Wen 丨 Zhenhua said
Editor丨Zhenhua said
—— Introduction ——
If you ask which country has the most unappetizing food, most people's first thought is Indian food.
The so-called Indian cuisine is the integration of a large number of ingredients that could otherwise be seen into "excrement", and the abuse of various spices makes the "color" of the food miserable.
Even if it's not a roadside stall, the curry that looks clean is a color that is hard to describe, let alone a food like pilaf that has a primitive eating process.
But what people didn't expect was that an Indian beauty who came to China for tourism would actually dislike that Chinese food looked too dirty.
What food did she see? Was it really the way she thought it was?
[This article is a fictional story, the names and place names in the article are pseudonyms, and if someone carries it, they will be held responsible]
—— Chen Dashi's self-report ——
My name is Chen Dashi, I am a young man from Changsha who likes to go out to play, I love to be lively, and I also like to play in crowded places, so I have a lot of friends.
In addition to this, I also love to travel, after all, a new place always satisfies a lot of my curiosity.
Since the advent of the short video era, Indian food has exploded on the track of curiosity, which instantly attracted my attention.
I wondered if the diet in India was really like that, and don't people there think these things look dirty to the naked eye?
Later, it wasn't until I went to India and really met a few Indians that I realized that many times, people can't imagine things beyond their own knowledge.
When I tried to tell them that these things were dirty and couldn't be eaten, they were met with puzzled looks.
They asked me what clean food was, and what would they eat if they didn't eat it? After all, the "clean" food I was talking about would not be visible on the streets of India.
I was stumped by their questioning, and for a moment I didn't know how to answer, and then I thought about myself.
When I was young, there was still a lack of material, there were not many people with higher education, everyone was not very good, and most of the street stalls were unhygienic things.
But I ate it with relish, even if I knew that the bosses used gutter oil when they fried chicken fillets, I didn't care.
After all, these were all the delicious things at that time, KFC, McDonald's, Tustin...... Waiting for fast food is not available in small counties, and even if there is, most people are reluctant to consume it.
And I was ignorant like back then, I didn't know what clean and hygienic food was like, even if it was a home-cooked meal made by my mother, I didn't necessarily know how careful the ingredients were processed at the stage.
But now China is different, with the improvement of the overall quality of the people, as well as material affluence, the requirements of diners have also increased.
The delicious food on the roadside stalls has also become visible to the naked eye, and many owners are especially particular about using gloves.
Food safety has always been the focus of attention of reporters and relevant departments, once a problem is found, serious penalties will be received, and consumers will consciously resist.
Thinking of this, I decided to bring my Indian friends to Changsha to experience a different street food flavor.
But probably because we didn't know each other for a long time and didn't gain enough trust, or maybe they were usually busy with work, and in the end only one of my younger sisters, who had just graduated from college, was willing to come to China with me.
We arrived in Changsha on a sunny afternoon, the sun shining on the blue waves of the Xiangjiang River, reflecting the sparkling waves, on the way from the airport to the city, Anita kept looking out the window, and I introduced her to the history and culture of Changsha.
"It's really modern here, I didn't expect it!" Anita said in surprise.
Indeed, Changsha's skyline is a far cry from her previous imagination, with towering towers and twinkling lights that complement the river to reveal a distinctively modern beauty.
We first went to Orange Island Head, which is the perfect place to see the cityscape of Changsha, standing at the head of Orange Island and looking out over Mount Yuelu and the Xiangjiang River, surrounded by skyscrapers and busy traffic, this blend of ancient and modern amazes Anita again and again.
"It's more beautiful than anything I've ever imagined. She exclaimed, taking out her phone and taking pictures busily, as if she was afraid of missing every wonderful moment.
As we walked along the riverside promenade, I showed her the iconic buildings, and Anita was particularly interested in the bustling city of Wuyi Square, the commercial heart of Changsha, surrounded by shopping malls and restaurants.
We sat down at one of the coffee shops there, enjoying the evening breeze and watching the crowds come and go, and she exclaimed, "I've only seen this kind of bustling scene in a few big cities in India before." ”
In the evening, we went to the Du Fu River Pavilion under Yuelu Mountain, and the lights of the Jiang Pavilion at night were warm, reflecting on the water surface of the Xiangjiang River, like stars in the water.
