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Post by Chinasyndrome on Nov 5, 2003 14:04:04 GMT 7
What are the 'delicacies' in your neck of the woods? Are they really edible? What is your favourite local food (describe it) and what is the most disgusting food you've eaten since you've been wherever you are?
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Post by MyTurnNow on Nov 5, 2003 17:21:05 GMT 7
I love living in the Shanghai area. It's exciting and interesting, and for China it's pretty modern.
The price I pay for this is probably the worst regional food in China, excluding perhaps Tibet. Too wimpy- not much flavor other than sweet and salty. My favorite places to eat here are either Western or from other places in China.
I am pretty partial to the hot and sour soup here, but even that I load down with more vinegar and chili sauce. I also like "song zi lou yu", sometimes known as "Squirrel-shaped Mandarin fish". It boils down to a very fancy sweet-and-sour fish, but a good one. The odd cutting style that gives it its name (it looks a bit like a squirrel's tail) also makes it by far the easiest fish to eat in China. You'd think after 6000+ years of civilization they would finally figure out that bones are inedible...
Grossest food I've ever eaten? A tough one. Probably a favorite of my wife's.....I call it Bottom-Dwelling Sewer Eel. As Lewis Grizzard wrote, "God doesn't want us to eat anything that ugly." There's a big wad of them in the freezer...every time I forget and open that drawer and see them, I scream like a little girl.
MT
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Post by Hamish on Nov 6, 2003 8:02:17 GMT 7
Chinese food in Baoding is spectacular.
I didn’t realize how different it is from some other places in China until I had spent some time in some other places in China. (IE Kunming, Chungdu, Xian, Dali, Decheng) Baoding has a lot of cooking schools within its’ boarders and the restaurants benefit from a steady supp[y of graduates. Really, it is wonderful The Peking Duck I buy down at the neighborhood people’s market is as good as any I have shoveled down anywhere, including the expensive stuff in Beijing.
Really good food here. And a good thing too, I have responsibilities. There are 120 kilos of cells in my body and I must eat for all of them.
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roaming kiwi
Barfly
Cum'ere, boy, un let ol' pappy tell ya a story.
Posts: 264
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Post by roaming kiwi on Nov 6, 2003 13:02:28 GMT 7
I'm afraid I have to agree with Hamish. The food in Baoding is pretty poo-hot.
I'm rather partial to the fried-like-buggery chicken that our affectionately named "Chicken-Lady" cooks. Only 13 Kuai for the biggest juiciest, dribble...dribble...
It makes a mighty-fine soup too; once you scoop out the head and feet.
I'm hungry.
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Post by Steiner on Nov 6, 2003 19:35:04 GMT 7
I don't know what's a local specialty and what you can find everywhere, but I like the snake here. It's expensive, though, so I only eat it when someone else buys.
The clay pot rice is good, as I've mentioned before.
They make fried pumpkin thingies that are really good, too.
Nasty stuff? The worst is doufu-like cubes of flour and pig blood. But you can swallow them without chewing or breathing. They just slide down and you don't have to taste it. So that's nice, anyway.
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Post by dorum on Nov 7, 2003 16:19:57 GMT 7
The price I pay for this is probably the worst regional food in China, excluding perhaps Tibet. Too wimpy- not much flavor other than sweet and salty. You should count yourself lucky - sweet AND salty?? On Hainan it was sweet or sweet...... Thankfully I'm out of there now (rice-fed chicken was the local delicacy there, tasted just like any undercooked chicken to me. Mmmmm...salmonella...). Here the local 'thing' is dog hotpot, haven't tried it yet though. The best chinese restaurant in town is Sichuan, and nobody seems to be able to tell me about any good food from this area, so I can't really tell you any more.... I don't eat disgusting foods, as I let my husband have a bite first and then carefully study his expression ;D
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Post by Steiner on Nov 8, 2003 18:28:23 GMT 7
Ok, I remembered something else I love. It's not local and you can find it all over China--that fried flat bread with green onion. I could eat that stuff every day.
