Video: "Taste for Something" breaks down the prejudice on the tip of the tongue
"The Westerner who knows the most about Chinese food", this is the evaluation given by Chen Xiaoqing, the general director of the food documentary "Flavor of the World", after reading Fuxia's first Chinese Simplified work "Shark Fin and Pepper". Two gourmets from the East and the West have also formed an indissoluble relationship.
Today, in Fuxia's new work "Taste of Things", Chen Xiaoqing also gladly wrote a preface: "If you are a person who loves food and loves life, then Fuxia's words must be your dish." If you eat the same chewing wax three times a day, I don't think this book should be read. ”
Break down the prejudice on the tip of your tongue
The text of Shark Fin and Pepper is often praised by readers as "smooth and vivid, without the slightest trace of translation", thanks of course to the talented translator He Yujia, who loves cooking as much as Fuxia. The task of translating "Seeking Something" also fell to He Yujia without suspense. After turning over this new book, she couldn't help but write this paragraph in the afterword: "Translating this "Taste of Things" is like eating and traveling around the world with Fuxia. In the past, when I recommended Chinese version of Fu Xia's works to people, I always had to answer a question: Why do Chinese need to read Chinese food written by an Englishman? This collection of articles is not required. It turned out that this woman on the food river and lake not only wandered the land of China, but also scattered and flew around the whole earth. 'I come, I see, I conquer', in her place is 'I see, I eat, I write'. ”
Indeed, as Yu Jia said, Fuxia's new work has shifted its attention from China to the world. If "Shark Fin and Pepper" is a "wayfin China" journey carried out by Fuxia with food as the clue, then in "Taste of Things", she is with her own inclusive heart, trying to cross the territory of East and West, and trying to break the wall of prejudice of food culture. She goes out of her way to tell people that hatred and joy are largely "relative." "What I think is 'habitual' may seem 'strange and strange' to you, and vice versa; what you call 'fermentation', which I see as 'decay'; the 'delicacy' of what you eat, I feel 'disgusting'; so on, and so on. When it comes to cultural preferences, the concepts of 'right' and 'wrong' are often difficult to define precisely. "Therefore, we who are full of praise for Shaoxing stinky moldy vegetables can try the delicious blue-striped cheese of Europe; and Westerners who have always been discouraged from going into the water should also open their hearts and experience the wonderful feeling of nibbling on duck tongue." As Fu Xia mentions in this book, "I hope that my English works will prompt Western readers to abandon prejudice and rethink their attitudes towards Chinese food; I hope that after they are translated by He Yujia into Chinese, Chinese readers can examine their own preconceptions about so-called 'Western food' from a new perspective." ”
Fuxia received the James Bill Food Writing Award in New York
Talk about personal food life fun facts
Grab a man's stomach to grab his heart? Fu Xia told you with her own experience: It's strange! In the book, she generously admits that she has tried many times to capture her favorite objects through food, all of which have failed without exception. They are either completely intoxicated by delicious dishes and forget the existence of "beautiful chefs"; or they are "anorexia" handsome men who are steadfast in their admiration for bitterness, and they don't even want to eat anything if they don't want to live... Fortunately, this setback encountered in the process of chasing love has not worn away Fuxia's love for food, and we can meet today's "heroine" who eats everything.
Walking the food industry, how can you not challenge a few dishes that make people look at it? So, in order to complete the whole process of cooking "one chicken and nine eats", she asked a friend to bring a live chicken to London, and in her backyard, despite the terrified eyes of the neighbors, she personally killed the chicken and then performed a skilled plucking operation. Wanting to let Western friends feel the charm of whip dishes, after several twists and turns, he got four deer whips from the hands of Scottish deer hunters, and showed his skills to make a big meal for his friends. There are also different spoons to taste different tastes of food, and "stealing" food residues from cultural relics with archaeologists... Fuxia swims freely in the ocean of food culture, and her interest has never diminished.
Just as How Yujia said: Fuxia is the only Fuxia in the field of Chinese and foreign cuisine. When the physical mobility space is limited, it is most thanks to her words that let our minds swim all over the world, sinking and floating for thousands of years.
"Taste of Things"
By Fuxia Dunlop
Translated by He Yujia
Published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House
Book excerpts
Sichuan Chef in the United States
(Published in Gastronomy Magazine, August 2005)
On cold autumn nights, we sat on the terrace, bathed in the warm light that spilled over from the window. The use of "excitement" to describe my mood at the moment is an understatement. One of the reasons I have such a strong expectation is because this is my first visit to the "French Laundry", a restaurant in Jantville, California, the hall of fine cuisine of Chef Thomas Keller, and I can't wait to taste it to see if it lives up to its reputation. But there's a more important reason: My "diners" tonight are three outstanding chefs from Sichuan, the epitome of Chinese cuisine. Xiao Jianming, the head chef of the "Fragrant Old Sichuan Restaurant" in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, was once the head of state at home and abroad. Yu Bo, who runs the famous "Yujia Kitchen", is also famous for his bold inheritance and improvement of Sichuan's gastronomic tradition. Lan Guijun, known as the "noodle master", owns a "township chef restaurant". All three of them were coming to a Western country for the first time and had never really been exposed to the Chinese concept of "Western food" before, so in addition to my own expectations for this meal, I also wanted to see their reaction.
