Eating, Chinese-Style

 NANJING, Aug. 21, 2001 — Headline in the China Daily: "Fears mount over safety of hostages." In the Philippines, terrorists hold two Chinese hostages. One Chinese escaped but two have been executed. In another story Li Peng, chairman of a standing committee of the National People's Congress, "insisted yesterday that there is more common ground than disagreement between China and the United States, adding that the two sides should develop a constructive relationship."

Twenty years ago, it seemed that all Chinese dressed alike, thought alike, and behaved alike. Since economic reform, development and the opening of the country, all this has changed. Variety is now the style and eating exemplifies it.

A Westerner is first of all struck by the noisy eating habits of the Chinese. There is considerable slurping and clucking and, with noodles, great sucking sounds reminiscent of water draining from a sink. Belching is not forbidden. The combination of enjoyable eating and spirited conversation in a crowded restaurant gives a feeling of total gastronomic immersion.

Instead of sitting erect and bringing food to his mouth, a Chinese diner lowers his mouth halfway down to meet the chopsticks. Since knives are not at the table, meat and vegetables are not cut into bite-size pieces. The result is that a diner may hold a sizeable piece of meat in his chopsticks and consume it in successive bites.

The common and efficient way of eating steamed rice is to bring a small bowl to your face and shovel the rice into your mouth.

Many Westerners are easily converted to the Chinese way of eating and soon find it a relaxed and flavor-enhancing practice.

An American in China quickly discovers that there is no Chinese food to be had in the ordinary "Chinese Restaurant" back home. To begin with, even in small restaurants in China, you see living sea creatures in tanks: various fish, turtles, shrimp, and lobsters. The freshness of your main dish is assured. The varieties of vegetables are impressive:  beyond the rudimentary—potatoes, carrots, cabbage and peas—there may be ten kinds of mushroom, lotus, bamboo and nuts on the menu. Many of these are served in delicious sauces, some sweet, some sour, some hot with spices. Did I mention the fruit?  Purple grapes as large as ping-pong balls, several delectable kinds of pear, and plenty more besides. 

If a guest is kept waiting for service more than a few minutes, he is given a gift of nuts or fruit.

On occasion, when a guest arrives late at a restaurant, his friends have finished eating and the table has been cleared. The latecomer will then be served dinner and his friends will help him eat. Everyone pokes chopsticks into the bowls of food. (Some may fear the spread of disease, but recent studies suggest Chinese immune systems may be enhanced by early and continued exposure to illnesses. A few doctors in the U.S. have suggested that Americans' obsession with cleanliness and antibiotics may compromise our immune response.)

The only thing missing from Chinese cuisine is tender meat, especially steak. What meat there is is tough, and it is often served in chunks containing both fat and bone.

Surprisingly, despite eating well, foreigners may find they gain no weight in China. They may even lose a few pounds. With the advent of fast food, this benefit may disappear.

The Chinese are greatly concerned with food. This is reflected in Chairman Mao's favorite medieval novel, Outlaws of the Marsh, and has been reinforced by widespread starvation during the failed attempt to accelerate economic development during the 1960s. This disastrous period, ironically called "The Great Leap Forward," proved to be the death of several million Chinese.