Pollution in China

[dfoo]

Dude, your starting to gross me out.... In Vietnam they eat stray dogs why pick on Chinese cusine?

I don't know if you were serious, but this is a chinese saying.

没有衣服是上海人不穿者，没有东西是广东人不吃的

 

[dfoo]

There is a place down the street that has pig feet soup, it is so spectacular that I take any one who visits here from out of country to try it, they love it.

At the same time the Chinese (mostly) think that cheese and olives are disgusting.

Figures.

My mother who is british used to cook pigs trotters when I was a kid. I'm not sure if I even know where to buy them here in Canada. I ate pigs feet in China lots of times though. They're very tasty!

 

[Sparrow]

My mother who is british used to cook pigs trotters when I was a kid. I'm not sure if I even know where to buy them here in Canada. I ate pigs feet in China lots of times though. They're very tasty!

As a kid I remember my Gran making pork-brawn (a meat jelly) from the head and front feet boiled down and preserver in jars, it was delicious,
And yes, I once explained Stilton cheese to a contact in China and he wouldn’t believe we ate something so repulsive

 

[dfoo]

The hilarious thing is that despite eating all that fatty foot, people were thinner then. If you look at the average chinese food dish, by north american standards it is a fatty oily mess. However, most Chinese are very thin in comparison to the standard NA whale.

And, no, I don't think its due to the pollution! 😀

 

[oftheherd]

i'm sorry to help steer this ship even more off course but... what does that taste like ?

I'm not sure how to answer that. How do you describe the taste of steak to someone who has never eaten it. It certainly didn't taste like chicken, but not exactly like steak either. But more like that I suppose. I actually thought it had a unique taste.

The first time I had it, I noticed it was something different, but then of course, many Vietnamese foods tasted unique. But as I listened to the four women who had prepared it, I realized they were talking about dog meat. They were using words they didn't think I would understand, but I did.

I then used English words which in fact they didn't understand, to let the other GI with me know what was going on. He replied in like manner that he knew as he had eaten dog in Korea. We then agreed that after the meal we would unexpectedly just start barking at each other. When we began doing that, and the women realized they had also been had, they laughed harder than we did.

 

[Avotius]

I have had dog, wouldnt say it tastes like beef, didnt care for it, tastes kind of like tough donkey, something else I dont care much for.

 

[dexdog]

A lot? And would you care to identify these "diners?"

Maybe he means brain-eating zombies on Halloween

 

[LChanyungco]

fair enough, i just thought that the taste would be relatable to something commonly available like lets say "tough donkey" , or "human." 😀
i know what you mean though.

I'm not sure how to answer that. How do you describe the taste of steak to someone who has never eaten it. It certainly didn't taste like chicken, but not exactly like steak either. But more like that I suppose. I actually thought it had a unique taste.

The first time I had it, I noticed it was something different, but then of course, many Vietnamese foods tasted unique. But as I listened to the four women who had prepared it, I realized they were talking about dog meat. They were using words they didn't think I would understand, but I did.

I then used English words which in fact they didn't understand, to let the other GI with me know what was going on. He replied in like manner that he knew as he had eaten dog in Korea. We then agreed that after the meal we would unexpectedly just start barking at each other. When we began doing that, and the women realized they had also been had, they laughed harder than we did.

 

[oftheherd]

There is a place down the street that has pig feet soup, it is so spectacular that I take any one who visits here from out of country to try it, they love it.

At the same time the Chinese (mostly) think that cheese and olives are disgusting.

Figures.

My wife likes then as well as chicken feet. If I ever tried them I probably would too. But they look like more trouble than they are worth, and just unsavory in general, at least to me.

I think it was you, or someone, who mentioned fish paste. I haven't had that exactly, but the Vietnamese Nuoc Mam is very good. I would not have tried it except it was sort of pushed on me in a restaurant once. It was not Phu Quoc, and smelled really bad. I figured I was going to pay for it regardless, and it would look bad to refuse to at least try. Turned out to be very good. In fact, my wife uses it to make kimchi.

The Koreans have what is called Tain Jang (romanized). It is made from fermented soy bean cake. The first time you smell it you will probably think tainted/spoiled oysters have been added to your soup. As time has gone by, I have learned to really enjoy it. The first time my wife made something with that at my mother's house, she was flabbergasted that anyone could or would eat anything that smelled like that. BTW, soy sauce sure doesn't smell good as it is being made either!

 

[timexchen]

Many northern chinese like dog hotpot in the winter. Its supposed to be a warming food not in the temperature sense, but in the chinese traditional medicine sense.

This is absolutely misleading. I am wondering where this kind of information is coming from?

I had been living in Northern China for 27 years in a big city with population more than 5 million. I ate some bizarre food like chicken or duck feet, snakes, softshell turtles, crawlfish, frogs..but I never heard or saw dog hotpot when I was a kid. However there exist very few restaurants with dog hotpot available recently in my hometown. Nevertheless, there are NOT MANY people in Northern China who like eating dogs. What I have seen is that more and more people raise pet dogs and treat them as family.


If northern China is confined only to the 3 northern most provinces, this might be right coz their food culture is supposed to be more or less affected by Koreans.

 

[dfoo]

Ok, perhaps its wrong to say "many northern people". What I should say is these days its common to find restaurants that serve dog hot pot in northern china. Better? 🙂

 

[Rayt]

Dogs are typically confined to restaurants that serves it especially such as ethnic Korean restaurants in the north. If you go to a "normal" eatery in China it would be difficult to find dog on the menu. Dog is considered food for the lower classes eaten by poor peasants and not something you dine on in a restaurant. People are more and more class conscious these days.

