Food
Food in China
萝卜皮炒腊肉 luo bo pi chao la rou (Lamb with cilantro seasonings)
In Hunan the food is VERY spicy. Almost at every meal we had something if not multiple dishes where red hot peppers were in the food. They love spice food, and understand you might not be used to it, but will hope that you will be soon.
There are many things to choose from: chicken, pork, beef, eggplant, beans, tofu, soups, noodles, ect. Be careful when ordering chicken, when they prepare the chicken the leave nothing but the feathers behind. Feet, bones, beak, you name it, it’s all included.
Much of the best food we found was on the streets, where vendors will show you the food they have and you can ask for it spicy or not. There are many that come out at night with many things they can grill up, from veggies to meats, it’s quite the selection.
One item that was VERY popular in this part of China was "Stinky Tofu." Known for its name to not only let you know when they are cooking it, but also notify you who has eaten it, is something of a favorite around here, and will be part of the selection at any grill. It is dark and looks a lot like charcoal you use for a barbecue.
The don’t have very much dairy products, like any kinds of cheeses, butters, or milk. They do have a milk that they serve out of little carton boxes, but by a good guess its not the milk Americans are used to that comes from a cow. These items can be found it other stores found in the bigger cities that carry more "western" items like mike, butter, cheese, peanut butter and real rich chocolate. In this area the stores are called Metro and carrfor. They are French and German stores that provide many of the foods we ate at home.
Below are photos of all the food we had the opportunity of eating. Most of which we did eat and LOVED, but there are photos at the very bottom of this page we didn't even entertain the thought of purchasing anything from these meat vendors. These photos directly below are just a gathering of anything you could see while in China. So many of these dishes were incredibly delicious, and cannot be found, or are very difficult to find, back in our home country. Again these foods are mostly all native to Hunan, but there are some that are found in Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
There are many things to choose from: chicken, pork, beef, eggplant, beans, tofu, soups, noodles, ect. Be careful when ordering chicken, when they prepare the chicken the leave nothing but the feathers behind. Feet, bones, beak, you name it, it’s all included.
Much of the best food we found was on the streets, where vendors will show you the food they have and you can ask for it spicy or not. There are many that come out at night with many things they can grill up, from veggies to meats, it’s quite the selection.
One item that was VERY popular in this part of China was "Stinky Tofu." Known for its name to not only let you know when they are cooking it, but also notify you who has eaten it, is something of a favorite around here, and will be part of the selection at any grill. It is dark and looks a lot like charcoal you use for a barbecue.
The don’t have very much dairy products, like any kinds of cheeses, butters, or milk. They do have a milk that they serve out of little carton boxes, but by a good guess its not the milk Americans are used to that comes from a cow. These items can be found it other stores found in the bigger cities that carry more "western" items like mike, butter, cheese, peanut butter and real rich chocolate. In this area the stores are called Metro and carrfor. They are French and German stores that provide many of the foods we ate at home.
Below are photos of all the food we had the opportunity of eating. Most of which we did eat and LOVED, but there are photos at the very bottom of this page we didn't even entertain the thought of purchasing anything from these meat vendors. These photos directly below are just a gathering of anything you could see while in China. So many of these dishes were incredibly delicious, and cannot be found, or are very difficult to find, back in our home country. Again these foods are mostly all native to Hunan, but there are some that are found in Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
"SCORPIONS on a stick, come and get it," is all you can hear in some food markets in Beijing. Very interesting and became very popular among many of the tourist during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Not only scorpions, but starfish and other beetle looking insect things that would never cross you mind to plop on your plate as a late night snack.
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How do you like YOUR Tofu?
Oh boy the classic tofu mobile cart, anyway to can imagine it, or not imagine it, they have got it on this charcoal type grill. This were very popular all over Hunan, most people enjoyed a type of tofu called, "Stinky Tofu," nick named by the foreigners for its dark blackish color and strong smell.
All outdoor and even many restaurants are cooked with this black block looking thing very similar to charcoal that they would stack on top of each other in the grill/stove. Covering the stove was really just a piece of metal (as shown in this picture) or they would have a pot or anything else needed to cook their food. Here in Hunan, this cart has the red chili flavoring in a cup, VERY popular here.
Everybody down here loves the spice, Hunan and Sichuan are known for packing the heat. Often Michelle would have to say 我不希望香料 (Wǒ bù xīwàng xiāngliào). Basically saying "I don't want spice," which became her popular phrase for a person living in a pepper hot mecca.
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Fruit Stand at the Market
This is one of the typical food stands you see EVERYWHERE in Hunan. This same type of stand I'm sure you could find all over, mostly these types seemed to be out of the big city, and they would take them down and put them up every night. This food is always readily available but must be eaten with caution until washed. Because of the numerous amounts of these food stands, it was so easy to just always have a snack on the go.
Although we should of washed them better, the most we ever washed anything was a good splash of water and good rubbing on our shirts, and that was it. In the far back they would sell nuts and other things by the pound. These little swirled pieces of ribbon over by the merchant were their best invention to keep away the flies from landing on the produce. These ally way market places were notorious for having trash all down the street, in this photo you can see alittle, but looks like she and pushed away most of the trash.
Although we should of washed them better, the most we ever washed anything was a good splash of water and good rubbing on our shirts, and that was it. In the far back they would sell nuts and other things by the pound. These little swirled pieces of ribbon over by the merchant were their best invention to keep away the flies from landing on the produce. These ally way market places were notorious for having trash all down the street, in this photo you can see alittle, but looks like she and pushed away most of the trash.
Birthday Cake
Our little boy's first birthday cake. So a dear Chinese friend of ours brought this delicious looking cake to his first American/Chinese birthday party. We invited a bunch of English teachers and Chinese friends to do a little celebration for him. This is just an idea what some of the cakes looked like.
