A Food Update

I haven't posted recently on everyone's favourite topic, Food. So here are a few updates.

This was a late breakfast/early lunch one day earlier this week - steamed baozi stuffed with lamb. Yum! Also a successful exchange in Chinese: "You want jiaozi or baozi?" "Baozi, you got lamb?" Etc.

A couple of young Muslim kids hammering out a snack. They whack this thing for about 20 minutes with these huge mallets, then slick it up and package it. It hardens into a kind of sweet granola bar. I don't know what it's called but it's delicious! I took some up Hua Shan with me.

Hui Min Jie is a Muslim district, so no beer :-( However they have this sort of plum drink which is even more addictive (almost a addictive as pineapple beer). (In fact I may try to mix some plum beer on my own and see how it goes!) I've had a plumb drink pretty much every day since I've been in Xi'An.

Lamb on a stick. There's a fancy Chinese name for it, but basically it translates into Lamb on a Stick. You can also get Beef on a Stick. I ordered 2 skewers (in Chinese) and asked the price (in Chinese) and the lady took out her wallet and waved two10's at me. She didn't even try. I guess my reputation preceeds me.

This is a pretty cool desert - no idea what it's called, sorry. It's made with a sweet white flour that is packed into a little bowl and steamed, then spread with toppings and served on a stick. If you're Chinese they'll ask what toppings you want, but if you're me apparently you just get whatever they feel. I guess it's too much trouble to try to understand the tourists :-(

Finally, another biang biang mian! I was going to get a nice steak to celebrate the 1/2 way point of my trip (100 RMB at least), but since I've been unemployed I've turned into a real cheapskate, so I got biang biang mian (my favourite Xi'An dish) instead. Hey at least I got the "special" version (with extra meat) (25 RMB) :-)

By the way I've resolved to stop paying exhorbitant prices for coffee and tea. Earlier this week I picked up some green tea at Chinese Costco. I've been brewing it in a little teacup in my room, but I can't drink it without getting tea leaves in my mouth. How the heck do the Chinese drink tea without drinking the leaves? Well today I picked up a new teacup at the supermarket. It's kind of like a French Press, except that the filter clips in near the *top* of the cup, meaning that you can let the leaves soak in the tea but still drink in safety. It even hasa mason-jar-style lid so you can carry it around. 16 RMB, less than the price of two cups of tea. Also I picked up some more instant coffee, for when the urge strikes! No more 28 RMB Chinese lattes for me!