A few weeks ago, I wished for decent goi cuon, the delicious, wonderfully fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. This is a summer staple in my family, and my mother made me all jealous and homesick when she told me they were making some on their beach holiday with a bunch of family friends. But HA. Enter […]
I love Vietnamese cuisine, especially in the summer when its refreshing dishes are often served cold. And its use of uncooked dipping sauces for flavoring is a great alternative to the greasiness and saltiness of Beijing fare. (I really love fish sauce!) As of late, anything Vietnamese has been my favorite food. You’d think that, […]
More to come about my trip to Anhui later, but here was one of the highlights of my trip: It’s chou doufu (stinky tofu), Anhui-style! Delicious. It’s a distinctive charred black, not the usual deep fried tofu brown color, and it’s actually made with dou gan (dried tofu) instead of regular tofu. For those people […]
One of the truer stereotypes of the Chinese is that they take their cuisine seriously. While rapid development and modern demands of society are deteriorating their allegiance to good food, it is still generally expected that people know how to — and do — cook. Even though more and more Chinese are eating out, they […]
The Chinese don’t get a lot of Western things “right.” For instance, driving and roads, or socialism. This can’t be more true when it comes to Western food. It’s hard to figure out how to mess up spaghetti with tomato sauce, or a ham and cheese sandwich, but they do it. I shall illustrate my […]
I got some from Hegel’s Bagels, a new gig by a tall guy named Jordan from New York. They’re delicious, and 80 RMB ($12) for a baker’s dozen and free delivery (at least for me). Bagels are a rarity in China. I guess the Jew refugees from 1930s and 1940s Europe didn’t stick around long enough […]
Wal-mart sells shark! OK, not my Wal-mart. That would be too cool to see.
A good part of my day is devoted to finding and buying online food I like to eat back home. For example, I frequently order pies and cupcakes, which are made by foreigners, so they pass a certain standard for deliciousness and authenticity. Last week, I found Bonbon Bins and ordered some gummy candy. This […]
About a month ago, my boyfriend brought me a special treat. Yes, Sour Skittles have made their way to China! The Chinese name for them is 彩虹 (caihong), which means “rainbow.” I don’t know how long they’ve been here, but my boyfriend noticed them in his neighborhood store one fateful day. He says a store near […]
I haven’t seen a bottle of this Pabst Blue Ribbon 1844 (going for 300 kuai for a 750-milliliter bottle, or more than $44) yet, but Evan Osnos’ story about the appearance of Pabst in China reminded me of a single can of P.B.R. I saw last year in Dandong on a cart selling various snacks […]