When She First Saw a Pancake

[Mick]

Li is a great cook and I can also attest personally that Robert S. lady Ping is as fine a chef as there is.

 

Li has learned to make a great hamburger, which is actually one of my favorite foods. She is fascinated by learning to cook western foods. Ah, but alas, she has less time now that little Salina is on the scene. Making more bottles than burgers.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Carl, that is interesting that Bing did not like Mexican food.  I took Ping to a Mexican restaurant and she did not like it too much, and this was one of the better ones in Atlanta. Maybe it is true that Chinese people don't like Mexican food.  It must be the cheese that makes them dislike it.  I am happy that she likes BBQ.

Darn! That's one of the things I wanted to do with my honey after she gets here ... introduce her to Mexican food. I thought she would like it, but maybe not? I think it's just because Chinese are totally and completely unfamiliar with Mexican food. Not only have I never heard of a Mexican restaurant in China, neither has my honey. I tried to giver her some examples of what Mexican food is, but I don't think much of it registered

 

And here I was ready and willing to open up the first Taco Bell franchise in China, whew!! Actually, I wasn't, but I am surprised that there are no Taco Bells in China. They have just about every other American fast food joint over there, but nothing even close to Mexican food.

[warpedbored]

Carl, that is interesting that Bing did not like Mexican food.  I took Ping to a Mexican restaurant and she did not like it too much, and this was one of the better ones in Atlanta. Maybe it is true that Chinese people don't like Mexican food.  It must be the cheese that makes them dislike it.  I am happy that she likes BBQ.

Darn! That's one of the things I wanted to do with my honey after she gets here ... introduce her to Mexican food. I thought she would like it, but maybe not? I think it's just because Chinese are totally and completely unfamiliar with Mexican food. Not only have I never heard of a Mexican restaurant in China, neither has my honey. I tried to giver her some examples of what Mexican food is, but I don't think much of it registered

 

And here I was ready and willing to open up the first Taco Bell franchise in China, whew!! Actually, I wasn't, but I am surprised that there are no Taco Bells in China. They have just about every other American fast food joint over there, but nothing even close to Mexican food.

Makes you wonder huh? It seems to me that if there was a market for Mexican fast food in China we would be seeing Taco Bell right there along side KFC and McDonalds. I have heard of very few Chinese women who like Mexican food.

[Jeikun]

Jun claims to. I'll ask where she's had it next time we talk

[Robert S.]

Ping-ping likes the tortillas, but she rolls up different stuff inside them that Mexican people would not understand.

[Robert S.]

Xiahong has developed an oki-doki relationship with Taco Time soft tacos.

She does not pick out the cheese?

[Guest blsqueaky]

Ling is starting to llike Subway now and McD's. For now she cooks the Chinese food here, and leave the western for me to take care of. Soon a head cook at the Eagles here is going to start to teach her western food, and she is going to teach her chinese cooking.

[shimaore]

I can understand Chinese do not like mexican since the whole mexican gastronomy is completely opposed to chinese gastronomy ( ie not use to eat it as many said so ) , for example :

- Mexican - hot and spicy vs chinese soft and the least spice the better ( ie every single components need to be distinguished )

- Corn/flour based suplements vs rice culture ( even the noodle made out of rice )

I actually think it is not an anti-mexican food thing since most of my friend s from North China would rather not eat in a Southern chinese restaurant and vice versa .

A friend actually told me the theory about the usage of spice : the hotter the country the more spicy people use simply because spice was a good way of preserving or hiding the taste of spoiled meat/fish/veg ( tropical climate things get spoiled pretty quickly )

 

Rgds,

[lele]

chinese soft and the least spice the better ( ie every single components need to be distinguished )

What type of chinese food are you talking about that is not spicy?

 

I do agree that mixing of foods is more rare: but most of the sichuan, hunan, chongqing, and yunnan food that I have eaten is quite spicier than mexican food.

 

But I do agree, the ways in which the food are prepared are starkly different.

 

Also, in the north of China, especially in dongbei, people eat a considerable diet of non-rice (although yumie is not so common in such large doses, I do agree!)

[sylinchinastill]

I think the spice factor is less with Mexican food than with Chinese food (in China)- but my husband hates Mexican food too- and I think it's because he doesn't really like sauce- the cheese and bean and red whatever sauce in Mexican food kind of grosses him out. He doesn't really like gravy or American foods with sauce either- and Chinese food just doesn't have it. Of course there is the cheese thing too. He can eat a bit but he is lactose intolerant so...

Also- he doesn't like marinara sauce- hates tomatoes when cooked in a sauce- I think it's about sauce.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

Update since my last post on this thread ... Juxin is here now and enjoys Mexican food. Although she sometimes pushes aside much of the cheese.

 

Oddly enough, in the 4-5 months she's been here, she's made a grand total of about two bowls of rice for us ... Uncle Ben's Minute Rice in a box nonetheless Neither of us are much into rice (she's from Henan province). But she looooooves bread.

[BuffaloPaul]

Carl, that is interesting that Bing did not like Mexican food.  I took Ping to a Mexican restaurant and she did not like it too much, and this was one of the better ones in Atlanta. Maybe it is true that Chinese people don't like Mexican food.  It must be the cheese that makes them dislike it.

.

Interesting. My MM loves spicy food but hates cheese. My guess is that she might not like certain Mexican foods. Is it common for Chinese not to like cheese?

[Guest hakkamike]

Dairy products up until a few years ago were far and few between. A high incidence rate of lactose intolerance, low level of milk and dairy production, no cultural history of cheese and other dairy products combined to keep the market restricted. Add to this the mammoth transportation problems, southern climate, poor storage and packaging and dairy products were not the easiest things to produce and sell either for local or international companies. Fridges and freezers are also need to keep dairy products in which was limited to the rich some years ago and still not had by many today.

Later, Michael Perez

[BuffaloPaul]

Dairy products up until a few years ago were far and few between.  A high incidence rate of lactose intolerance, low level of milk and dairy production, no cultural history of cheese and other dairy products combined to keep the market restricted.  Add to this the mammoth transportation problems, southern climate, poor storage and packaging and dairy products were not the easiest things to produce and sell either for local or international companies. Fridges and freezers are also need to keep dairy products in which was limited to the rich some years ago and still not had by many today.

                    Later, Michael Perez

Oh, that makes sense. My SO has taken this liking to butter. I think that she could just eat it like a popsicle.

[Dan R]

Ok now I am really getting worried. Will she pick up all those poor dietary customs of Americans now that I have almost completely changed to a Chinese style diet? The last time I told her I have found lots of authentic Chinese restaurants to eat at she said "I can cook Chinese. When going out it should be American." Actually I now cook very good Chinese food and since she prefers cleaning up to cooking, we may have a good balance. maybe she will tire quickly of American food. I'll have to ask friends if they know a good place. I haven't been out for American food other than a taco or fish and chips (aren't those American?) for years.