Day 14 – Seems everything can be eaten in China, as long as it doesn’t harm you

By bogaert

The food culture is quite different compared to what we are used to in western countries. From the previous visits to the food market I learned that almost every animal and plant can be eaten, seems the only criteria is that it shouldn’t make you sick or let you die. Frogs, stingray, manatee, snails, ants, and bees … name it and you find it. If you eat it, then you eat everything, this includes chicken-heads, chicken-feet, all kind of abdominals, cow stomach, fish-skin, fish eyes, etc.
I am quite anxious when it’s about food and drinks. Not because of my dietary requirements, but primary to reduce the risk of getting sick. Most dishes are served in many small plates and being shared, which makes its easier in being selective in what I eat. I think that the steamed vegetables, steamed fish, rice, noodles, and the great tasting fresh fruits are safe. The meat is always a bit challenging, as the meat is cut into peaces regardless of the presence of bones, so most pieces contain smaller or larger splinters of bones. Eating those with chopsticks can become a mess; alternatively you take it into your mouth and spit those splinters and bones out. Think my orthodontist wouldn’t agree putting this stuff between my teeth. The same for fish, as the fish is served as a whole. A lot of stuff is also fried, which I avoid before feeling bad from the high amount of fat. The intensive use of fish-oil makes most stuff has anyway a light fishy flavor. One of the great things is that Sushi is widely available in many flavors, including the thin slices of raw fish. I could convince Christy to try eating raw slices of salmon with soy sauce and wasabi for the first time in her life.	#ibmcsc china Frogs
During lunch today our table looked a bit weird, three Chinese eating with fork and knife, en three the non-Chinese eating with chopsticks. Most of them are anyway very surprised on how well we can eat with chopsticks. Its fun and we show we adapt to the local habits, except today. It was a very good buffet, with delicious deserts.