Fried Leeks with Hot Sauce

In markets all over Beijing, vegetable vendors sell stacked heaps of leeks, many with damp soil still clinging to the roots, amongst other local produce. Leeks are a member of the allium family, with garlic and onions, and share much the same pungency. In southern China, they are eaten for symbolic reasons: in the Cantonese dialect, the word for ‘leeks’ rhymes with the word for ‘count’, so it bodes well for prosperity. In northern China, however, they are popular merely for their delicious