As I continue the culinary ecstasy that is living in China, I come across dishes and drinks now and then that are particularly foreign to the Western palate.
The chinese drink more plants, for example, than do Americans, who are usually limited to black tea, coffee, and carbonated chemicals. Chinese flower tea (hua cha) is a delight. The variety is endless. If it's pretty, tasty, and not poisonous, then add hot water and you have tea. Mums, roses, and flowers I cannot identify are in my pantry, awaiting my mug every night. A particular favorite of mine is a pink fuzzy ball of a flower that, while not caffeinated, seems to have pick-me-up properties. I can't find a photo, however, and am too lazy to take my own.
On the other end of the spectrum from the delightful idea of drinking flowers--to a Westerner, at least--is the fact that bugs are on the menu here. The other day, a very sophisticated colleague's wife and daughter, while said colleague and I were eating a perfectly 'normal' dinner of beef and green vegetables, stopped by the restaurant where we were eating on their way home. The wife had received a gift from a friend: fried spiced silkworm larvae. She was feeding them furiously to her daughter, who ate them between the frequent distractions of a five year old. She offered some to us. I ate. It was clear that the wife, husband, and daughter did not think the worms were especially delicious. Not bad, but not delicious. I would agree. However, the larvae are considered to be very good for one's health, being high in protein and other beneficial compounds. It's akin to Americans drinking green tea or eating a bitter green salad. In case you're interested in other such healthy eats, duck blood is good for your lungs.
Last but not least, is dog. While there is no logical reason not to eat dog if we eat pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys, and sheep, there is probably no other animal for which the idea of roasting and eating is more repugnant to the Western mind. It's worse even than horse, which, thought not to my knowledge common on the Chinese menu, is eaten in many other cultures. Last weekend, I met several other PC Volunteers in Qinghe, Guizhou, for a Halloween retreat. River swimming and costume party could not compare to the experience or watching a local farmer skin a roasted dog on the riverbank. We were transfixed, at once horrified and seeking to understand. It was a moment about cultural integration, a goal at the top of the list for us Volunteers. We knew there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. It was even beautiful: the farmer, likely poor, working diligently for his family's evening meal. At the same time, it was an in-our-face moment that made us realize how little we really understand China. It's one world today, more than ever before, but we are foreign here--foreigners who cannot escape our own culture and who cannot fully understand this one, no matter how hard we try.
I had posted some pictures of the event on Facebook, but later removed them, not wanting to instigate any anti-China comments. But I think my few and faithful blog readers are sophisticated enough for the whole picture. Don't go further if you have a weak Western stomach.
By the way, I have not eaten dog...yet (apologies to Buzzy and Chauncey).
Footnote: While the range of plants and animals consumed in China is vastly wider than in America, it is important to stress, I think, that the everyday fare of most people here consists of vegetables and pork. Bugs, dogs, snakes, etc., are for special occasions, or are eaten only occasionally and not by everyone.
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