the real appetite for China

Should I take the fried chicken or the brown rice? This is the first question I encounter everyday going into the dinning hall. I LOVE GOOD Chinese food, and the most appropriate adjective to describe the food is: amazing! Grow up in southwest region in China, my taste buds is accustomed to strong flavored dishes, and of course, the hot pot (I mean HOT). Reading through the blog “appetite for China”, the first impression came up to mind is that the writer is not familiar with Chinese food, the information being presented is from a traveler’s point of view. The writer is simply sharing his food eating experience in China with the audience, however, he doesn’t present insightful opinions or understanding of the various entrees he had tasted. Even though the writer’s heritage is from China, but the western environment he grow up with makes him as a foreigner’s stand point to look at Chinese food culture. Chinese food incorporates 8 different kinds of categories from different region, some familiar categories are Si Chuan and Cantonese. The writer mentioned the “Three Cup Chicken”, which is a famous Taiwanese dish, everywhere in China can make that dish, however, each region would add its own flavor into the dish to complement the local customer’s taste. Like the orange chicken in Panda Express, not a single Chinese will say it’s delicious, instead it’s Americanized. Additionally, the writer also includes a shallow meaning subtitle, “1.3 billion people must be eating something right”. Well, Chinese food culture is complicated, and I can assure the writer that Chinese are eating a lot delicious food not just orange chicken and chao mian.

Lived in the United States for almost 4 years, I will say I am a qualified international citizen. I enjoy eating all kinds of food around the globe. Honestly, I prefer to eat American food rather than un-authentic Chinese food in the U.S, even though I miss all the food in China. Like now, just passed midnight, I am going to Wingnuts to get some snakes before going to sleep. The picture is a signature rice-noodle dish in my hometown Kunming, called Cross Bridge Rice-noodle.