wok, over a high heat, add the cooking oil. Once it has melted, add the onions to char on the edges and then the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn golden, throw in the red pepper, courgette and mangetout.
Quickly stir-fry and toss for about 2 minutes then add the pineapple chunks, cook for a further 2 minutes. Mix together then add the sweet and sour sauce. Toss and cook together until it becomes juicy, thick, saucy and glossy. Turn off the heat and add fold in the florets.
Garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Uyen Luu is a Vietnamese food writer, photographer and author of `Vietnamese: Simple Vietnamese Food To Cook At Home” (published by Hardie Grant) and “My Vietnamese Kitchen”. Uyen is also a food photographer.

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup by Shu Han Lee
低碳馄饨汤

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

"Instead of usual pork and prawn, we use a vegan filling of tofu, leek and carrot. Tofu’s a super versatile ingredient and takes on flavour like a sponge. Leek, when stir fried first, gives us savoury depth and aroma. Carrot gives us the sweetness and colour you would normally get from prawns. We also use UK made wonton wrappers rather than imported wrappers."

Servings | 多少份: 8 (assuming 5 wontons each!)

Taste | 味道: "It tastes exactly like the traditional dish! | 味道和传统菜一模一样！"

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional wonton dumpling soup recipe - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

Pack of 40 wonton wrappers (200g)
For the filling
200g block of firm tofu
1 large carrot, peeled and grated (about 80g)
1 leek, washed and sliced (about 100g)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
For broth
1 L chicken stock (homemade, or use 2 Knorr stock pots and 1L water)
2 teaspoons soy sauce (or to taste, depending on saltiness of stock)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Big dash of white pepper
1 spring onion, finely chopped
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Food photography by Uyen Luu and styling by Sam Dixon –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

Place firm tofu under a heavy dish for about 15 minutes, to help remove excess water.
Meanwhile, on an electric stove over medium high heat, fry the leek in sunflower oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes until most of the soy sauce has disappeared and been absorbed by the leek. The leek should reduce in volume and also become a bit sticky - helping you bring the filling together.
Drain the tofu and finely chop. Combine tofu with all the rest of the filling ingredients, stirring till well combined.
Dip your finger in water and wet the edge of a wonton wrapper. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle. Fold the wrapper in half into a rectangle, pressing to seal the edges. Wet one corner then place the other corner on top, press to seal.
In a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Season with soy sauce, white paper and sesame oil.
In a separate saucepan, bring plenty of water to the boil, then lower the heat to a medium high. Gently put in the wontons in a single layer (you may need to cook them in batches). Move them around with a spoon to avoid sticking.
The wontons are done when they rise from the bottom and float on the surface, about 3 minutes.
Remove the wontons with a slotted spoon into bowls. Pour over the stock and garnish with the chopped spring onions.

Shu Han is Hokkien Chinese in heritage, born and raised in food-obsessed Singapore. She moved to the UK twelve years ago and found herself missing the flavours of home. That was the start of her food journey, as she learnt to cook the food she grew up with, often using British seasonal ingredients. Shu has since written a cookbook 'Chicken & Rice: Southeast Asian Recipes from a London Kitchen' (Fig Tree, Penguin Books) and founded @rempapaspiceco, bringing Southeast Asian spice pastes to home kitchens everywhere.

LOW CARBON SALT & PEPPER 'PRAWN'
By Leeds' East & Southeast Asian Community Members
低碳椒盐虾

Four short cooking-documentary films were developed as part of a Low Carbon Chinatown residency carried out in Leeds (UK) in 2023. The films follow 4 Leeds residents, a 79-year-old immigrant from Hong Kong, a 41-year-old immigrant from China, a 25-year-old university student from China, and a 18-year-old high school student from Hong Kong into their own home environments, where they each cook their own version of a low carbon Salt and Pepper ‘Prawns’ dish in their own kitchen, and talk about their experience living in the UK and their relationship to climate change. The films invite the audience to examine how different age, background, heritage, and life experience affects the way people cook food at home and in tackling the climate crisis.

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns by Bei Gao
低碳椒盐虾

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Servings | 多少份: 3

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional salt and pepper prawns - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

Oyster mushrooms:500g
Eggsx3
Onion x1
Red bell pepper x1
Spring onions x 2
Garlic: 2 cloves
Chinese Five Spice: 5g
Cornstarch: 50g
Salt: 10g
Black pepper: 10g
Rapeseed oil: 50g
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Photography by Rachel Bunce –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

Cut oyster mushrooms into strips; dice onion, bell pepper, spring onions; mince 2 garlic cloves
Blanch mushrooms for 1 min, drain and leave to cool.
Sprinkle mushroom strips with 5g salt and 5g pepper.
Submerge mushroom strips in egg yolk and then coat with cornstarch.
Heat 4 table spoon of oil in wok. Shallow fry mushroom strips for 1-2 mins, occasionally turned, until golden. Dish out.
Clean wok, add 1 table spoon of oil, on a low heat, add in garlic, diced onions, bell peppers, white part of spring onions, stir fry for 20 seconds.
Add in mushrooms.
Add in 1tsp salt, 1tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Chinese five spice and add in the rest of the diced spring onions. Gently stir fry for 20 seconds.
Dish out and serve with rice (brown/white).

Bei Gao is an active Community Leader with over 7 years of experience within local charities working with new arrivals and settled communities, and over 10 years within the legal sector. She works with adults and children from diverse backgrounds, and regularly organizes cultural events and projects. She loves artistic performances and leads activities within Mafwa Theatre and in the wider community. Bei engages with people through art, language, and culture to promote togetherness.

