"Today's Menu: Light"by Momentchensammleris licensed under CC BY 2.0
To the day exactly one year ago, one of my most exciting and enriching travel ended. My boyfriend and me, we traveled for three weeks through the various, vibrant and beautiful landscape of one of the most unknown countries for me so far. China - a place I was always interested in and slightly scared of at the same time. Why? Perhaps because the obvious cultural difference and the language barrier initially seemed insurmountable to me. However, I wouldn't be a real travel enthusiast if these reasons prevented me from going there.
So yeah...what's cooking, China?
In general, you need to know one important fact about the Chinese cuisine: there are mostly savory dishes, it is less common to eat sweet. In general, you can find a wide variety of cooking styles in China, depending on which part of the country you are. For sure, all dishes have one thing in common: they include either rice, meat, wheat or noodles.
To be frank, it was shocking for me to see how much meat is consumed every day. It's like you can't get around a dish without meat and I have to admit that we really did overdose on meat after a short time. Should you be on a vegetarian or vegan diet, then I would like to take this opportunity to recommend that you prepare yourself well for your trip. I have selected an informative article that might be helpful for you.
You are probably wondering, as I did at the time, whether the numerous stereotypes are true and that only dogs, cats, mice and other adventurous animals are eaten in China. At this point I can reassure you: no, of course not. You can also eat quite "normal" dishes, although I have to admit that it is possible to eat rumen by mistake at times. Interestingly, it may well be possible that China's exotic eating habits will be curbed after the COVID pandemic breaks out. Evidence now shows that the outbreak of the virus originated from the meat of a wild animal. The Chinese government responded immediately and banned all trade and consumption of wild animals.
But let's get to the interesting part. In the following, I want to recommend you four of my most delicious dishes I have tried during my trip:
1. Dumplings
Dumplings are truly one of the most famous dishes in China, also cross-regional. They consist generally of a piece of dough and are filled with meat, fish or vegetables. You can perfectly dip them into soya-sauce and eat them as an appetizer.
2. Hot pot
Phew, definitely the hottest dish I have ever eaten in my life. But it was so good! Hot pot is comparable to fondue. You have your own Hot Pot at a table, with a fierily hot, simmering broth. All kinds of delicacies are thrown in, such as meat, pak choi, vegetables and sprouts. The biggest challenge: to fish everything out again with chopsticks.
3. Rice noodle soup
I AM IN LOVE with rice noodle soup, really. Especially the province Yunnan is known for its rice noodles, which are one of the main dishes - and I literally inhaled them.
4. Tea Time
True, Tea-Time is not really a dish, but it is so special to me that I want to mention it here. As probably everyone knows, China has one of the most traditional tea cultures in the world, and there's no getting around it. We had a wonderful tea-time in Shanghai, where we participated in a typical tea ceremony. What I find particularly interesting is that a real tea time includes small bird eggs! The Chinese are really always good for a surprise.
To sum it up: China and its extraordinary culinary delights are definitely worth a visit. On this journey I have learned to open myself to new things, to overcome myself and to adapt to new cultures. Surely it is not for everyone, but if you are adventurous, a trip to China should definitely be on your bucket list.
Cheers,
Joanna
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