Breakfast in the Neighborhood...

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Last week, my wife and I took the plunge into our neighborhood street market for breakfast. Right across the street from our community, several vendors set up for breakfast and sell freshly made foods to the public. It's interesting that with my wife being Chinese, is a bit more squeamish than I, in that she often gets bothered by the lack of sanitary control. For me, I'm like, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

 

Several of these vendors bring in portable wood-burning stoves, to cook and heat food. There you will find a Chinese flat-bread burrito kinda thing, that is cooked atop a cast-iron dome shaped wood burning stove. The cook lady, ladles a bit of batter onto the hot surface, and then uses a long broken stick to spread it evenly over the hot surface; like a large thin pancake. It cooks quickly, then she flips it, and pulls it off. She then loads it up with a pre-made mix of vegies and stuff, and rolls it like a big burrito. Lan, didn't much care for the look of stuff, including the stick, but I went ahead and gave it a try. It was very good indeed; a little bready, but good when you bit into the inside.

 

Other vendors were selling several kinds of baod zi, some with meat, others plain, or with vegetables. Most excellent indeed. The place is really quite amazing, as they begin setting up around 6:00AM. By 8:15AM they are all gone without a trace they were there; well, except for all the garbage that gets swept up.

 

Personally, I really enjoy experimenting with different varieties of food, especially on the street. My view is, as long as it's hot, and others seem to be trying it, why not. More often than not, I've found something new to eat that's quite good.

Edited October 27, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[shaffej7070]

Good post. Was the bread similar in taste to nan (Indian flatbread)? I always wanted to sample street hawker food, but like your wife, Mengwei is squemish, too.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Good post. Was the bread similar in taste to nan (Indian flatbread)? I always wanted to sample street hawker food, but like your wife, Mengwei is squemish, too.

 

Yes, quite similar actually; they sprinkle sesame seeds and fennel to your liking, or leave it off all-together. The flat bread is pretty plain tasting, probably not much more than flour and a little sugar in it. These are the ancient local foods that many of the poor eat every day. It's interesting that it's these same people that operate and eat there, and they enjoy crazy laowai that eat. Several Chinese people gather around whenever I visit to see what I eat.

 

Edited October 27, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[chilton747]

It's interesting that with my wife being Chinese, is a bit more squeamish than I, in that she often gets bothered by the lack of sanitary control. For me, I'm like, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

 

 

 

Jesse you need to listen to your wife. Hepatitis is abundant in China due to lack of sanitary conditions.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

It's interesting that with my wife being Chinese, is a bit more squeamish than I, in that she often gets bothered by the lack of sanitary control. For me, I'm like, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

 

 

 

Jesse you need to listen to your wife. Hepatitis is abundant in China due to lack of sanitary conditions.

 

Indeed, there are a good many things you can catch, not just that. I just have a beer or a strong shot afterwards, to counteract the affects...

 

 

I do try to be careful though, at least to the point of not paralyzing myself. I am deeply interested in learning the people of China, and how they live and how they eat. I will take some photos tomorrow morning so that I can share.

[Dennis143]

Good post. Was the bread similar in taste to nan (Indian flatbread)? I always wanted to sample street hawker food, but like your wife, Mengwei is squemish, too.

Several Chinese people gather around whenever I visit to see what I eat.

 

You gave me a good chuckle with that line, Jess. And, your post made me hungry ta boot.

 

I am also not afraid to try what others are eating from the street venders.

 

During our visit to Nanning last July, instead of eating at the hotel, I insisted that we eat with the locals who gathered for their morning breakfast among those street food merchants. Man o man did I ever get the best and most hearty food that anyone could ever ask for.

 

If there's anything that I would say that I miss more than anything else, after returning home, are those street venders with their delicious breakfasts.

[Sebastian]

I absolutely love street food.

 

I had a really nasty run in on a trip to the North - the cooking person was sick, I caught her flue, and learned about antibiotics with infusion therapy. I lost 20 pounds in 8 days, all out the south end.

 

But I've learned... Check the cooker, check the cooking - if it got to boiling temp somehow, your luck is better.

 

If you can watch them make the bao zi buns, thats even better. I've been lucky with the meat ones, but is still not so clean.

 

Find a noodle hawker too - most of their stuff gets boiled in front of you.

[chilton747]

 

 

Find a noodle hawker too - most of their stuff gets boiled in front of you.

 

That is exactly what my wife does.

[pkfops]

Good post. Was the bread similar in taste to nan (Indian flatbread)? I always wanted to sample street hawker food, but like your wife, Mengwei is squemish, too.

Several Chinese people gather around whenever I visit to see what I eat.

 

You gave me a good chuckle with that line, Jess. And, your post made me hungry ta boot.

 

I am also not afraid to try what others are eating from the street venders.

 

During our visit to Nanning last July, instead of eating at the hotel, I insisted that we eat with the locals who gathered for their morning breakfast among those street food merchants. Man o man did I ever get the best and most hearty food that anyone could ever ask for.

 

If there's anything that I would say that I miss more than anything else, after returning home, are those street venders with their delicious breakfasts.

 

Cheaper too.

 

I like the street food and the mon & pop noodle shops too.

