Yummy Yummy

When I talk about meals in China, one word comes to mind....feast.  The Chinese love food.  We as Americans generally small talk about the weather, but the Chinese talk about food.  When we encounter a familiar face we usually say, "How are you?'. However, the Chinese will ask, " Chi fan le ma?"  which means, "Have you eaten?"  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are to be eaten at specific times.  Breakfast usually consists of noodles in a broth with spices and meat for flavoring.  Hot beef flavored noodles do not whet my appetite at 8 a.m. so I opt for bread with peanut butter or a yogurt with fruit.  I typically eat lunch at school.  The food is served family style which is very common for the Chinese.  When going to eat at a restaurant, one or two people will choose several dishes for the entire table to share.  There is sometimes a giant lazy susan in the middle of the table so all of the dishes can be reached.  Common dishes in this region include, egg with tomato, green beans with sausage, corn with sausage, bitter melon (aptly named) with chicken, bamboo shoots with chicken, tofu with tomato, green water spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, and RICE... always rice.  The dishes vary by region and season. The food is pretty good and it is free which makes it taste even better.  For dinner, I typically steer clear of Chinese and go to town for Western food.  I don't care for Chinese food in the US, but I think it is fantastic here.  It is true that the Chinese eat virtually every kind of meat. Thus, I like to ask "What is this?", before I pop it in my mouth.  The Chinese also do not waste any food.  They eat pigs' feet and chicken feet -which I have now tried- pig ears, pig snout, etc.  Also, the meat is usually just chopped with a large knife so picking bones out of the dish is a part of life. Snacks are a huge element of daily life as well.  Between almost every class, the children go visit the ice cream stand or "Mr. Hello"- a local shop owner who always says hello to passersby- for some type of snack.  That equates to about 6 snacks a day, excluding evening snacks.  China is more or less a self sustaining country in terms of food.  This equates to a consistent supply of delicious, locally-grown fruits and vegetables. There are several markets around town and road side stands that sell fruits and veggies.  There are also fresh meat markets that have everything you can imagine -fish, turtles, frogs, duck, chicken, and much more.  Experiencing the food in China has its ups and downs.  Food is an expression of culture, and I have loved having the opportunity to eat and learn.