They were very good, and looked a lot like designs of cakes we have here in the United States. Each of the cakes would come in this little cute box, that would help transport the cake to the party (forks were included too). Usually a cake like this would cost under 5 bucks.
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This is a mango cake in a little pastry shop in Hong Kong. This shop had so many delicious deserts and treats we just had to take a picture. The Food in Hong Kong was so good, it was a shame that when we got to Hunan, we didn't find any places that had deserts as good looking and tasting as what we found in Hong Kong.
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Our Hamburger Stand in China
So we had hopes of having a little hamburger stand at the University, mostly to just sell them to the students so they could experience that AWESOME home cooked, hot off the grill experience. So took us a bit to actually find hamburger, like the type you buy at the store to make the paddy's. Lots of pork, but no hamburger. After looking around and trying to get everying together, most of the plans didn't come together in time to actually get it done, but we did find out about this cool place called Metro.
Here they sell many of the same items we were used to at our home in America, but couldn't find anywhere around the University or the city of Xiangtan. We actually had to travel to Changsha to visit this place, so it made it pretty difficult to bring back big quantities on the bus for our burger idea. Anyhow, we did want to let you know, search around or ask the students where some of these places might be, it can be a little heaven after not getting food items like peanut butter, real cheese, BBQ sauce, or the coveted nutella chocolate spread (we pretty much bought the peanut butter and the nutella in bulk). The pics below show some of the items we purchased and the prices to give you an idea of what their are at the time we were there (basically just know that they are going to be pretty expensive for the pricing over there).
Here they sell many of the same items we were used to at our home in America, but couldn't find anywhere around the University or the city of Xiangtan. We actually had to travel to Changsha to visit this place, so it made it pretty difficult to bring back big quantities on the bus for our burger idea. Anyhow, we did want to let you know, search around or ask the students where some of these places might be, it can be a little heaven after not getting food items like peanut butter, real cheese, BBQ sauce, or the coveted nutella chocolate spread (we pretty much bought the peanut butter and the nutella in bulk). The pics below show some of the items we purchased and the prices to give you an idea of what their are at the time we were there (basically just know that they are going to be pretty expensive for the pricing over there).
Fish Soup...yum yum, so good.
We found fish dishes to be very popular. What was interesting was usually the dish includes the whole fish. Chinese include all parts of the fish or animal when creating the dish.
It was pretty common to see the whole fish or the head/feet of a chicken (very hard for the first month to even eat around a chicken beak with that eye staring at you). But on the AMAZING side, the food tasted very good. And it really doesn't look good if you don't eat the food that your Chinese host has so kindly purchased for you.
Eating together usually consists of everyone sitting around circular table (seemed like every table was round, just easier to share all the food I guess). Some tables even had a turn style thing that would allow anyone at the table to just spin to top to bring the food closer to them.
Usually everyone would just use their own chopsticks to reach in and get the food, other than the fish soup (which you would need a spoon ladle to get the soupy broth out). The food is ordered as a group, verses each individual ordering their own plate. And of course rice is served at each and every meal.
At first this was very hard, thinking that everyone chopsticks that had been in all of these mouths were now been placed in the food I was eating too. But like all things, you get hungry and becomes a common place habit, not to be thought of again. With all of this and other things that we'll explain, we really never did get sick.
During the winter months, many Chinese love hot dishes called "Hot Pot." Its basically a hot boiling pot, placed in the middle of the table (these tables usually are different than the usual tables), where the eaters can order meat or veggies and put them in a hot water that that can be seasoned to be cooked right at the table. This was VERY popular once it started to get cold in Hunan, almost all restaurants had this special table to accommodate the hot pot crowd on a cold day.
It was pretty common to see the whole fish or the head/feet of a chicken (very hard for the first month to even eat around a chicken beak with that eye staring at you). But on the AMAZING side, the food tasted very good. And it really doesn't look good if you don't eat the food that your Chinese host has so kindly purchased for you.
Eating together usually consists of everyone sitting around circular table (seemed like every table was round, just easier to share all the food I guess). Some tables even had a turn style thing that would allow anyone at the table to just spin to top to bring the food closer to them.
Usually everyone would just use their own chopsticks to reach in and get the food, other than the fish soup (which you would need a spoon ladle to get the soupy broth out). The food is ordered as a group, verses each individual ordering their own plate. And of course rice is served at each and every meal.
At first this was very hard, thinking that everyone chopsticks that had been in all of these mouths were now been placed in the food I was eating too. But like all things, you get hungry and becomes a common place habit, not to be thought of again. With all of this and other things that we'll explain, we really never did get sick.
During the winter months, many Chinese love hot dishes called "Hot Pot." Its basically a hot boiling pot, placed in the middle of the table (these tables usually are different than the usual tables), where the eaters can order meat or veggies and put them in a hot water that that can be seasoned to be cooked right at the table. This was VERY popular once it started to get cold in Hunan, almost all restaurants had this special table to accommodate the hot pot crowd on a cold day.
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They do have Sweet N Sour Chicken.
So randomly one day a member of our teaching group found a restaurant that does the closest dish to orange chicken ( that we've had here in China. Many restaurants will even just let you go into the kitchen and pick out things that you want, just pointing to this and that and then they will just combine it all for you in the stir fry pot.
This was called:
糖醋里脊 tang cu li ji (Sweet and sour pork) with tomatoes.
Snake Meat
Trying every type of meat really become a possibility here due to how quickly the meat travels from the "Farm to the Plate." At any rate, in of the upscale restaurants in Changsha they were encouraging us to eat some SNAKE, and spicy snake at that. We did all try just a small morsel, but that didn't always happen with meat we usually wouldn't eat.
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