Food is so many things at one time. In health magazines, they say you should just think of food as fuel and an energy source for the next workout. How can it be that simple though? Food fills in so many aspects of living. Food is a comfort; smells, tastes, textures evoke the desire to settle into memories of the familiar and linger there just a while. Food is a past time; I don't think I am the only one guilty of eating when I'm bored. Food is a social activity. Sitting elbow to elbow, people are brought closer by the food they eat together. Lastly, food is a physical need. No one can do without it for more than a few days.
Seeing as food presents itself in so many parts of life, I am encountering a new kind of eating lifestyle in China. Food here has been filling in the many needs of my life. As with all new lifestyles, it has required some bravery and adjustments. All in all, I've liked the food so far. It's funny to think about the Chinese food that I'm eating here and the Chinese food that I often had in the States. In some ways, it's very different but in other ways it feels like I should have fortune cookies at the end of every meal.
There are a few staples that I am enjoying quite a bit. Of course, I have been eating lots of rice. I'm becoming used to having this as my daily staple instead of bread. Still, I like to have some bread with peanut butter in the morning for breakfast. The interesting thing about rice is that in restaurants it is brought out a long while after the main dishes. This is customary because the restaurant doesn't want you to think that it is trying to fill you up with rice and be too full to try its dishes. It's a matter of pride and goes back to an old tradition of rice being for the lower classes.
Along with rice, tea is a must. I am really enjoying drinking lots of tea and trying some really good varieties. I'll have instant coffee every once in a while, but since tea is so much more Chinese, I'm trying to make the switch. We haven't gone to a tea house yet, but I'm excited to see more of China's tea culture. Tea houses require a big time commitment since it's expected that you stay for three to four hours just talking, drinking tea, and eating from complimentary buffets.
Along with rice, we have also been eating a lot of noodles. There is a noodle shop down a few streets from our dorm that we have visited a few times. The bowls are huge and we can really get our fill there. Plus, it's not very expensive. This is true for most restaurants around the city. Unless it is really fancy or Western-style, the food is very cheap. We have a meal stipend of about five dollars a day and this is pretty reasonable to stick to. In our dorm building's cafeteria we can have a drink, entree, and fried rice for less than two dollars. Such a good feeling for those of us who are Dutch!
I have tried a few new foods that I would consider strange. Many of our meals we order small dishes for everyone to pick at and share so that is a good way to try new things. I have had some very good duck a couple times, but I am looking forward to trying it in Beijing where it is most famous. Also, we went as a whole group to a 100-year old restaurant that was famous for its lamb. The lamb was extremely tasty and the ten of us finished two legs in a matter of minutes! Also, I have tried tofu made a few different ways. I am still deciding what I think about it. Lastly, I have eaten some snake and eel. The snake was fried and served with shrimp, which I liked until someone started talking too much about the snake when it was alive. I really enjoyed the eel which was served in a salty sauce with eggplant and onions. Tonight we found a Taoist temple by West Lake and on the way back we stopped for some supper. As we walked in, the restaurant owner greeted us and we asked what they served. He reached behind him and picked up a figure of Donkey from Shrek. We were a little confused at first, but he assured us that all foreigners loved their restaurant's donkey dish. So we had some donkey for supper!
As the weeks go by and we hop from restaurant to restaurant, I hope to try many more new things. I'll keep you posted with my favorites!
4 comments:
OHMYGOSH! That is classic! How would you like your cartoon character prepared - rare - medium - or well done?
it was pretty well done and served with shallots or something like that...the best part of the meal was the sweet and sour fish, the restaurant's specialty dish...too yummy!
the big bowls of soup sound the best...
I had something yesterday that you might like... a peanut shake. It tasted ok, but today I had the fresa instead.
5 of us ate lunch today and the total cost was about $12... so pretty cheap some places here in Guatemala as well... as long as you don't mind the flies.
I am will Bob Bascom, tomorrow we are going to have breakfast in the plaza... sounds like about 1 dollar for egss, tortillas, coffee - and it will be out on the street so we can watch people go by. I'll have to take pictures.
Amy,
Your mom pointed me to your blog so I'm adding it to my daily list. So far you've written some great stuff - it's fun to experience a culture through someone else's writing. The pictures are nice, too.
We'll pray for you.
Aunt Kim
Post a Comment