Eating Feet

Nachos, PB&J, M&Ms, and chocolate chip cookies have been my staples this year. My breath catches in horror as I admit that to all of you. Eggs and smoked salmon have been on the list too. At least there's two healthy items.

I'm feeling it. The States are beckoning me for the summer. I daydream of kefir smoothies, cleansing, fresh pineapple, and black grapes. No sugar please. Paleo if it's an option. Big, juicy, boneless steaks. Whole foods. Cold water. Then more cleansing. 

My first day of work. This lovely lady introduced
me to how we eat yogurt here - with a straw.  

There are ways to eat well in Shanghai. Foreign markets and online ordering! Even then things like kefir, almond and coconut milk, and any quality dairy products are nearly impossible to find. It's all seemed like too much work for this year though. Life is made simpler by going to our small foreign market near school to pick up overpriced shredded cheese and tortilla chips then get some unique tasting M&Ms and chocolate chip cookies. 

Shanghainese food is rich and flavourful. They're known for their dumplings too. I'm a fan. Tea boiled eggs are another food I enjoy. I'll share more on that another time! 

Let's talk feet. This little man was chowing down on his chicken foot like we'd eat a chicken leg. After my initial shock of watching him hold it and dig into the claw, I snapped some photos because, I mean, look at him! 

I used to be such a picky eater. Since being abroad, I've witnessed many picky foreigners and sometimes wonder how the nationals feel when we diss their food. That said, I've entirely overcompensated by never asking what something is prior to picking it up. Menus often don't help much either!



Remember my ski weekend? It proved to be a rough food weekend. My weekend trips are always an experience when it comes to food. That weekend I had duck feet, pig feet, and stinky tofu. 

Once I accidentally ate the head of a duck. I didn't know it until the nationals around the table started laughing. Finally I understood I was eating the head. Umm, please take a moment here to ponder the state of what the head must've looked like for me NOT TO KNOW it was a head! I'd grabbed the item on the plate looking like it had the most meat and the least bones to navigate. Again, please take a moment to think through how on God's green earth the HEAD of a duck would look meatier than the rest of its body!

Note the above half smile upon learning I was about to eat a duck's foot. Next, note the oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-I-have-a-pig's-foot-in-my-chopsticks-and-I-just-ate-a-duck's-foot-PLEASE-let-this-be-the-last-foot-I-eat smile in the second picture.  

Have you heard of stinky tofu? Almost every weekend getaway in China I have smelled stinky tofu. It smells like a highly populated public rest-stop where only the bold and day enter. I've avoided eating it even though every local will say, "It smells bad, but it tastes good!"

Friends, it tastes like the public rest-stop smells. Even better? The smell does not get cooked out.   

Next to the tofu? Near as I can guess, we now have proof that aliens have come to our earth but they got trapped in a Chinese restaurant, boiled and eaten. 

Believe it or not, it didn't taste bad at all with a little soy sauce. Eating it with chopsticks was the real trial!

A moon cake. Try one - maybe you'll like it!

On our way home from the ski trip, I remembered I was meeting this sweet gal for dinner. She's a joy, but I was exhausted and we were meeting about an hour from my place. Worse, I recalled I'd asked her to take me to a traditional Chinese restaurant. For some idiotic reason I always think I've only eaten international food since moving here. Dumb.

Guess what was the first thing she suggested we try? 

Any guesses?????

CHICKEN FEET.

Cultural sensitivity went out the window as I desperately looked at her and begged, "Please, no. I had duck's and pig's feet yesterday. I just don't think I could eat anymore feet."

I've no clue what that was. It tasted a bit like potatoes
and beef gravy but with rice noodles.

This is one of my favorite desserts. Someday I'll
figure out what it's called. Something with yams.