Foodie isn’t just a trend in China
The other day I was watching an episode of Parts Unknown where Anthony Bourdain travels to Chengdu, China. When he catches up with a local about the history of culinary arts, she makes a comment how interesting it is that today in the United States being a “foodie” is trendy. However, when you go to a place like China being a “foodie” is just a way of life. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the sheer truth of her comment. No other country in the world I’ve been to even compares to the variety of flavors, textures, colors, and smells of food in China. In China, its always a good time to eat. From the school cafeteria, the most hidden alleys, or just on the street- its incredible how everywhere you can find mind-blowing food.
Typically, meals are eaten at earlier times in comparison to the US. On campus, breakfast is served only until 9:00 AM and typically no one eats dinner past 7:00 PM. During weekdays, I usually eat on campus at our cafeteria or at the surrounding restaurants by campus. The first time I came to the school cafeteria I remember just walking around for 30 minutes just staring at everything in awe. Standing 3 floors tall, filled with dozens of food stalls, there are literally hundreds of options of what to eat everyday. Dumplings, wide noodles, sweet potato noodles, omelettes, fried rice, soup, Korean food, Japanese food, seafood- the options are really endless. In addition to having an endless array of options, all the food is freshly made. Right when you order a bowl of noodles, you can see the noodle guy hand rolling the noodles and boiling them in the giant cauldron right in front of you. Overall, going to the cafeteria is such a great way to learn what local Chinese people like to eat and trying new foods. By far, my favorite place to eat right now is the “ma la tang”. At the ma la tang, you’re able to choose ingredients from a fridge and custom make your own soup.
