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Eating in China
2020, Zhuotong Han
What's it like eating in China? “Travel” to China with five sound recordings for a sneak peek of diverse eating spectacles.
Ma la Hot pot 麻辣火锅
Video by Ming Han
Sound recording by Luyue Han
Sichuan Ma la hotpot (麻辣火锅) is the rock star in the hotpot Pantheon. For a newbie, eating Ma la hotpot can be quite befuddling and chaotic. The fiery soup base comes with a thick layer of Sichuan peppercorns and chilly oil that burns and numbs the senses. For Chongqing locals (the region known for Ma la hotpot), the tingling of the lips and mouth, and the tangling of the chopsticks in the vat fighting to “fish” the ingredients in the bubbling sea of spices are irresistible. What is as chaotic as the flavor is the surroundings in a hotpot restaurant, the food numbs you, but the chatters, shouters, and laughter keep you awake. Without the people, a hotpot never gets as hot as it can be.
Beijing Hutong 北京胡同
Sound recording by Shuqian Tan
Image courtesy Sam Bayle
What’s it like eating in a Hutong restaurant in Beijing? Hutongs are labyrinth-like narrow alleys with traditional living courtyards, si he yuan (四合院). The seasoned epicures hunt for the most authentic flavors in the small restaurants usually run by families hidden in Hutongs. In recent years, many Hutongs have been transformed into chic districts with dazzling bars and trendy restaurants that appeal to the young. Today, Tan adventures into a Beijing Hutong for a unique bite of Beijing.
Da Pai Dang 大排档
Video and sound recording by Jing Leng
Da pai dang (大排档) are open-air food stalls that scatter across China. These outdoor eateries, literally translated as “big dining booths,” offer big plates with big flavors and big scenes with big gatherings that make big noises. Chongqing, a megacity in the southeastern region, is especially known for its Da pai dang. Many Da pai dang in Chongqing make Jiang hu cai (江湖菜), a type of cuisine that celebrates rustic presentation and unconventional cooking methods along with unrestrained, bold flavors. The notion of Jiang hu (江湖), popularized by Chinese martial arts heroes (武侠Wu xia), metaphorically refers to a network of liminal communities detaching from the mainstream. Jiang hu cai expresses this forthright attitude through unconstrained flavors without following any written rules.
Eating Alone in Office 工作餐
Sound recording and photo by Yunhao Yang
One of the most pondered questions by a typical office worker in China is, “What should I eat for lunch?” Because there are too many options, and everything can be delivered to their hands in the blink of an eye. For a young office worker, eating lunch in an office is a relaxing moment of savoring a timely delivered delicacy along with some Weibo’s daily hot hashtags on their phone screen. Yunhao, an office worker in Shanghai, is eating a numbing-spicy fish stew with rice in her office.
Drinking Game 划拳
Sound recording by Jing Leng
Photo @星下寻酒业
A few rounds of jovial drinking games make a meal more entertaining. Listen to two people during a family meal playing shi wu er shi (十五二十), a finger guessing game in which people shout numbers at each other (Don’t worry, they are not fighting!).
