some think, chinese people do eat everything - and yes, thats true!!!
but i don’t want to talk about monkey brains, snakes and dog meat now - i think a much more fascinating point about eating in china is the glance in their eyes while eating the “inedible”.
when i think about meat for example, my first experiences were something like “why do they only eat what we would throw away?” because i just did not find any meat between all these fibers, gristles and little bone pieces ... so i started to ask myself: “what do they do with the “good” parts of the meat? and why do they enjoy their meal anyway?”
a good example is chicken: everyone who is used to eat chicken in western countries knows, a chicken has three parts: breast, legs and wings. in china there are some chicken dishes you won’t find any of them - even the dish contains a whole chicken! the reason is simple: they cut the whole chicken into tiny little pieces (or they just use a huge hammer?!) because they enjoy to “find” the more tasty meat between the smashed bones (and anyway it’s easy for them) and while i’m still chewing on my first “chicken- bone-fiber” they can unhurriedly eat up the whole bird!
meanwhile i spent many times eating together with chinese people - and i think i can get close to the point now: their joy of eating is based at least half on this process of getting the edible things out -with glance in their eyes they feel the texture of the food - explore it and divide it up with their teeth and tongue ... an obviously joyful experience ... and they can do this within seconds .... they have been trained since childhood (i saw a two years old finishing the leg of a lamb including getting out the bone marrow within 5 minutes - and she already had the glance ...)
for those who never tried to eat a ducks tongue or a chicken foot - try to imagine how few you can get out of this and how much passion it takes - or putting a 2 cm small river shrimp into your mouth and peel it, divide the meat from legs, head, skin by only using your tongue and your teeth - you have 5 seconds!
it is hard - but don’t give up too fast ;)
i can do it in 20 seconds now ... and when i go to the market to by a chicken i will say: 请帮我剪小一点！ (please cut it a little smaller).
yes, and sometimes i just buy a single chicken breast and eat it - uncut!
and what this skillful tongues and teeth mean for kissing in china is worth an extra article.
他
2009年9月19日星期六
-please scroll down for english version-
我们中国人说“民以食为天”。
这么多的人，这么有限的疆土，我们当然追寻一切可吃的，由此我们也更加尊重和珍惜所有的食物。数千年就这样过去，中国人对于食物的狂热与深刻的理解程度自然是西方人所难以企及与想象的。
可能有一个词在某种程度上可以帮助有兴趣的人接近问题的核心，那就是——“爱”。这不是一般的爱，回想一下你最初的，最真的，最纯的，每个细节都千回百转的那一种爱，神圣而原始地存在于你的血液与基因里。
这样吧，跟我一起做一道菜。
一个兰花带盖瓷碗，高烈度的高粱红，玫瑰南乳汁，3，4两活蹦乱跳的河虾，青色透明的，或是太湖白虾。原料一起倒入碗中，扣上盖子，左三右四，晃那么几下。过一阵，再打开盖子。
那美妙的场景啊。众虾憨态可掬，处于半醉状态，宛若不胜酒力的美女们，慵懒优雅地伸展着四肢。。。
拈一只，放在舌尖，痒痒的，她还在颤动。这种时刻，真是微妙。你会觉得有点愧疚，有点兴奋，有些好奇，又有些沉迷。想象你就是那最有技巧的一位，不知不觉中，唇齿舌之间，鲜嫩脆爽的虾肉被你净啖，而虾衣丝毫未损。轻轻张口，你的掌心上赫然出现了一只完美的虾，安静的，空灵地。那只是虾的精美皮囊，好一个“艺术杰作”。
再炽烈的爱也莫过于此了吧。
哈哈，不要错过了。
We Chinese regard food as our god.“民以食为天”
with such a huge population and comparatively limited land area, we definitely respect, cherish and eat whatever we can find.
The passion and the deep understanding we have put in food for thousands of years seems to be out of westerner’s imagination and words.
The only way for you to get a bit closer to the point is the word “love” - your first, truest, purest and the most original one which is in one’s blood and genes.
Try to follow me in a process of preparing and eating river shrimps. (3-4 cm long, alive, transparent)
A bowl, some strong red alcohol made from rice, some rose-red preserved tofu sauce, 200g lively jumping river shrimps. Put them together, cover the bowl and shake it for a while.
Now, remove the cover, can you see it?
The shrimps are like half drunk beauties, stretching their legs and arms elegantly.
Take one and put it on the tip of your tongue, it is still moving...
The next moment is subtle and beautiful. you feel sorry, excited, curious and obsessed…as the most skillful guy, you can get the meat totally without damaging the shell. After several seconds, in your hand, a whole shrimp is lying there quietly…empty…what an delicate artwork…
can you feel the intensive love?
Do not miss it. ha ha~
久违。才有空上来看看。亲切之感扑鼻而来。只是被残羹的照片吓了一跳。。。=）还有，本人生性胆怯，鲜虾之宴就免了。。。 不过，这确是国人很特别的一面啊，谢谢分享。。。
english translation (by bandeng):
long time no see.
I have been busy recently and now got some time to take a close look at your website and it gave me a whiff of intimacy.
Suddenly, i was shocked by the "left-over-bone picture" ! by the way, i was born timid and would better run away from this kind of "alive shrimp feast" …
however, i have to say it does show one special aspect of our culture.
thanks for sharing it with us...
2009年9月20日星期日
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