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns by Man Chiu Leong
低碳椒盐虾

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Servings | 多少份: 2

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional salt and pepper prawns - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

10 piece of Oyster Mushroom
25gm diced shallot
2 stalk home grow spring onion diced
3 teaspoon of plain flour
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
Half a teaspoon of salt
Half a teaspoon of white pepper
Rapeseed oil (enough for frying)
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Photography by Rachel Bunce –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

Prepare dry seasoning – 3 teaspoon of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper (depending on how much pepper you like)
Prepare vegetables – chop shallots into dices, and spring onion into small slices
Season the mushrooms with a spoonful of light soy sauce, a pinch of pepper and rapeseed oil, and mix with dry seasoning
Shallow fry the mushrooms no longer than a minute in total.
Drain the mushroom from excess oil
Add in 2-3 tablespoon of the used oil, stir fry the shallots and spring onions for a minute or so on medium high heat until you can smell the aroma.
Add in one teaspoon of black pepper and half a teaspoon of salt, stir for a few seconds
On low heat, add in the mushrooms and mix all the ingredients together.
Plate with some tomatoes for extra colour.

Mr Man Chiu Leong is a 79 year-old retiree living in Leeds for many decades. A first-generation immigrant from Hong Kong, he has worked across textile, manufacturing, food hygience and many other sectors in the UK. He is now an active member of the Leeds Chinese community, having founded Lychee Red Chinese Seniors and is also working as a community chef among many other hobbies.

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns by HaoJin Wang
低碳椒盐虾

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

"Salt and Pepper Mushroom is a common dish found in my hometown in northern China. Sometimes compare with meat, we would prefer to order this dish in restaurant as it taste like meat and it contains many vitamins."

Servings | 多少份: 2

Taste | 味道: "This dish still taste like meat and contains many vitamins."

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional salt and pepper prawns - Link

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

Rapeseed Oil: 40g
Water: 50ml
Five spice powder:10g
Pepper powder:1g
Salt:5g
Egg:1
Cornflour: 1 tablespoon
Flour: 1 tablespoon
King Oyster Mushroom: 150g
Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Photography by Rachel Bunce –

Key Steps | 关键步骤

Wash the mushrooms, cut them into small strips.
Prepare the batter. Beat in one egg, one spoon of flour and one spoon of corn flour, 10g five spice powder, 5g salt and some water to make a thick paste.
Put all the mushrooms into the batter.
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Put the mushrooms one by one into the pan.
When you see the mushrooms turn golden brown, you can remove them.
Sprinkle it with five spice powder and pepper salt to finish.

Haojin Wang is one of the participants from Low Carbon Chinatown Residency in Leeds. She is originally from ShanXi province Xi'An City in China, and came to study at the University of Leeds a few years ago, encouraged by her peers from China.

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns by Stephen Wong
低碳椒盐虾

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Servings | 多少份:"Varies between number but with an 9 inch pan it can feed up to 4 people"

Taste | 味道: "I would rate my dish 8 out of 10, it still got room for improvement, but overall, I still enjoy it, I would cook it again!"

Recipe's Carbon Footprint Impact | 食谱的碳足迹影响

Carbon Footprint Per Serving Compared To Traditional Recipes
与传统食谱相比，每份的碳足迹:

Traditional Chicken Rice

Low Carbon Chicken Rice

Traditional Sweet & Sour Pork

Traditional Wonton Dumpling Soup

Low Carbon Sweet & Sour 'Pork'

Low Carbon Wonton Dumpling Soup

Traditional Salt & Pepper Prawns

Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns

Example of a traditional salt and pepper prawns - Link

Ingredients Or Steps That Might Incur Lower Carbon Footprint
可能导致较低碳足迹的成分或步骤

Made in UK
英国制造

Home Grown 自产自销 / Local Produce 本地产品/ Made in London 伦敦制造

Original ingredient but reduced amount
原始成分但减少量

New Ingredient
新成分

Use Electricity
使用电器

New step with lower carbon footprint 能够降低碳足迹的步骤

– Photography by Rachel Bunce –

Key Ingredients | 关键成分

10 Crab sticks
1 Egg
Corn flour (small amount)
1 tsp Salt (small amount)
1 tsp Black pepper (small amount)

Key Steps | 关键步骤

Crack open the eggs and mix the eggs with 1 tsp of salt and pepper
Cover the crab sticks with cornstarch and the batter
Fry in pan for about 3 minutes

Stephen Wong is a young college student who moved from Hong Kong to the UK with his family 3 years ago and currently lives in Leeds near his boarding school. He used to be part of the Youth Climate Action group in Leeds.

Low Carbon Chinatown is a project by Ling Tan and produced by Kakilang. The low carbon Pop-Up Structure is designed by Ling Tan and Usman Haque, supported by structural engineers Atelier One, fabricated by Gary Campbell and production managed by Nick Murray. The Low Carbon Salt & Pepper Prawns dish was developed in a residency supported by Compass Live Art.

Data scientist: Raphael Leung
Food writers: MiMi Aye, Uyen Luu and Shu Han Lee
Community partners: London Chinese Community Centre, Hackney Chinese Community Centre, Newham Chinese Association, Lychee Red Chinese Seniors, Mafwa Theatre & Lincoln Greeners
Film participants: Man Chiu Leong, Bei Gao, Haojin Wang & Stephen Wong