Jade is a stone ingrained in Chinese art, culture and history, stretching 9,000 years back into the ancient and enormous Chinese empire. Jade has always been a special stone, used not just for fine objects but also as material for grave goods for the imperial family.
The definition "jade" is used to define two minerals of similar appearance but different chemical composition: nephrite, a calcium- magnesium silicate, and jadeite, a silicate of sodium and aluminum.
Both minerals are found in a wide range of shades of green, brown, yellow, grey and pink and may be either translucent or opaque. They may be milky or cloudy in appearance and sometimes speckled with tiny black spots.
The most prized of the jades, the so-called "Chinese jade" (jadeite) is emerald green and so beautiful and rare that it has become exorbitantly expensive. In fact, jade is a good investment only if purchased at a reasonable price. A sound policy is never pay more for Chinese jade than you would for an emerald.
Off to IPOH, Perak and to Penang food road trip!
1st stop, Restaurant Sun Seng Fatt on Jalan Market. Finding a seat here feels like a challenge on the 'Amazing Race' but that only means one thing, the food must be good,...rite?
Dish 1: Famous Ipoh hor-fun. The dish is simple but it is tasty. However, I've had better broth.
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