Food Porn in China

Food. How can I miss terrific food when traveling in China? It’s only fitting to dedicate this entry just for food, to continue my previous entry about Harbin. Coincidently, I just watched the "301, 302" (삼공일, 삼공이 | South Korea 1995 | in Korean | 100 min.) yesterday. So, I am inspired to cook and write about cooking and food, but not in the Korean way as in the film. Ha ha. Eating in China is an exquisite and privileged experience. In China, the vegetables are smaller, fresher, and more favorable compared similar varieties in the US. I think most of the vegetables in the US have been generically engineered for the sake of transportation, storage, and sale—for example, the US manages to grow green peppers in homogenous huge size for the stores to sell them individually, but they taste like paper soaking in water. One thing I enjoy the most is to go to the famer’s market to get fresh vegetables everyday. Some of them are not cheap in the freezing winter—almost the same price as in San Francisco. However, they are fresh and beautiful. Sometimes, I simply cannot get them in the US even I am willing to pay more. For example, garlic scape (蒜苔) is one of the items that I almost cannot find anywhere in the US, yet, it’s everywhere in Beijing. I am full of joy when I stir-fry them to satisfy my craving. It’s one of those comforting food that brings back childhood memories while they are also healthy and delicious, unlike the junk food in fast food joints. On new Chinese Year’s Eve, we cooked many dishes to fill the entire table. That’s the holiday spirit, even without the turkey and my own kitchen. However, I eat out more often than I cook at home, because there are just so many sophisticated dishes that are too troublesome to prepare myself, even with my passion for cooking. The growing gap between rich and poor in China also reflects in food. I can find excellent dishes either at very traditional hundred-year-old restaurants or at street vendors at dirty cheap price. I might also easily spend an arm or a leg if I walk into a place next door. One day at a lunch in a restaurant, I am trying to find out why this meatball (狮子头) costs so much—188 Yuan (about $28) just for this single one small ball. It tastes just like a meatball, really. I probably can cook it just as good, if not better. Fancy or down to earth, expensive or economy, homemade or restaurant ordered, exotic or ordinary, these foods all give me great pleasure, and my food porn photos serve my deep-fried memory. http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf During this trip, I didn’t had a penis feast like last time when I was in China couple years ago. However, I pretty much get a chance to take care all my desires for food with something delicious in my mouth day after day when I travel in China. We are what we eat. Yes, I know.