 

[dfoo]

I've seen dog on the menu in many restaurants in Shanghai, so its not true that it is difficult to find.

 

[ZeissFan]

I thought that there were live animal markets, which included dogs and cats for food, in Guangzhou. I was supposed to go see them with a buddy of mine, but he returned to the U.S. before we could make it there.

I know that the food throughout Asia often comes as a shock to Westerners.

I ate something on a trip to South Korea, and to this day I still don't know what it was. And I'm not 100% certain that I was supposed to eat it. Hell, it might have been garnish for the plate.

What I remember is that it was gristly, and after grinding it down for about four minutes between my molars, it became gelatinous. Finally, I just swallowed the entire thing in one huge lump.

Among the Chinese, there often were petty rivalries between women from Beijing and women from Shanghai. They often accused the other of "putting on airs." I sort of figured it was a woman thing, so I would just nod my head.

 

[oftheherd]

...

If northern China is confined only to the 3 northern most provinces, this might be right coz their food culture is supposed to be more or less affected by Koreans.

I think that is because those areas used to be Korean, some 1500 to 2000 years ago. It was the Korguyo kingdom of the Three Kindoms Era. They whipped the Chinese armies several times. Then as the Shilla began to expand, the Shilla conquored the Pekche to their west, then allied with China to defeat the Korguyo, who had become weakened due to internal political striff. China took over the Korguyo area, then assimilated it. Shilla got the penensula, and became a suzeran under China. Various dynasties continued that relationship until the Japanese took over.

Interestingly, many Pekche, who were already closely allied to Japan, fled to I believe it was the Kyushu area and slowly became assimilated into Japanese culture, pretty much losing their Korean identity. Naturally that is not admitted to by the Japanese, who don't hold the Koreans in very high esteem. Actually, I guess they don't hold any non-Japanese in very high esteem. 😀

Dog in Korea used to be mostly a man's food, giving them all kinds of strength. Including their libido. If women ate it, it would have been mostly in the home only. You used to be able to see dogs in the markets, either on the hoof, or prepared and quartered. I never ate dog in Korea. I don't know if it is still popular or not. In preparation for the 88 olympics, the dog specialty restaurants were mostly driven to obscure locations, to improve the korean image to the rest of the world.

Interesting stuff, but nothing to do with polution in China. Well, some might consider any exotic food a polution. 😀

 

[timexchen]

I think that is because those areas used to be Korean, some 1500 to 2000 years ago. It was the Korguyo kingdom of the Three Kindoms Era. They whipped the Chinese armies several times. Then as the Shilla began to expand, the Shilla conquored the Pekche to their west, then allied with China to defeat the Korguyo, who had become weakened due to internal political striff. China took over the Korguyo area, then assimilated it. Shilla got the penensula, and became a suzeran under China. Various dynasties continued that relationship until the Japanese took over.

Interestingly, many Pekche, who were already closely allied to Japan, fled to I believe it was the Kyushu area and slowly became assimilated into Japanese culture, pretty much losing their Korean identity. Naturally that is not admitted to by the Japanese, who don't hold the Koreans in very high esteem. Actually, I guess they don't hold any non-Japanese in very high esteem. 😀

Dog in Korea used to be mostly a man's food, giving them all kinds of strength. Including their libido. If women ate it, it would have been mostly in the home only. You used to be able to see dogs in the markets, either on the hoof, or prepared and quartered. I never ate dog in Korea. I don't know if it is still popular or not. In preparation for the 88 olympics, the dog specialty restaurants were mostly driven to obscure locations, to improve the korean image to the rest of the world.

Interesting stuff, but nothing to do with polution in China. Well, some might consider any exotic food a polution. 😀

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing

 

[timexchen]

I've seen dog on the menu in many restaurants in Shanghai, so its not true that it is difficult to find.

It might not be difficult to find, but it's true not many people eat that😀

 

[dfoo]

Definitely true! I laugh at my wife. "I don't eat weird stuff". By weird stuff she means frog, dog and so on. What she specially doesn't mean is the stuff that north americans would find weird. Chickens feet, pigs nose, ears and so on. I'm far more more a garbage disposal unit. I'll eat just about anything.

 

[oftheherd]

...

I ate something on a trip to South Korea, and to this day I still don't know what it was. And I'm not 100% certain that I was supposed to eat it. Hell, it might have been garnish for the plate.

What I remember is that it was gristly, and after grinding it down for about four minutes between my molars, it became gelatinous. Finally, I just swallowed the entire thing in one huge lump.

...

From that description it is impossible to guess. Koreans in my experience don't usually use garnisments. If it is served, it is to be eaten.

If it were green, it may have been a form of seaweed, or a mountain plant of some type. They eat a lot of things we might consider forest plants that weren't capable of being eaten. Some quite good.

If it didn't look like plants, then it is hard to guess what it might have been. It might have been something like skate/stingray, or actual gristle. You didn't say if you found it tasty. ???

 

[Twigs]

hmmm. This topic has taken a few interesting turns.

I posted the link to share with you the excellent photography; more specifically how it connects with the viewer emotionally. I do not think the photographer will get into trouble for the photo essay, as the country is very well aware of the situation and is working on it. My family has a factory in China and I've witnessed how rapidly their standards on waste disposal/pollution control have caught up with the world.

Food is a very significant part of our culture. I've always joked with my non-Chinese friends that if something moves, we Chinese have a way to make it delicious. Pig feet is best in drunken style, and chicken feet is nothing if you've had goose feet. I have never had dog, and that one time I had rabbit, it tasted like venison (which was new to me when I first came to Canada, and tasted like beef LOL.)

The weirdest stuff I've ever had, believe it or not, is pate de foie gras. (and steak for breakfast... no wonder I'm skinny 😀)