Anita was standing by the river in her beautiful Indian sari, and I took many photos of her, and she raved about the night view, saying it completely upended her perception of China's second-tier cities.
"Changsha has its own unique charm, and every corner of the city is pleasantly surprised. "Anita's words make me feel proud of my hometown.
As a boy born and raised in Changsha, if there is something that makes me proud, it is Hunan cuisine, and when Anita came to Changsha, I naturally would not forget to let her experience authentic Hunan cuisine.
I started planning our culinary journey a day in advance, and when choosing restaurants, I specifically selected places that are well-known and maintain the flavor of traditional Hunan cuisine.
Anita has some concerns about spiciness, after all, although Indian food is rich in spices, it is two completely different flavors from Hunan cuisine.
I told her it was going to be a unique taste adventure, and she excitedly said she couldn't wait.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we chose a window spot, and Anita was surprised by the décor, with mahogany furniture and peony-embroidered tablecloths that evoke a strong traditional Chinese atmosphere.
First up is the flavored shrimp, one of the classic dishes of Hunan cuisine, with bright red chili oil covering the tender shrimp meat, which looks mouth-watering.
Anita carefully clipped one, and as soon as she entered, her eyes suddenly widened, and then a look of surprise appeared.
"Oh my God, it's delicious! But...... It's so spicy!" She couldn't help but lick her lips as she spoke, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I saw her like this, and quickly handed her a glass of ice water.
This is followed by the chopped pepper fish head, which has a relatively mild spicy flavor and tender meat, which combines with the chopped pepper just right.
Anita was more receptive to the dish, praising it: "The flavor is so rich, the freshness of the fish perfectly neutralizes the spiciness." ”
More Hunan specialties appeared on the table, such as dry-pot bullfrog, peppered sesame chicken and spicy crab, each of which was an eye-opener for Anita, who took pictures of them with her phone and said she wanted to share them with her Indian friends.
Especially the dry pot bullfrog, the combination of spicy flavor and aroma of this dish made Anita can't help but take several bites, she said, "I never thought frog meat could be so delicious, this way of cooking is amazing!"
After the meal, Anita was not only impressed by the taste of Hunan cuisine, but also curious about the culture behind it, and I told her about the historical background of Hunan cuisine and how it reflected the straightforwardness and enthusiasm of Hunan people.
After listening to this, she better understood why Hunan cuisine pays so much attention to spiciness, and she believes that it is not only a taste, but also a manifestation of life attitude.
Anita is looking forward to China's night markets, and she has seen Chinese street food on TV shows, which are always bustling and brightly lit.
So I decided to take her to Changsha's most famous night market, Huaxi Night Market, to experience the authentic nightlife and street food.
In the evening, the West China Night Market is full of people, with various food stalls lined up, the smoke of grilled skewers, the sound of iron pots stir-frying, and the tinkling of cold drinks.
This hilarious scene excites Anita and her eyes look around, asking from time to time what this is and what is that.
We started by trying some of the more acceptable snacks, such as the sweet poop and roasted sweet potatoes, and Anita was full of praise for these foods, especially the sweetness of the poop, which made her tempt to eat more.
As we continued to explore along the street, Anita suddenly frowned and asked me with some displeasure, "Big rock, is there something broken around here, why does it stink?"
I followed her gaze and saw a stall not far away that was frying stinky tofu.
I smiled and explained to her, "It's not that something is broken, it's actually a snack called stinky tofu, which smells bad but tastes so good." ”
With an incredulous expression, Anita followed me to the stinky tofu stall and I explained to her how it was made and how it became one of the indispensable delicacies on the streets of Changsha.
"Is it really edible?" Anita was still a little hesitant, but with my encouragement, she decided to give it a try, and the stall owner expertly fried the stinky tofu, then skewered it with a small bamboo skewer and handed it to Anita.
She plucked up her courage, closed her eyes, and took a small bite carefully, tasting the unique taste for the first time, her expression changing from nervousness to surprise, and finally to a smile of joy.
"Wow, this is really delicious!" Anita said excitedly, she didn't expect such a "stinky" thing to taste so good, and then she took a few more bites, seemingly having completely forgotten the previous stench.
Through this attempt, Anita gained a deeper understanding and acceptance of traditional Chinese snacks, and she began to realize that many times, the appearance and first impression of food are not everything, what really matters is its taste and the cultural significance behind it.