[Dennis143]

Good post. Was the bread similar in taste to nan (Indian flatbread)? I always wanted to sample street hawker food, but like your wife, Mengwei is squemish, too.

Several Chinese people gather around whenever I visit to see what I eat.

 

You gave me a good chuckle with that line, Jess. And, your post made me hungry ta boot.

 

I am also not afraid to try what others are eating from the street venders.

 

During our visit to Nanning last July, instead of eating at the hotel, I insisted that we eat with the locals who gathered for their morning breakfast among those street food merchants. Man o man did I ever get the best and most hearty food that anyone could ever ask for.

 

If there's anything that I would say that I miss more than anything else, after returning home, are those street venders with their delicious breakfasts.

 

Cheaper too.

 

I like the street food and the mon & pop noodle shops too.

Bring me a bag o noodles now, Pete! I'm Ready!!

[mredmond]

Last week, my wife and I took the plunge into our neighborhood street market for breakfast. Right across the street from our community, several vendors set up for breakfast and sell freshly made foods to the public. It's interesting that with my wife being Chinese, is a bit more squeamish than I, in that she often gets bothered by the lack of sanitary control. For me, I'm like, what the hell, I'll give it a try.

 

Several of these vendors bring in portable wood-burning stoves, to cook and heat food. There you will find a Chinese flat-bread burrito kinda thing, that is cooked atop a cast-iron dome shaped wood burning stove. The cook lady, ladles a bit of batter onto the hot surface, and then uses a long broken stick to spread it evenly over the hot surface; like a large thin pancake. It cooks quickly, then she flips it, and pulls it off. She then loads it up with a pre-made mix of vegies and stuff, and rolls it like a big burrito. Lan, didn't much care for the look of stuff, including the stick, but I went ahead and gave it a try. It was very good indeed; a little bready, but good when you bit into the inside.

 

Other vendors were selling several kinds of baod zi, some with meat, others plain, or with vegetables. Most excellent indeed. The place is really quite amazing, as they begin setting up around 6:00AM. By 8:15AM they are all gone without a trace they were there; well, except for all the garbage that gets swept up.

 

Personally, I really enjoy experimenting with different varieties of food, especially on the street. My view is, as long as it's hot, and others seem to be trying it, why not. More often than not, I've found something new to eat that's quite good.

 

I know what you mean by the street food is good. I ate everything and anything while in china last month. Loved it all. The stranger it looked in a pot the better it seemed to taste. Funny how that is. I did not know what I ate wether it be insides, bugs, or what ever. I relied on my fiance to pick a vendor she was okay with and ate whatever there was.

Chinese food in america is not my version of chinese food. The street vendors are for sure the way to go when hungry in china. And the cost is so little it is amazing what you can eat for dollar wise for a whole day.

One of my favorites while I was there is a batter that is spread very thin, an egg then cracked and spread very thin over that, and vegies diced very very small and some sort of meat product also. I am not sure of the meat source but I have a cast iron stomache and can eat anything so what the He@#@, I loved that dish.

[mredmond]

I like the street food and the mon & pop noodle shops too.

Bring me a bag o noodles now, Pete! I'm Ready!!

 

I love the noodles there, the closest I have found to them in freshness and taste is a brand called Azumaya. They are sold in the cooler sections near the vegy areas in food stores in the states. Very good noodles. I did not like the thin noodles from them, the wide cut is very good.

I will take a bag of chinese noodles from the streets too if you are bringin them.

[NewDay2006]

I had something similar in Suzhouz in the spring... I would wake up early while my wife was asleep and there was a vendor with a short line. I went over out of curiosity. Seeing a 6'4" very handsome black guy , they were curious also.

 

But the guy would put some raw dough, and spread it out on a greased griddle, he would put a piece of raw meat on the griddle to cook, don't know what it was, but i'll accept it was some kind of pork.

 

Then he added a egg and once the egg was done he rolled it all up into a burrito type thingie. It was pretty good. my wife didn't care for them much.

 

I plan to give her and my son a southern breakfast their 1st day here next week...thinking Grits,eggs, and bacon.... real healthy, stuff!! I might change to Pancakes,...we'll see

[izus]

man thats one thing i really love to do is go down early in the morning when in beijing and wander the streets by myself around tai tais apartment.

find some delicious fresh dou jiang and you tiao....

nothing better.

it officially has welcomed me to china the past couple of times ive been there.

 

seems clean enough for the folks there im game to eat it.

 

besides fei chang hao chi

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

I had something similar in Suzhouz in the spring... I would wake up early while my wife was asleep and there was a vendor with a short line. I went over out of curiosity. Seeing a 6'4" very handsome black guy , they were curious also.

 

But the guy would put some raw dough, and spread it out on a greased griddle, he would put a piece of raw meat on the griddle to cook, don't know what it was, but i'll accept it was some kind of pork.

 

Then he added a egg and once the egg was done he rolled it all up into a burrito type thingie. It was pretty good. my wife didn't care for them much.

 

I plan to give her and my son a southern breakfast their 1st day here next week...thinking Grits,eggs, and bacon.... real healthy, stuff!! I might change to Pancakes,...we'll see

Try the Southern style caviar when she gets here. Grits on a Ritz.