First Month of Food

Hey guys! So a lot of my family and friends from back home have been asking about what food is like here in China.. what I've been eating for dinner, what's on the menu at McDonalds, when to say "yes" to hotpot and when to politely refuse, etc. , and I have to say it's been quite the adventure so far. I've been lucky to have super friendly colleagues (both Chinese and foreigners) who have been been inviting me to a lot of dinners and other types of gatherings involving food, so I've been getting quite the tour of different Chinese cuisines.

This is one of my favorite street foods I've tried so far. It's called jian bing (煎饼果子) and is like a Chinese crepe. They spread the batter out on the skillet, sprinkle on some green onions, cilantro, and hot chilis, crack an egg on top of it all, then throw some fresh romaine lettuce on right before wrapping it up. 

Oh man.. the way the crepe is slightly crispy on the outside, but tender on the inside, and the crunch of the cool lettuce contrasted with the heat of the pepper.. so delicious! And it only cost 5 rmb, which is the equivalent of 85 cents.

And something not so delicious is.. my school lunch. I have the option of eating all three meals at the school canteen, but I have to supplement whatever I can stomach with food that I cook at home. Below is an example of a typical school lunch.  They use a ton of oil and hot chili peppers in the canteen..and  my stomach is not happy about it. The bottom left is some kind of breaded fish with potatoes, this is served for lunch almost every day. Then we have lots of rice with every meal, as was expected, topped with the infamous "Jin Dongfang Cabbage" .. the students and teachers here have a running joke about it. And I can see why.. it's pretty gnarls.  A dish that I can TOTALLY get on board with here is the one on the top right, which is pretty much just scrambled eggs with stewed tomatoes. This goes really good mixed with the rice and whatever other veggies are being served that day. Lunch also always comes with a soup that is really more water than anything else.

Here are some examples of what I've been eating at home. Cooking here is hard. I have a saucepan, a small kitchen knife, a cutting board, and a rice cooker. And because fall is coming, I am anticipating crazy urges for baked goods and roasted vegetables, so I will soon be adding a toaster oven to the lineup. I'm maybe a little too excited for this.

My home cooking has been pretty basic so far as I get more used to the spices and produce available here. It's also been exclusively vegetarian because I usually only eat meat at the nicer restaurants. I will start buying my own meat once I know enough Chinese to ask the right questions in the meat markets (they don't refrigerate the meats).

carrots, snake bean (which isn't actually a bean, it's a root!), purple sweet potato, garlic, and green onions with brown rice and lentils. 

Chinese snake bean (or long bean) .. they taste kind of like asparagus!

I kind of dig that yogurt here comes with straws

Milk and cereal.. an expensive delicacy here in Yichang, and a great temporary cure for homesickness!

I've also been eating lots of potatoes, eggs, and rice

A wedding feast I was invited to during my first week of work.  Dinner here is eaten communal-style with a rotating table in the middle and tons and tons and tons of dishes! So awesome! 

The fish dishes here are unspeakably delicious. And beautiful!

 

This is an example of strange menu items at McDonalds.. I have no idea what the black bun is made out of. Maybe black beans? You can also buy bubble tea, and the pies come with taro root in the middle.

More on McD's later!

Favorite comfort food / cheap eats. Jiaozi (dumpling) joints can be found  on virtually every street corner here, and they usually have great prices. Wash 'em down with a TsingTao!

Well, you know me. More food pics coming later.. :)