Top 10 Interesting Chinese Foods

So you probably know that I don't eat pork, beef or other mammal meat which spares me from the more exotic foods available in China. However, I have had the privilege of tasting many otherwise strange and very foreign foods. Without hesitation, I give you my top 10 list of interesting Chinese foods consumed in the last 6 months:

1) Shark Fin Soup - yes, I know this has horrible environmental consequences, but I was given it as part of a special dinner. Tastes a bit like rich soup with jellyfish (see #3).
2) Abalone - a strange bottom dwelling crustacean served in soup and many other ways...chewy
3) Jellyfish - not really that foreign, but as a staple food it's served in just about every quality seafood restaurant here. Doesn't really have a taste, more just a 'hard jello' like filler.
4) Sea Cumber - I suppose it's similar to Abalone - I've only ever had it in soup. When it was served, all the locals went for this like it was going out of style.

Duck is very popular in Beijing, so something has to happen with the left over bits. those that I've tried are as follows:
5) Duck Tongue - looks bad - doesn't taste much better...also is boney.
6) Duck Heart - gamy and more like a dark meat.
7) Duck Webb - yes, this is that webbing between the feet - it's served without the bones and accompanied with peanut or wasabi sauce. Webb doesn't have any taste, hence the sauce.
8) Duck Intestine - strangely not that odd at our restaurant given that others were eating pig brain.
9) Preserved Duck Egg - tastes like duck egg with a hint of jello.

(if you think the above is strange, just think how others think of goose liver pate)

10) Chicken Head - it was Christmas eve and people wanted to take us out for a nice lunch - Chicken head was on my dish so I though why not.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

If there is one spot backpackers, mainland Chinese and other travelers seeking nature head to, it’s definitely Tiger Leaping Gore (TLG). Situated on the other side of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain some 3 hours from Lijiang it’s a vast gorge carved between two towering mountain ranges. People come here because of the clear(er) air, beautiful sights, challenging hikes and relaxing atmosphere.



A friend of ours in Beijing used to work for an Australian travel company and said we must come to TLG. She recommended a local guide to take us through the gorge, above the gorge and just about everywhere else to see. Sean, who talked with quite a bit, was the first tour operator in the area, taking foreigners through the gorge since 1983.

Our first day we arrived in Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, settled in, then did a 3 hour hike down the gorge floor and back. The sights along the way were amazing, rice and wheat terraces along the hill, with rising mountains in the backdrop made for some awe inspiring scenery. The river itself was a beautiful turquoise and very fast moving. Sean told us that not too long along a guy from the States fell into the river and smashed himself up pretty well along the boulders. None of that for us of course – we were fine.


Now is a good time to mention that on our second day of the trip I got an eye infection that was threatening the remainder of our trip. Noel was ready to book a flight back to Beijing and on to Oz just so that I could be fixed. I said no way, it would heal itself in a week and on with it. The morning of first day to the gorge, we met a guy in our group of 6 who happened to be an ophthalmologist based in Seattle and who also had a week’s supply of medicine to treat it. Totally by chance but the timing could not be better.



Our second day in the gorge was a 22Km hike from Walnut Grove to Qitao. The hike was mostly along small rock and dirt trails high above the gorge road. Sights along the way were absolutely beautiful. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Yunnan, China - Lijiang & ShuHe

Wow time flies. It’s been 6 months since we arrived in China and it is now time to return to Australia. But before we do, there’s some traveling to do. For two and half weeks we will be travelling southern China in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

With suggestions from work friends, friends of friends and lonely planet, we’ve decided to see Lijiang, SuHe, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-la in Yunnan province.

Our first few days in Lijiiang and SuHe have been very relaxing and just what we expected. Arriving by air, we took out first for a smaller village called SuHe, that for some reason has escaped most English tour book. It might be that hardly anyone speaks English, or that most think Lijiang is the main attraction.

Regardless, I’m very happy that we decided to stay in SuHe. The village is small, surrounded by mountains and has all these canals and waterways running through the town. Everyone is super friendly and you can tell not many westerns go here. The morning I’m wrote this blog, we must have had 5 or 6 mainland tourists take our picture.

Our hotel, actually just a small guest house (田园牧歌 – no English name), has better service and attention to customers that any 5 star hotel I’ve been. Need to book a car, it’s done and at half the price listed in guides, want dinner or lunch – they’ll cook it (for USD$3 per person), need tea – without asking they make a pot and bring it to you. Rooms here were only $24 per night. We meet some very nice Chinese tourists who were patient enough to listen to our beginner Chinese and who also showed us a bit around town. The only down side is you need to know a bit of Chinese and the rooms are small, but it’s the best deal ever.

Our first day was spent looking around town, group dinner at the guesthouse and at night we joined a town dancing event where some 100+ people danced around a small fire to traditional Yunnan music (think Chinese line dancing). Later we went out with our new found friends for inexpensive beer and popular Chinese games like ‘007 and a dice game. We struggled some with the language but I think the message and friendliness definitely got across. That first day, we only saw 1 or 2 other westerns.

Our second day we hired a car ($15 for 5 hours) and hiked up in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – Yak Meadow. At 12,500’ even light hiking was a bit of effort so it wasn’t a surprise to see oxygen tanks being sold at the travel store. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. Later we took out for a touristy sight called blue moon valley where Noel rode a Yak!

After hiking, we went to the Lijiang old town and strolled through the laneways, canals and shops. The area was a bit packed with Chinese tour groups, kitschy stalls and overpriced food. Still, a very unique place to visit and one I would recommend.

Our third day we hired bikes and set out for Bai Sha a town not far from Lijiang and SuHe. Much smaller than either, it was a typical small village with a very ‘local’ feeling. A good lunch, some light sightseeing and we headed back.

By our fourth day, it was time to head out of town for some back to nature fun. For that, look for our next post.

Saugatuck visited by ChinaDaily

For all those family members in Michigan, we spotted an interesting article in China Daily...apparently Saugatuck Michigan is the place to visit.

See: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-02/10/content_7461062.htm.

Winter in Beijing

Winter is here - it's cold outside but Chinese traditions are oh so warm. There's no better way to spend a cold winter Sunday than by taking part in chair skating...yes, chair skating. We heard about this uniquely Beijing winter event from a few friends who visited years earlier. The basic idea is simple - get a chair, bolt some rails to it, place on ice and go!















People wanting to take the sport a step further decided to re-jig a bike for ice biking. While we didn't try that one - it did look rather fun.



















The most festive part of the year is almost here - Chinese New Year (CNY). Already we can hear people lighting fireworks all around our building. 6am, 11pm - time of day doesn't matter - all times are fare game when it comes to fireworks. Even though it's very urban, Beijing allows fireworks during the during the Spring Festival (15 days after CNY). Mind you, these aren't those fountains and sparklers you might find back home - some of the fireworks we see on the street are full on professional. It's a it crazy, but people will light 2" morter shells on the side of street. CNY and Spring Festival is looking to be a bit crazy.