Food report

As you have probably heard, watered-down American Chinese food is no better than a distant cousin to its glorious origins.  The food is so much better here than whatever you are likely to be getting locally.  Every place has its own recipes.  Contrary to popular legend, so far I haven't noticed the Chinese eating anything hideously weird, but there are some oddities here and there (pause to consider that some of the... uh, crap Americans eat must strike others as pretty strange.  Funyons?  Footers?  That gluey glop served with nachos?).  Although the concept of vegetarianism is not widely known or embraced, I'm eating quite well.

When eating in groups, a large variety of dishes is ordered.  If you come to China, you MUST use chopsticks. There is no alternative unless you want to carry your own fork and be a complete spectacle (and a dork.  Use the damn sticks).

Everyone eats from the common dishes.   Each diner gets a small plate, about the size of the one we put under a teacup.  You eat over this as you transfer your latest chopstick acquisition to your person.

I've had several tofu dishes including tofu with cabbage and tofu in sauce.  The sauce is always good here.  Noodles are popular and delicious.  There's a little hole-in-the-wall near campus where I get a bowl of dan mien, noodles with vegetables and a peanutty sauce, as a light lunch for 2 yuan (US 30 cents).  

Street food is very popular.  The university is walled and there are three gates--east, west, and south.  Outside the west gate at night there is a bevy of carts purveying food.  I've had fried bread, like a pita, fried with an egg and vegetables inside--delicious.  Top it off with a sweet potato from the big steamer carts and it's a cheap lunch (45 cents altogether).  I found one cart where a lady fried quail eggs and put them on a stick.  Good snack.  My son was disgusted when I told him, but you if eat chicken eggs these are just the same thing in a smaller package, very nutritious I'm told.

Chinese serve hot water with the meal.  At first I was a bit taken aback but you don't want ice--the tap water is not potable. This way you know the water is clean and it cools quickly, but I don't mind it hot.

 I haven't seen any loaves of breads but there are little bakeries that sell buns.  They're usually 15-30 cents each and are delicious.

Then there's beer.  Sudsheads, see the nine pack?  I paid $2.25 for the whole thing.

 Recently I went out to eat with Mike, Marta, and Steve, the three teachers from Beloit College.  We had a chicken dish, two bowls of dumplings, another meat dish, eggplant, tofu, a salad, and each drank a beer.  $6.75 total for the whole meal! 

So far I've eaten everything and been healthy and happy.  I'm frequenting local restaurants, little places with battered tables and backless stools.  No gastrointestinal disorders at all, knock on wood.  I've long held that in far-off lands the traveler's best friend is yogurt.  I have some on hand at all times.

Come on over, the eatin's fine.