On the way to the restaurant on Highway 29, I wanted to give the guests some "pre-dinner preparation" and casually said, "You're lucky because we're going to one of the best restaurants in the world." ”
"The whole world?" Lan Guijun questioned, "Who sealed it?" ”
This question provides a clear foreshadowing of what will happen next.
Hand-painted by Fuxia
Personally, the meal exceeded expectations – the décor was understated and luxurious, the service was courteous and, of course, the "Chef's Order" menu I ordered for everyone here, a total of 14 dishes. Specialties like "Oyster Pearl" are as wonderful as I thought. Fried red snapper fillets, paired with sweet and sour oranges and "melted" chicory, are a match made in heaven. There is a real poetry in this plate of food: sublime enjoyment, fascinating.
However, as I was enjoying this completely satisfying dinner myself, I had to notice that the "diners" were very different from my experience. Yu Bo, the most adventurous of the three, is determined to indulge in each bite and carefully study the arrangement and composition of the meal. He was engrossed and solemn. But the other two are just holding on. I collapsed and realized clearly that for each of them, this was a difficult, strange, and challenging experience.
We started talking about the meal Chinese. They explained that the creamy feel of "sabayon" in the first course was less appetizing to them. Another surprising point: even though heavy salt pickled vegetables occupy an important place in Chinese food, they still can't stand the pickled Nice olives with lobsters, thinking that the taste is too strong. "Eat like a Chinese medicine", the three agreed.
I tasted the most perfect lamb of my culinary career at this meal, but the three of them felt too raw and shockingly raw. ("It's so unsafe," Xiao Miming didn't touch it, "very unhealthy.") A range of delicious desserts seemed a bit "nothing to worry about" in their food culture, after all, in their food culture, sweets are not so important. (Curiously, the only dish they relished was coconut sheba.) The huge white plate contained only a small portion of food for one person, and the way it was plated confused them. The meal was served in a "Russian way", which lasted longer and made them feel too difficult, as if it were never-ending.
I was struck by the fact that, on a certain abstract level, Thomas Keller's dishes have much in common with the most exquisite Chinese food, such as the finest ingredients, including extraordinary wisdom and ingenuity, as well as the harmonious resonance of taste, texture and color in subtleties. However, the physical expression of all these food concepts, that is, the dish in front of us, seems to come from another world.
"Why should I eat this?" Yu Bo asked. The red snapper that made me want to eat to death made him troubled and confused. His confused look is like a Westerner facing the first bowl of shark fin soup, the first plate of sea cucumber or the first fried duck tongue in his life. I often see this in China, but this is the first time I have stood on the other side of the lens to witness the opposite situation.
The three chefs do not have the arrogance of many Westerners in China, clinging to their own prejudices. Lan Guijun admitted: "It's just because we don't understand, just like the language barrier." "Yu Bo is even more modest," all interesting," he said, "but I just can't tell whether it's good or bad: I'm not qualified to judge." ”
Fuxia makes mapo tofu in rural Hunan
As a cuisine, Sichuan cuisine is mature and delicate, comparable to French cuisine, and is quite famous in China for its variety of flavors. However, according to Lan Guijun's observation, in the West, "everyone simply and rudely labels Sichuan cuisine as 'very spicy', and they have no idea the layering of flavor." This is mainly because outside of China, people rarely encounter authentic Sichuan cuisine. Conversely, Sichuanese people rarely have the opportunity to taste authentic Western food. Ten years ago, Western food was almost unknown in Sichuan. Even now, with a booming economy, increased population movements, and ingredients such as olive oil and cheese on supermarket shelves in China's major cities, so-called "Western food" still reflects the original taste, which is mainly represented by major chain fast food brands. So, before the three chefs came to California, they knew very little about our Western food culture traditions.
At first, they wanted to try almost anything, so I seized the opportunity to take them through all sorts of unfamiliar flavors and textures. At the hotel, I "lured" them to try Steaton Blue cheese and Lokfort feta cheese, aged Parmesan cheese, cucumber willow, olives and chicory. The variety of cheeses is a particular challenge because there is absolutely no such thing in Chinese food (although they are easily reminiscent of the Fermented Chinese food, curd milk). The chefs tasted with more courtesy and less enthusiasm, although Yu Bo used a very positive word "fresh" (that is, we often call "umami") to describe the taste of blue stripes and Rockford.
The chefs traveled to the United States to present at The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. At school lunch, they acted politely, filling their plates with salads and cooked meats. When they go to various restaurants, their favorite Western food is always the ones that are most closely related to Chinese food: grilled pork chops, roast chicken, pumpkin puree. The only dish they ate on a disc was a seafood risotto: "It's delicious." This is their unanimous evaluation, but it is ridiculous that a bowl of soup and rice should be charged such an expensive amount of money.
