Thinking of chilli, thoughts turn to pungency. Or maybe, for someone who knows of the botanical relation, to bell pepper. Usually, to hearty dishes – and there must be meat somewhere, then, right?

Di San Xian (地三鮮), “Earth’s three delicious-nesses,” if you so will, is an equally as fascinating dish when it comes to hearty eating as when it comes to botanical relations. It’s a stir-fry of egg plant, green peppers and potatoes. All are cut small and fried in oil, then salted. (Restaurants would also add sauce, we don’t go for that and gain more of the natural earthy flavor for it); all of them, also, are plants belonging to the family of nightshades (Solanaceae).

And all together give a wonderfully hearty and attractive dish, one which nourishes, warms, and tastes delicious.