Tag Archives: food
My Hobbies (我的爱好) Posted by sasha on Aug 12, 2012
When making small talk, it’s very common to talk about your hobbies (爱好 – Ài hào). After all, talking about what you like to do in your free time is always more interesting than talking about what you have to do at work or school. To help you build your vocabulary and learn how to talk…
Dumplings (饺子） Posted by Stephen on May 30, 2012
A fellow 老外 studying abroad with me in China once said that “A man can live off of dumplings and beer alone, and it ain’t a bad existence”. True words probably haven’t ever been spoken. For a mere 十快 (shí kuài)-that’s a little under two us dollars- you get everything you need. The holy trifecta…
Chuànér (串儿) Posted by Stephen on Feb 11, 2012
Quite similar to the Middle Eastern style of “kebab”, 串儿 (Chuànér) is a skewer of grilled anything, meant to be eaten without utensils or modesty. To me, 串儿 is more than just a snack, it’s a state of mind, enjoyed by all ages and all walks of life. Synonymous with night-life dining culture, 串儿 is…
Table Manners (桌子礼节） Posted by Stephen on May 29, 2011
While most people that first visit China are shocked at the lack of proper etiquette when sitting down for a meal–don’t fool yourself–China has very particular table manner rules or 桌子礼节 (zhuōzi lǐjié). Unlike western eating culture, which espouses notions of individual servings, and stoic propriety, Chinese eating culture is all about the mixing and…
Everything But the Table, Part 1: A Brief Introduction to Chinese Food Posted by Stephen on Mar 31, 2010
China truly is a gourmand’s paradise filled with delicious food everywhere you go. The food itself can be as far ranging as delicacies popularized during the Ming Dynasty or it can be as simple and down to earth as a 1 块 stick of 串 （think kebab) found on any roadside corner. Whatever the type…
Surviving the Banquet Posted by Transparent Language on May 19, 2008
“Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” – Robert Louis Stevenson The art of the business deal here in China goes one step further than the boardroom, and it’s in the arena of the banquet hall that many a deal can be made or unmade. A banquet is a way of…