If you know me like you probably do, food is something that consumes my mind very frequently. It is now a joke that almost every example sentence that I create in Chinese class will probably have something to do with food. This may be because I have learned so many vocabulary words relating to this topic that I am able to form decent sentences, but then again, it could be because the thing that occupies my mind during Chinese is the fact that I get to eat lunch right afterwards.
Before coming to China, despite many people's warnings about the unusual cuisine available here, I was not worried about the food situation. I am very open to different kinds of food and am willing to try almost everything. However, what did surprise me was the difference in staple foods in Northern China compared to the Southern region (where my dad is from and whose food I am used to eating).
I expected to depend on a daily diet of white rice as my staple food. However, noodles are much more common in the North and you can get various types of noodle soups with vegetables and meat for very cheap prices.
Jiaozi and baozi (two different kinds of steamed dumplings) are very popular in Beijing and are available right outside campus. You can get an order of 10 for only 4 RMB (equivalent to about $0.60 USD). They come filled with different types of stuffing, but the most common is a mixture of pork and vegetables. I have been known to eat them for both lunch and dinner in the same day.
Beijing kaoya or roast duck is a specialty of the city. A whole duck can feed several people and comes served in many different ways: slices of fried skin which are dipped into plates of sugar, pieces of meat which can be placed on a bun with scallions and sauce, bones soaked in a warm soup, and smaller pieces that are whipped up into a tasty dish.
Street food is also very common, especially if you are looking for a quick snack or bite to eat. Jian bings are crepe-like pancakes made with egg, scallions, and dough; cooked right in front of you, they make for a tasty breakfast on cold mornings. Roasted chestnuts and steamed sweet potatoes are available on crowded street corners with numerous fruit stands filled with mandarin oranges/tangerines, pineapples, dragon fruit, bananas, etc.
Chuanr (the -r is part of the Beijing accent) is another popular food among Chinese and foreigners alike. Similar to kabobs, individual skewers of different kinds of meat and vegetables are cooked over a flame with a special, spicy flavoring on top. Most popular are lamb, chicken, tofu, eggplant, and corn.
All of the Chinese food is usually very inexpensive. Small snacks are always less that $1 USD, and even if you order several dishes at a restaurant, if you split everything family style, it usually won't cost more than $5-6. Nevertheless, it is hard to eat Chinese food day in and day out and I indulge myself in the occasional American meal that is often a little pricier.
And even though I consider myself pretty adventurous when it comes to food, I'm not sure I can stomach the scorpions, silk worms, snake, dogs, sea star, and sea horse delicacies that are served at the night markets here in Beijing...maybe next semester.
1 comment:
i love food.
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