But there are also some big taboos that I didn't expect. The most prominent thing is their heartfelt dislike of raw food. Since ancient times, China has regarded eating raw food as a barbarian habit, and to this day, almost everything in Chinese food is cooked to eat. In the United States, the three chefs were horrified to see the bloody raw meat brought in front of them. After two days of buffet lunch at school, even the salad got tired of them: "If I eat raw food again, I'm going to become a savage." Xiao Jianming made a joke and revealed a naughty smile.
Hard-shelled sour yeast bread, they feel very hard, can't chew, and are very uncomfortable to eat. Chinese like the slippery, cartilaginous texture (think chicken feet, jellyfish, and goose intestines), which most Westerners hate. The unique taste of sour yeast bread seems to have not been able to find a corresponding food in Chinese food for a while and a half. The bold Yu Bo has been tasting and analyzing everything, even if the other two chefs are already interested. I watched with interest As Yu Bo chewed his first bite of artichoke heart, tasted maple syrup, took a deep breath, and felt the aroma of the first fine red wine ever.
I was still obsessed with giving them the opportunity to appreciate a variety of foods that Westerners rave about, so one day we drove to The "Chez Panisse Café" in Berkeley. I ordered oysters. For this kind of mollusk, Xiao Jianming is reluctant to touch it. Lan Guijun ate one, just to cater to me. Yu Bo made me satisfied, he felt that the first oyster in his life was very special, he ate happily, and even boldly picked up the second one. I asked him how it tasted, and he nodded his head in approval: "Good, good, a bit like a jellyfish." The main course was more successful, and they said that the fried veal ham roll with pumpkin puree and the clams in the chickpea stew were more in line with the taste of Chinese.
It's a strange mirror image of cultural attitudes. Westerners complain of getting hungry an hour after eating at a Chinese restaurant, and these Chinese tourists in the United States often face the problem of "not having enough to eat." One night, after eating a few dishes in a restaurant with European table manners, Xiao Jianming explicitly asked me to ask if I could serve a simple egg fried rice. This requirement is particularly normal in China. (Restaurants certainly can't do that, because they don't have ready-made cold rice.) ）
On our third day at the culinary academy, they would rather choose a Chinese restaurant that doesn't have a good reputation than risk trying another exquisite Western meal. On the fourth day, we found a rice cooker in the college kitchen, so for dinner we all ate steamed rice with simple spicy leeks. Since I arrived in the United States, I have never seen these three people eat so much, and look so happy and relaxed.
Westerners may think that Chinese have a surprisingly rich variety of ingredients, Chinese love to eat "weird" food, while Western food is "safe" and "normal" in comparison. But the experiences of these chefs in this country illustrate that the culture shock on gastronomy is two-way street.
A Christmas tree carved by Fuxia with Chinese knife workmanship
Their reactions in California remind me of my early memories of eating in China: the night I settled down at my destination, dusty and tired, in front of a chongqing hot pot restaurant, in front of a strange rubber-like thing, I didn't know a single one, let alone how to eat; when I first met the peppercorns, they were sprinkled in a lot in every dish I ordered ("It's so hard to eat, I can't stand it," I wrote in my diary that day). My friend kindly clipped a carefully selected small piece of pig brain flower into my rice bowl, and I tried my best not to eat it. The Chinese friends who entertained me felt that they were giving me a "tooth sacrifice" and giving me special preferential treatment, but I had to struggle to eat the food and pretend to be brave at the same time, which was really difficult. So, I really understand and sympathize with these Chinese friends, who have taken a tentative first step on this challenging road, and have to try to be polite and try to adapt.
After eating that dinner at the "French Laundry," I was laughing: I was laughing at the fact that many foreigners' experiences in China were mirrored before my eyes; it was my friends who had not been able to appreciate the beauty of the meal. I wonder if they will tell shocking stories to other friends after returning home, such as raw meat and olives, which is obviously equivalent to americans talking about Chinese snake soup and scorpions.
For some reason, I always guessed that in just a few years, many foreign flavors would be able to successfully win the love of Xiao Jianming, Yu Bo and Lan Guijun. China is changing at an alarming rate, and the restaurant industry is in the midst of continuous and rapid innovation. In recent years, sashimi, red wine and asparagus have all become popular in Chengdu. And you only need to go to Hong Kong or Taiwan to find a truly cosmopolitan and cross-cultural Spirit of Chinese food.
But the first encounter will always bring shocks, whether your starting point is Sichuan or California. Chefs have a quick glance at the United States, full of interest; however, in terms of cuisine, it is indeed too novel, and it is difficult to digest and absorb in a short period of time. At the end of the journey, Xiao Jianming and Lan Gui had already returned to Sichuan like arrows, and they had to hurry back to Sichuan to drink a bowl of rice porridge, eat a braised duck, and taste some watercress sauce. (Yu Bo, on the other hand, decided to stay in the United States for a few more months.) ）
What did I do as a dutiful tour guide and translator? I sat comfortably in a café and ordered a burger, a five-minute cooked meatloaf, plus a slice of cheese and plenty of raw vegetable salad. One might say that this is something that barbarians eat, but, my God, it's delicious.
——Excerpt from "Seeking Taste of Things", published by Shanghai Translation Publishing House
Author: Fuxia Dunlop
Editor: Jiang Chuting
Source: Shanghai Translation Publishing House