作法
- 高湯煮至微滾。加入木耳、金針、筍與肉絲。煮五分鐘——木耳應軟、肉絲應變白。
- 加入豆腐絲再煮兩分鐘。以白胡椒粉、生抽與鹽調味。試味——應有清楚的胡椒辣感在喉嚨後段。
- 把太白粉水攪勻，邊輕輕單向攪動湯邊倒入。湯會收成光亮微稠的質地——像冬衣般。
- 湯保持小火微滾，把蛋液從湯匙背面細流澆入，邊澆邊用湯匙慢慢畫八字。蛋會凝結成細緻黃色蛋花。
- 離火後倒入醋——一定最後，最後；煮會破壞它銳利的高音。攪一下。
- 淋上麻油，撒蔥綠。盛碗。立即上桌；放久會失去胡椒鋒芒。
Common questions
Can 酸辣湯 be made ahead?
酸辣湯 is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
How spicy is 酸辣湯?
As written this recipe is medium-to-hot. Heat levels vary by cook and region in China; halve the chili or remove the seeds for less heat, or add more at the finishing stage. The spice can be adjusted during cooking.
Is 酸辣湯 vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is 酸辣湯 to make at home?
酸辣湯 is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 30 minutes, no special technique required.
Can 酸辣湯 be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
文化背景
酸辣湯坐落在四川（花椒醋的個性）與華北（蛋花太白粉湯技術）的交匯點。白胡椒是辣味劑——換成辣椒就完全不同了。美國中餐版本通常用蘑菇取代木耳、紅蘿蔔取代金針；都不對但可以理解，因為原本食材是大多數家庭廚房不備的乾貨。醋的份量是分辨好碗與平淡碗的關鍵。