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Post by Gonzo Journalist on Nov 10, 2003 15:02:51 GMT 7
MTN has got Shanghai food pretty well summarised; sweet and salty everything. Often the meat, veg. are interchangeable: the sauce remains the same [thanks Zep]. Luckily every region in China, including Tibet, is represented in the restaurant scene, so you'll always find something you like. La mian, the Lanzhou noodle specialty is everywhere at 3-4 Y a bowl, as are Xinjiang lamb places. I like the snacks they wheel out- mostly at breakfast time, but other times too; guo tie [fried jiaozi], danbing [egg pancake] jianbao [curry filled fried baozi]. They like curry here. And for home cooking, you can get recognisable ingredients that you know how to deal with! In summer, live shrimps [prawns] 10Y a jin! I haven't had anything truly disgusting., although a few dishes on the staff lunch menu come close. Great pork ribs too. Lots of meat, no fat. Just like me.....10 years ago.
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Wolf
Charter Member and Old Chum
Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
Posts: 1,150
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Post by Wolf on Nov 10, 2003 23:37:40 GMT 7
Jiangxi is known for some teas (but isn't everywhere.) Also, the food here is known for being rather spicy. I like spicy, so it's no real problem for me. They have a strange spicy tofu dish that I really love.
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Post by Sunaru on Nov 12, 2003 11:01:57 GMT 7
While visiting CS last year (thanks for the toothpaste dog!!) we tried a local dish that was awesome, a baby oyster-omelette ;D and one food that sucked ass, boiled meat balls . Here in Dalian, seafood. Especially the yellow croaker in sweet and sour sauce--- mmm.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Nov 12, 2003 23:19:30 GMT 7
Shanghai has a kickass Chaozhou restaurant (Li Yuan) and they also have that oyster omelet. IT RULES!!!!
I saw that other dish all over the Northeast. I just can't bring myself to eat something called "yellow croaker".....
RD
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Post by Chinasyndrome on Nov 14, 2003 18:00:21 GMT 7
[glow=red,2,300]This just in from our HK and Southern China desk...[/glow]
A report in last night's news (13th November 03) showed that [glow=red,2,300]MERCURY IN SEAFOOD[/glow] is causing large problems in the HK population. More than 40% of all adults tested as too-high, and in some cases as having dangerously high concentrations of mercury in their bloodstream. Nearly 60-m'kaying-% of all kids tested were also being poisoned.
Hong Kong doctors were quick to link this with the Chinese people's love of seafood and said this is a common malady in China.
This reporter duked it out with the censors today while trying to find substantiating information for other areas, particularly coastal, on the mainland. In frustration our reporter called several doctors and the response in all cases is that this is true for most seafood consumed on the mainland. Freshwater fish is not exempt either, as the rapid expansion of industry takes it toll on many forms of marine or estuary dwellers.
Think about that the next time you've got crabs and feel like sucking on a shrimp or two!
Most revolting food which I simply refuse to be at the same table with is a round almost ball-shaped shellfish that is greyish-black and has striations on the shell. It is barely warmed before eating and oozes blood - red blood - and is believed to be good for your - you guessed it - blood. They look revolting and are bacteria in a block, in my opinion.
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Post by Sunaru on Nov 14, 2003 19:22:57 GMT 7
Well the mercury story gives new meaning to "Yellow Croaker" henceforth known as "Chinese Killer".
Waiter, I'd like to change my order!!!
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Post by Sandgropers on Nov 15, 2003 14:00:45 GMT 7
[quote author=Raoul Duke Shanghai has a kickass Chaozhou restaurant (Li Yuan) and they also have that oyster omelet. IT RULES!!!!
Eat your heart out...............we are IN Chaozhou and you are right about the oyster omlette........in fact, ALL the meals we eat here are very acceptable to our taste buds...........as our waist-lines continue to verify. To think back in Oz before leaving for China we thought we'd lose weight here; how wrong we were!!
Cheers
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Post by MyTurnNow on Nov 15, 2003 14:10:04 GMT 7
I'd noted your location with some envy before. I think Chaozhou just might have the best food in China. Among the Chinese Guangdong food is really popular...and within that they justifiably have a special place in their hearts for the Chaozhou style.
I used to think of it all as just "Cantonese"....if you don't know Chaozhou food check it out!!!
MT
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