A tribute to Chinese food

It’s been forever since I’ve written. My easy excuse is that it’s been tiresome to post with the restrictions on blogspot in China. The real reason is that I’ve just been lazy and done more eating and traveling than blogging. But given that I’m in my last week here in Shanghai (how time flies), I am growing nostalgic and thinking about all the things I’ll miss … people, places, pace of life, and interestingly … even the food.

In my 15 months in China, I have probably complained more about the excess use of oil and MSG in the local dining scene than lauded its merits. However, my stay here has convinced me that Chinese cuisine is one of the finest in the world, with an expansive use of ingredients made more complex once one delves into tastes and techniques of different regions. I firmly believe that with the application of some Western philosophies (e.g. less is more) and presentation techniques (coursed dining), ‘modern’ Chinese can be just as exquisite in both taste and presentation as French or Japanese …

But for now, a pictorial tribute to some favorite food memories in China – from local street food to meticulously prepared gourmet dishes ...

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Fried soup dumpling / bun
生煎包 (sheng jian bao)
Even though eating this consistently will probably give you a heart attack, it is one of my (and the rest of the city’s) favorite street foods. A pork dumpling made juicy from the melted lard of the meat and wrapped in a thin wrapper and deep fried at the bottom for a crunchy finish.

Meat steamed bun
肉包子 (rou bao zi)
Another street food and consistent breakfast food of mine (though I usually opt for the vegetarian). It is incredibly comforting and satisfying when it comes right out of the big bamboo steamers. The bun is incredibly fluffy, and there are multiple types of fillings – both savory and sweet – to suit your fancy.

Fried dumplings
锅贴 (guo tie)
One last street food picture. Deep fried dumplings – another popular snack for Shanghai locals (although this picture was taken in Nanjing). I include it both because it’s tasty and because the picture is demonstrative of how street food is cooked –lots of oil (a similar frying technique for the fried soup dumpling / bun).

Yang zhou fried rice
扬州炒饭 (yang zhou chao fan)
Fried rice is the most basic when it comes to Chinese cuisine and perceived as the ‘cheap oily stuff’ that comes in takeout Chinatown boxes. It wasn’t until I went to Yang zhou, home of the fried rice we see in the rest of the world, that I learned that truly good fried rice is probably as hard (if not harder) to make as any gourmet Chinese dish. A well made fried rice (Yangzhou style) will have the rice moist from being freshly cooked but dry enough so that each kernel is separate from each other. Each kernel should also be ‘glistening gold’ from each having received a touch of seasoning and coating of egg. (Of course, to each his own. A loves his fried rice with a rich sauce and completely devoid of any of the above principles.)

Grilled snake
A testament to the variety of animals (and animal parts) that Chinese cuisine uses. Local Chinese like the exotic (e.g. turtles, shark’s fin, bird’s nest, blowfish) and more tender, rich-tasting areas of meat (dark meat on chicken for example or fatty pork / pork knuckle, to name a few)

Hand-made bean thread noodles with sliced cucumber in a soy-sesame sauce
Not a particularly special dish by Chinese standards but one that I appreciate for its presentation. A simple dish of bean thread noodles in a light soy-sesame sauce, made far more appetizing with a wrapping of extremely finely sliced cucumbers and topping of slices of rolled egg and roe. Vibrancy in color and excellence in knife skills.

A 'Chinese take' on a mille-feuille
There are many Chinese desserts to celebrate but I decided on an East-West combination from one of my favorite cake shops. A Chinese take on a puff pastry dessert … a girl friend calls it ‘diet cake’ since the local taste is less sweet and rich than Western counterparts. Both are delicious.