The Girlchild and I have decided that, to make the most of our experiences here in China, we will buy one new food item that we haven't tried before. There are some limitations: no nuts or shellfish (Girlchild is allergic), no egg dishes (mainly for me, I'm egg intolerant) and nothing that just creeps us out.
There are three major western-style grocery stores within walking distance of our apartment. Our current favorite is BHG (no, I don't know what it stands for), a combinations Whole Foods-meets--Harris Teeter kind of place. There's a western deli, Chinese deli, a section with prepared foods, three made-to-order sections and lots of samples--usually of imported products like Barilla pasta and sauce.
Our first effort was with the prepared food section. for 15rmb ($2.30) you get your choice of 3 dishes over rice in a container large enough for two full servings. We apparently hit the jackpot, as all the dishes looked great and we could identify the ingredients: tofu dish, chicken and potatoes with peppers and carrots, and mixed vegetables.
The second effort wasn't as successful. We went to the made-to-order stirfry section. You choose all of your veggies, along with condiments and seasonings and they mix it up for you and put it in a baggie for you to take home and stir fry your heart out. We could only identify 5 or 6 of the 15 food items and had to pass on all the condiments except the soy sauce as we had to avoid the nuts, fish sauce, oyster sauce and about 3 other unidentifiable liquids, shredded nuts, pastes, and a white powder we were certain was MSG. As the clerk begins to put out items in the mixing bowl, the Girlchild turns to me and says, "This one is all yours. He didn't clean the bowl and there's all kind of residue from the previous batches. Such a pity too, because we were doing so well, even when you told him no peanuts by doing the hold-your-throat-I'm-dying-motion."
I'm sure there's a way to ask for a clean bowl but we haven't learned it yet.
The third effort was at another prepared food (snacks) section. This section has jaozi (j-ow-zhu) steamed dumplings, baozhi (b-ow-zhu) stuffed steamed buns, and lots of other savory and sweet items. There were also two trays of noodle dishes. So we're standing in front of the counter, debating over what will be the new thing to try. We look at one item, which was best described as a chinese pita pocket stuffed with vegetables, another stuffed with pork and green onions, and thin bread that looks like a tortilla. None of which apeal to the Girlchild. She keeps eyeing the noodle dishes. So, like kids on Sesame Street, we start asking the ingredients and learn one dish has eggs, and the other doesn't . The entire time, we both keep saying, '\"Gee, that dish looks familar...like we should know what it is." The Girlchild nudges me and says, "Ask her what that is." So I smile, point and ask "What is that?" in mandarin. The attendant, glad we've finally made up our minds says very slowly, annunciating every letter of each word says " Chow mein".
o_O
Yep. One of the most obvious chinese foods, next to fried rice. Matter of fact, one of the Girlchild's favorite things to order back home.
We are planning our fourth effort very carefully.
There are three major western-style grocery stores within walking distance of our apartment. Our current favorite is BHG (no, I don't know what it stands for), a combinations Whole Foods-meets--Harris Teeter kind of place. There's a western deli, Chinese deli, a section with prepared foods, three made-to-order sections and lots of samples--usually of imported products like Barilla pasta and sauce.
Our first effort was with the prepared food section. for 15rmb ($2.30) you get your choice of 3 dishes over rice in a container large enough for two full servings. We apparently hit the jackpot, as all the dishes looked great and we could identify the ingredients: tofu dish, chicken and potatoes with peppers and carrots, and mixed vegetables.
The second effort wasn't as successful. We went to the made-to-order stirfry section. You choose all of your veggies, along with condiments and seasonings and they mix it up for you and put it in a baggie for you to take home and stir fry your heart out. We could only identify 5 or 6 of the 15 food items and had to pass on all the condiments except the soy sauce as we had to avoid the nuts, fish sauce, oyster sauce and about 3 other unidentifiable liquids, shredded nuts, pastes, and a white powder we were certain was MSG. As the clerk begins to put out items in the mixing bowl, the Girlchild turns to me and says, "This one is all yours. He didn't clean the bowl and there's all kind of residue from the previous batches. Such a pity too, because we were doing so well, even when you told him no peanuts by doing the hold-your-throat-I'm-dying-motion."
I'm sure there's a way to ask for a clean bowl but we haven't learned it yet.
The third effort was at another prepared food (snacks) section. This section has jaozi (j-ow-zhu) steamed dumplings, baozhi (b-ow-zhu) stuffed steamed buns, and lots of other savory and sweet items. There were also two trays of noodle dishes. So we're standing in front of the counter, debating over what will be the new thing to try. We look at one item, which was best described as a chinese pita pocket stuffed with vegetables, another stuffed with pork and green onions, and thin bread that looks like a tortilla. None of which apeal to the Girlchild. She keeps eyeing the noodle dishes. So, like kids on Sesame Street, we start asking the ingredients and learn one dish has eggs, and the other doesn't . The entire time, we both keep saying, '\"Gee, that dish looks familar...like we should know what it is." The Girlchild nudges me and says, "Ask her what that is." So I smile, point and ask "What is that?" in mandarin. The attendant, glad we've finally made up our minds says very slowly, annunciating every letter of each word says " Chow mein".
o_O
Yep. One of the most obvious chinese foods, next to fried rice. Matter of fact, one of the Girlchild's favorite things to order back home.
We are planning our fourth effort very carefully.
