quelquefois » food

The Search for General Tso and Colonel MSG

Chang — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:05:09 +0000

While I was living in China and visiting the States, my only prerequisite for dining out was absolutely no Chinese food. Part of it because I was missing baked goods, cheeses, and avocados so much that I didn’t have time for Chinese food, which could be acquired cheaply and made deliciously in China upon my return.

Now that I have moved back to the U.S., I am often overcome with cravings for hand-pulled noodles or spicy dongpo pork knee (trust me, it’s delicious) or bitter melon.

Sichuan pulled noodles (拉面), the perfect way to start your morning (Meishan, Sichuan)

A true Sichuanese feast (Meishan, Sichuan)

The best mapo tofu I’ve ever had (Chengdu, Sichuan)

Despite having a Chinatown, Washington D.C. is not a hub for quality Chinese food. Nevertheless, I scoured the interwebs for anything to tingle my tongue.

A friend and I visited Sichuan Pavilion, and we ordered Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), garlic paste chicken, and dandan mian (担担面). We ordered in Chinese, and the waiter followed up, “Chinese style or American style?” We answered in sync, “Chinese please.” Followed by the clichéd phrase, “不怕辣怕不辣 (bú pà là, pà bù là, not scared of spicy, scared not spicy enough).”

Mapo tofu at Sichuan Pavilion

Garlic chicken at Sichuan Pavilion

Dandan mian at Sichuan Pavilion

It was definitely spicy, but it still wasn’t the same. There was flavor, but it didn’t burst out at you like in China. I’ve always wondered, what is it exactly that’s missing in American-style Chinese cuisine?

While my stomach was on fire and I was so happy with that warm, burning sensation, my wallet was not so happy. The whole meal cost us about $36 (including tax and tip).

My insatiable stomach convinced me to return that very night and ordered two meat buns and Kung Pao Chicken, which, if done right, can be fantastic. However, the dish failed to please as the chicken pieces were pre-fried, and lacked both spice and cucumbers. Upon taking it home I poured the dish onto a frying pan and doused it with chili sauce, chopped up some cucumbers, and stir fried it for a few minutes.

Luckily, I have a ZipCar registration, and can now plan excursions to the predominantly Chinese suburbs in search of satiating my hunger for MSG + salt + oil.

Already starting a “To Eat” list for my next trip to China.

Cypermethr–what?

Chang — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:06:03 +0000

When I was living in China, I knew I had to wash and peel, cut, shave all removable skins from my fruits and vegetables due to the likelihood of pesticides and other carcinogens on them. Upon returning to the States, I foolishly thought I was free from the time-consuming burden of peeling apples, re-washing “pre-washed” spinach. That is, until I stumbled upon whatsonmyfood.org. The realization that it’s not necessarily greener on the other side is slowly setting in.

Thinking Outside the Box

Chang — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:03:43 +0000

Today I wanted to make sandwiches for dinner, and since it’s not convenient to purchased sliced meat nearby, I went to a few places that sell 肉夹馍 (rou jia mo, meat sandwiched between steamed bread) to buy some meat. I asked them if they sold their meat separately.

Me: Do you sell your meat separately?
Supermarket woman: This meat is expensive and hard to cook.
Me: Okay, can I buy some? How much would 10RMB buy?
SW: 3 pieces
Me: 3 pieces? You put more than that in one 肉夹馍, and those only cost 3 RMB.
SW: This meat is tasty! It is hard to cook! I spent a lot of time making it!
Me: Fuck you. (walks away)

I try another place that sells the meat outside the supermarket.

Me: Do you sell your meat separately?
Meat man: No, this meat is expensive.
Me: Why can’t you just cut some off like you were making a 肉夹馍 and just give me the meat equivalent and I will pay for it like it was a regular 肉夹馍?
MM: Why do you just want the meat?
Me: I want to make a sandwich:
MM: Then you can bring your bread slices here and I will cut the meat for you.
Me: Why can’t you just give me the meat?
MM: I just can’t do that.
Meat Man’s Friend: Are you Korean?
Me: No, I’m not fucking Korean! (walks away) Fuck you!

If anything, wouldn’t benefit more financially by just selling some of your meat and keeping all the extras that come with it? Also, I approached them towards the end of the day–are you going to keep the meat and use it tomorrow (knowing China, though, probably)? I don’t understand the lack of entrepreneurial spirit and inability to think outside the box. Chinese people have so many of these rigid rules and criteria that often make no sense or contradict each other. For example, I cannot bring a backpack into the supermarket, but I can bring a huge tote bag. Are these rules made up because there are too many Chinese people, and thus, too much hassle, to make exceptions?

I just wanted some meat for my sandwich…

There Really Might As Well Be Melamine in Oxygen

Chang — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:18:01 +0000

Once word broke out that liquid milk had traces of melamine, I knew all liquid milk was done for. But what I didn’t think about was all of the food products that China makes that have milk in them. Not long after, White Rabbit candies were being pulled off store shelves across the globe. Then, investigative reports reveal that melamine usage has been “rampant” in the dairy industry. If that wasn’t mind-jostling enough, WSJ reports that Cadbury chocolates have melamine (as well as snacks like Oreos, Snickers). Oh wait, now Ritz crackers and Lipton teas are also tainted. My father sent me an e-mail that named all of the products and brand names affected by the melamine crisis (at least 30 different products, 30 different brand names).

It’s already pretty messed up that government officials munch on pure, organic food while letting the masses suffer (population control conspiracy, anyone?). But are they the only ones to blame for the scandal? I see some blame on every level of the manufacturing chain.

First, many milk farmers are often pressured to satisfy the growing demand for milk from consumers, while they also face decreased profits from government-induced price decreases. How are they to make more milk when they cannot proportionally increase the number of cows they have to meet demand? Farmers aren’t notorious for being rich themselves, how do we know how well they’re feeding their cows? A lack of modernization of farming supplies may also affect their milk turnout.

Second, those who make melamine for industrial use should know who their customers are, and what they intend on using melamine for. Though I see the possible counterargument for this (is it their job to know who they sell to? Money is money), after the dog food scandal last year, the melamine producers should be a little more careful about who they sell their product to. And perhaps melamine producers are also looking for

Third, companies who have known about the addition of melamine since December 2007 kept hush-hush about the issue. They ignored complaints by (or offered hush money to) individuals who suspected something wrong with their milk. They’re rumored to have pressured farmers to produce more milk to meet demand, and they’re suspected to have had connections with melamine producers.

And lastly, the central government’s weak grasp on their quality control initiatives are to blame. Who the hell gives out “free passes” for quality control tests? It sounds like an open invitation to adulterate food for more profit. I am also disappointed that the Chinese government never does anything until something explosively bad happens. Then, they go 100% all out to control the problem, but within a year, things go back to the way they used to be. They will be waiting for the next public health disaster to sprout up.

A New York Times editorial by Bee Wilson divulged information about America’s dirty food past and contrasted it with present-day China. She argued that places experiencing rapid growth and seeking wealth are often look for (harmful) alternatives to meet demand, to make more money. I hope that China’s food system–from the bottom up and from the top down–gets better soon.

In other news, I just bought a carton of Mengniu milk produced on September 18. Hopefully, the milk gods are on my side…at least for the time being.

What Next, Melamine in Oxygen?

Chang — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:11:07 +0000

The Shanghaiist reports of the many more products that have shown traces of melamine. I can’t believe how this is turning out, and I don’t even want to imagine the many other [as of yet, unnoticed] harmful chemicals that are in the foods we consume. Way to lose major face, China.