Street Food
Street food is one of my favorite things about traveling in China. Daniel refuses to eat it--he's grossed out by the fact that it's often cooked over coals in a metal pan or on the top of a fifty-gallon drum. (**UPDATE: I win!!! Daniel has started selectively eating street food! Muahahaha!) But I really don't think it's unsanitary. Occasionally I've come across a street-food vendor that doesn't look exactly clean, but I think the food is generally ok. Anyway, baozi are of course a long-time favorite, but I've discovered several new treats this trip:
Giant greasy onion pancake: found in Yangzhou and sometimes in Shanghai. Batter is spread over the top of a greased 50-gallon drum; egg and onion is added. A greasy but tasty treat once in a while.
Tiger Paws (couldn't find a picture, sorry!): Found at the center of the human mob by the Shanghai hotel. Dough is kneaded, beaten rolled, pinched, then half-cut into quadrants to make the paw shape, then somehow stuck to the inside of some kind of modified 50-gallon drum with coals in the bottom and cooked. Butter and a little sugar are thrown into the drum, then the paws are pulled out with tongs to the delight of the mob which has by this time gathered. Kind of like a bagel/soft pretzel/bun, with a hint of sweetness.
Green-bean popsicles: Ok, not exactly street food, but they're sold in just about every shop along the road, so they kind of qualify. I've long loved red-bean popsicles, but discovered recently that the green variety are just as tasty.
Spicy "lamb-burger": Found in Luoyang and Xi'an, it's a bun with a crunchy crust, shaped kind of like an English muffin, cut in half and stuffed with spicy mutton or beef and green bell pepper.
Nan (also naan, and various spellings/pronunciations): I think it was originally an Indian or Middle Eastern dish, but it's an Urumqi specialty. Daniel calls it "Muslim bread" and likes it a lot. It comes in different shapes, mostly flat like pita bread or pizza crust. Quite tasty.
Kebobs: Found throughout China, but especially good in Xinjiang and Chengdu. The spices are better here, I think. You can find lots of different meats, seafood, veggies, songbirds, tofu...you name it, it's probably on a stick on some kebob vendor's stand.
Yummm...typing about them makes me hungry. Don't be surprised when I come home fat (er)!
I'll add to this post as I discover new delicacies on our grand tour.
Giant greasy onion pancake: found in Yangzhou and sometimes in Shanghai. Batter is spread over the top of a greased 50-gallon drum; egg and onion is added. A greasy but tasty treat once in a while.
Tiger Paws (couldn't find a picture, sorry!): Found at the center of the human mob by the Shanghai hotel. Dough is kneaded, beaten rolled, pinched, then half-cut into quadrants to make the paw shape, then somehow stuck to the inside of some kind of modified 50-gallon drum with coals in the bottom and cooked. Butter and a little sugar are thrown into the drum, then the paws are pulled out with tongs to the delight of the mob which has by this time gathered. Kind of like a bagel/soft pretzel/bun, with a hint of sweetness.
Green-bean popsicles: Ok, not exactly street food, but they're sold in just about every shop along the road, so they kind of qualify. I've long loved red-bean popsicles, but discovered recently that the green variety are just as tasty.
Spicy "lamb-burger": Found in Luoyang and Xi'an, it's a bun with a crunchy crust, shaped kind of like an English muffin, cut in half and stuffed with spicy mutton or beef and green bell pepper.
Nan (also naan, and various spellings/pronunciations): I think it was originally an Indian or Middle Eastern dish, but it's an Urumqi specialty. Daniel calls it "Muslim bread" and likes it a lot. It comes in different shapes, mostly flat like pita bread or pizza crust. Quite tasty.
Kebobs: Found throughout China, but especially good in Xinjiang and Chengdu. The spices are better here, I think. You can find lots of different meats, seafood, veggies, songbirds, tofu...you name it, it's probably on a stick on some kebob vendor's stand.
Yummm...typing about them makes me hungry. Don't be surprised when I come home fat (er)!
I'll add to this post as I discover new delicacies on our grand tour.
posted by Mike and Jean Anne at 3:32 AM
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