Does homesickness create the best flavor?
Alice Sun (@alicecsun) shares a unique view into her life through the ways she uses food to nurture wellness, cross cultural divides, and bring people together, all through the medium of storytelling.
Alice Sun•
October 29, 2025
Like many other Americans (and some of you subscribers), I come proudly from a family of immigrants built on the backs of the most incredibly strong women. And here I am, in California feeling homesick for my family back in NYC, not even a whole continent away lol. Recently after a long day at work, I felt a sudden urge to make my grandma’s Shanghai style ribs. When I really thought about it, I realized I hadn’t made it since last year. Of course, this had to be rectified immediately — hence the urge.
I ran to my local 99Ranch, peering between the pork cuts the way my grandma used to to pick the best ones, stocked up on some sauces, ginger, then raced home to my wok. Then the rest of the steps felt like a dance I had learned at a very young age, but couldn’t quite remember the steps until they were taken…
Slice the pork between the bones, blanch them in water with ginger and scallion to remove the porky smell, drain, then crush rock sugar methodically until they are all uniform(ish) in size because otherwise the caramel would burn. For the sauce, it takes just shaoxing wine, soy sauce, black vinegar, and hot water and only recently did I start adding some dried plums that just adds a bit of depth to the sour.
It was only through this dance that it occurred to me. My own grandma who I learned this recipe from, at some point, must’ve also felt so terribly homesick and probably cooked this dish for herself and the family. Just to have a bit of home with them. And now, more than 30 years later, I’m doing the same to soothe myself. Food — a language that can cross time and space — is the ultimate cure to homesickness, while homesickness is just another spice that can turn food into memories. Is it the best flavor? Well I don’t know about that, but I know that it’s also bittersweet.
Slice the pork ribs (1 ½ lb) between the bones, then place in a pot of cold water with 3 slices of ginger (1 in) and scallion (1), then bring to a boil
While the water is coming to a boil, prep the sauce by combining the soy sauce (2 Tbsp), vinegar (3 Tbsp), wine (1 Tbsp), dried plums (3–4) and boiling water (1 ½ cups) — set to the side
Once the pork has been boiling for 5 mins, drain and wash scum off
Prep the rock sugar (2 ⅖ Tbsp) by crushing the sugar pieces with a mortar pestle or placing in a Ziploc then going to town wacking it with a rolling pin (both work)
Heat up the wok on the stove with a high temp oil (like grapeseed, just anything BUT olive oil)
Add the rock sugar (2 ⅖ Tbsp) to the wok and cook until sugar has melted completely into a deep caramel color
Carefully toss in the pork ribs and continuously toss until all the ribs have been coasted, then add in the plum + sauce mixture.
Cover the wok and lower heat to simmer, letting it cook for 40 mins
Uncover and the sauce should now be thicker with a shine to the glaze
Continue reducing the sauce to the texture you desire — my rule is reduce it until the sauce can coat the back of a spoon
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