Speaking of Food

      I find that the majority of people in China eat a lot of different fruits and vegetables and rarely ever consume junk food (no macaroni and cheese here).  It is considered normal if you are at work and someone pulls a cucumber out of a lunch bag to munch on (with the skin on). I thought this was funny at first, but now it is not such a bad idea. However,  they eat a lot more meat now than in the earlier days and super markets are stocked with lots of chicken, pig, duck, and beef to name a few items. 


     The area I am living in is known for raising hens for eggs and chickens for eating. The director of the school, Julia, gave us (the foreign teachers at school)  a gift box of 60 eggs each in honor of the Dragon Boat holiday. I believe that this is the strangest gift I have ever received - I gave a few to my neighbors, ate what I could and froze the rest.   


     Cheese as well as butter and olive oil are pricey and hard to find, however, yogurt and milk are in abundance. Milk comes in fruit flavors such as peach, papaya, mango, apple, and coconut to name a few. 


     Baoji is known for its noodles and there are many varieties to choose from such as,  lotus roots, peas, corn, egg, tomatoes, red peppers, corn, and wheat. I am beginning to learn how to prepare a number of different noodle dishes that are simple to make without taking a lot of time to prepare.  


     The super markets have a huge baking section and there are many different varieties of breads. Recently I tasted a coconut bread that was exceptional!!! Cakes are smaller than in the U.S., but beautifully decorated and very flavorful baked without a lot of sugar. I do not believe that a lot of people bake at home due to the high cost of electric, but one of my neighbors has something similar to an easy bake oven (remember those) and she made me some brownies one day. 


    Snacks include seaweed potato chips, pea flavored straws,  dried fish, all sorts of nuts and dried beans, garlic flavored crunchy peas, corn flavored everything (even candy-yuk) and little cups of a jello like treats for kids that leave a lot to be desired. They could learn a lesson or two about our wonderful world of chocolate chip cookies, fudge, rice crispy treats, and popcorn -  oh yeah, let's not even touch on our wonderful world of pizza!!!


     Dried fish is available in small packs to carry with you in case you are hungry. I haven't found one that I like yet. There are aquariums in the fish department holding the catch of the day - and  fresh fish is not deboned or cleaned (oh you spoiled Americans - I can hear your thoughts - same as mine - why not?). One day for the  first time in my life I bought frozen shrimp with the heads on! After I got over the black beady little eyes staring at me from the steaming pot and after I got rid of the heads I must say the the shrimp is the best I have ever had (once the shrimp is cooked, the head comes off easily). 


     My biggest challenge is trying to keep up my protein levels - I do not have an adequate kitchen to cook fish and I do not eat meat - so I am making an attempt to cook my own lentils, beans, and tofu dishes. There is a tofu station in every super market as well as a huge rice station - the tofu is cut to order and there are many different kinds of rice that I have not yet explored. 


     Dabbled throughout the store you may see m+m's (plain), Dove chocolate, snickers bars, Oreo cookies, and chocolate ice cream, but the portions are tiny and the cost is quite pricey. Ice cream is for sale in the stores and different kinds of ice cream bars are available, such as, (get this) green peas and red kidney bean ice cream bars..... no thank you - however, a limited amount of other flavors are available.


     I am exploring different foods each week and each trip to the super market is a challenge. The huge markets are located on the basement floor of the super malls and they try to carry a little of everything - sort of like a Wal-mart -  but totally disorganized. I can't figure out why cat and dog food (one kind of each - crunchies - no fancy feast here) is located in the imported food section and why needle and thread is located in the sports department - oh well, maybe it is just me. 


     As far as the food chains from the U.S., I am sure that you all know that there has to be a McDonald's right smack in the middle of town. There are also a few 24 hour Kentucky Fried Chicken's and a Baskin Robbins close by. Lots of tea shops around each neighborhood, but I only know of one coffee shop located next to McDonald's.