Food in China?
3:11 PM
So, a big part of every travel and study trip is eating--not just for the obvious reasons, but because so much of a culture is carried in its food. That said, food is also one of the things that travelers tend to worry about. When I texted my friend Roz about this summer excursion to China, her immediate response was "Just don't eat the food." When pressed, she said "avoid the fish eyes." I would say that's a given, but then, at that pleasant outdoor cafe in Greece, when the guide ordered up the fried whole fish, and said, "just start by biting through the head," well, I did, and was a bit glad I had an ouzo chaser. And in a Mekong market, the two Australian dudes I was with decided it would be fun to do shots of the rice whiskey liquor in which any number of dead snakes were coiled up, and, eh, I had to go along. So, fish eyes, maybe.
I have been to Taiwan, and loved the food there, even the mass-quantity, super-crowded, pushy hotel buffet breakfasts, but more, wandering around at night eating "street food" from all the booths. Often, I would just watch the people and booth, then wander up, say one (holding up one finger), and holding out a handful of change. Lots of interesting results.
Here's a slightly long video of street food in Xian. I want to do this:
So, I'm up for food adventures in China, though I expect surprises. That is, I don't expect food there to be too much like the food in Chinese-American restaurants here. Here's one website that surveys the basics. It sounds like the expected staples of rice, noodles, tofu, with a variety of meats and veggies. They say that pork is the most popular meat, and there are eggs in quite a few dishes. Though not all chicken eggs. I've raised geese and ducks before and eaten those eggs, and yes, some difference, if nothing else, that goose eggs aren't just a bad math score, but are enormous.
Food in China is also strongly regional, so I hope we get to experience the differences in the three cities we will visit (and that we have good enough wi-fi there to report as we go). I did a quick look for food in Beijing. Try this site. Roast duck, Chinese dumplings, "Jing Jiang Rou Si--Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce"--ummm. The recommended Donkey Burger?
One other venue that will surprise my fellow travelers--I'm interested in visiting a KFC in China. Surprising, because? Oh, I'm that guy who scorns students and others who get homesick for McDonalds and sneak off for a Big Mac the first chance they get. I'd have their stomachs pumped immediately, given the authority. Though when the whining became too loud on a CC trip to Egypt, I did ask the guide to administer some American food, so she lined up a visit to a local TGIF. Which I innocently boycotted, sitting out in the not pleasant Cairo sun, drinking warm water and eating a stale roll I'd kept from breakfast. Guilt is a useful tool.
But KFC. Someone recently told me it was worth the venture into the global corporate estate, since the food choices there would be--unexpected. I recently had a speaker in a class who talked about similar KFC adaptations in her native Pakistan, so I'm willing to give this credence. Check this article: "KFC's Explosive Growth in China." A lot of business model information, for those of you into that, but then this comment from an executive there:
What of course will not be ok on this trip is if Explorica chooses the most objectionable route and feeds the whiny Americans French fries and burgers for our predetermined meals--something that occasionally happens on these tours. Something I always noisily and in writing object to...
later, bob
I have been to Taiwan, and loved the food there, even the mass-quantity, super-crowded, pushy hotel buffet breakfasts, but more, wandering around at night eating "street food" from all the booths. Often, I would just watch the people and booth, then wander up, say one (holding up one finger), and holding out a handful of change. Lots of interesting results.
Here's a slightly long video of street food in Xian. I want to do this:
So, I'm up for food adventures in China, though I expect surprises. That is, I don't expect food there to be too much like the food in Chinese-American restaurants here. Here's one website that surveys the basics. It sounds like the expected staples of rice, noodles, tofu, with a variety of meats and veggies. They say that pork is the most popular meat, and there are eggs in quite a few dishes. Though not all chicken eggs. I've raised geese and ducks before and eaten those eggs, and yes, some difference, if nothing else, that goose eggs aren't just a bad math score, but are enormous.
Well, um, maybe.Originating in the city of Baoding in northern Hebei province, Beijing has adopted the donkey burger (驴肉火烧 lǘròu huǒshāo /lyoo-roh hwor-shaow/) as its own. Restaurants offering this dish serve a number of different donkey meals, however the one to try is the donkey burger. Shredded donkey meat is served in a piping-hot, crunchy bun with a green pepper relish.This dish isn’t recommended solely for its novelty value. The contrast between the succulent meat, crunchy bun and sweet relish make it incredibly tasty and you are unlikely to stop at one. Look out for a big 驴肉 (donkey meat) sign clearly visible on the front of all restaurants offering this meat.
One other venue that will surprise my fellow travelers--I'm interested in visiting a KFC in China. Surprising, because? Oh, I'm that guy who scorns students and others who get homesick for McDonalds and sneak off for a Big Mac the first chance they get. I'd have their stomachs pumped immediately, given the authority. Though when the whining became too loud on a CC trip to Egypt, I did ask the guide to administer some American food, so she lined up a visit to a local TGIF. Which I innocently boycotted, sitting out in the not pleasant Cairo sun, drinking warm water and eating a stale roll I'd kept from breakfast. Guilt is a useful tool.
But KFC. Someone recently told me it was worth the venture into the global corporate estate, since the food choices there would be--unexpected. I recently had a speaker in a class who talked about similar KFC adaptations in her native Pakistan, so I'm willing to give this credence. Check this article: "KFC's Explosive Growth in China." A lot of business model information, for those of you into that, but then this comment from an executive there:
Interesting, including the detail that the chicken there will only be dark meat. Better already."One of the lessons I take away from this case is that to do China, you have to do China," says Shelman. "It's a large, complex, and dynamic market that deserves single-minded attention." That attitude extends from the boardroom of Yum! Brands to the menus in KFC restaurants. A small number of items would be familiar to Western visitors—mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, fried bone-in chicken—but most would not. The Chinese KFC menu may include fried dough sticks, egg tarts (which Shelman raves are "to die for"), shrimp burgers, and soymilk drinks, as well as foods tailored to the tastes of specific regions within China.The large selection of menu items is meant to appeal to the Chinese style of eating, in which groups of people share several dishes. But it's also part of the "New Fast Food" initiative Su developed in 2005 in response to concerns about the role of fast-food restaurants in the obesity epidemic—concerns that he shares and takes responsibility for. "We have been too greedy, too shortsighted," Su said, referring to the traditional high- volume, low-choice fast-food model.
What of course will not be ok on this trip is if Explorica chooses the most objectionable route and feeds the whiny Americans French fries and burgers for our predetermined meals--something that occasionally happens on these tours. Something I always noisily and in writing object to...
later, bob
After all these years I’ve finally found the CC blog, and I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t read it myself: Bob wants to go to a fast food chain!?!?
What twisted, bizarre parallel universe is this? I’ll believe this when I see it.
Be warned, should this happen, life as we know it may cease to exist and the universe itself may explode.
That TGIFridays on the Nile was an amusing experience. It was an unexpected amalgamation of cultures and a desperate act to silence the whining.
One of my favorite parts of last year’s trip to Peru was trying the random street food and drinks, and searching for Bob’s favorite treat, the Chicha (Peruvian Purple Corn) that could be found as a drink or in dessert form.
Even though I didn’t always know what I was eating, it was deeeelicious.
China will definitely be a wild street food experience, and with different regional cuisines, how exciting!
We’ll get to experience Shandong, Huaiyang, Cantonese, and hopefully some Mongolian mixed cuisine.
See you soon.
S.Boss
Stephen, you found us at last!
Yes, the universe has shattered. I watch lots of The Flash, so I understood when I arrived here in a world where Bob wouldn't eat fast food. What a strange notion! I was considering the corn dog special at Sonic today...
bob