Chinese Cuisine

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Of course you can't come to China and experience the culture without eating different food. Everyone knows that so many cultures revolve around a meal and being in China has been no different. I have to explain, however, that there are certain distinctions with Chinese food. We have had breakfast everyday in the hotel, which is a mix of Chinese food and American cuisine. You can have fresh fruit, cereal, danish, toast, omelets, eggs, bacon or ham if you want American traditional food. If you want to have Chinese food, you can have fried rice, spring rolls, dumplings, porridge, season (as they call it) vegetables, Chinese pancake with scallions, fried Strick (not sure what this is, but it’s like fried dough….pretty awesome). Fresh fruit is available including peaches, mandarin oranges, peaches, watermelon, dragon fruit, yellow watermelon and lychee fruit.

For lunch and dinner we have had restaurant food which has been similar for almost every meal. The conventions are the same. You get a very small glass, like a juice glass size with a saucer for a plate. In the middle of the table is a lazy susan and dishes are placed on the rounder as they are served. Beverage is always choice of beer (pijao), water (shui) or cola (kele) all of which we have become expert at saying. Most of the dishes are Chinese but likely with an American flair. The rice is the same, veggies are similar and the sweet/sour or orange chicken is much like we have at home.

We have had an opportunity to have more local Chinese dining, such as the hot pot restaurant the other night (see July 8).

On the flight from Beijing to Xian, I selected the Chinese breakfast instead of American, just trying to open myself to their culture. I received hot porridge which had no flavor and tasted like really bad grits. I got a vacuum packed black hard boiled egg, I guess it was soaked in soy sauce or something, and I had a small package of pickled cabbage.

Chinese Buffet - American Island
Be sure to see the pictures from this restaurant where Matt and I sampled the bugs!

Night Market
In Beijing, one of the famous markets is the night market where you can find every delicacy on a stick, that is either raw or has been fried. There are sticks with meat, balls, penis, squid, sea horses, etc. There is also a section with bugs and insects including crickets, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes and cicadas.

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Photos

Meal worms
mmmmm, good. These are the meal worms that Matt, Lucy and I all tried. They were seasoned with something spicy which gave them some kick.

Dumpling surprise
This is like playing the shell game on price is right. The bamboo steamers contain a variety of dumplings, most of which are really good.

Meat
probably pork or chicken

Silk worm pupae
These are the cushion like pupa that we ate. Not much flavor and hollow in the center. Not a goey center...lol

Fried fish
probably smelt or another small fish.

Fried cicadas
Yes, we tried these. They were not awful, but not great either.

Raw Silk worm pupae
Because they are served on ice, one can conclude that they are raw - not cooked. We said, "pass."

Fried Carp
This was one of the restaurant dinners. The fish is sliced and batter dipped before being flash fried. Matthew said it was good.

Fish Head
close up of the fish head a Chinese delicacy. The eyes are supposedly reallly good!

Night Market
Fish, crayfish and squid

Night Market
Bugs/insects: scorpions, crickets, cicadas and other fun critters

Night Market
Here are more fun things to put on a stick. As you can see they get mad if you photograph the oddities. They try to charge 5 Yuan or throw a stick at you.