I always thought that if I ever tried eating bugs, it would be on a dare, for a ton of money. Then last weekend I found myself at the Donghuamen Night Market with a CBS crew, trying centipedes, silkworms, and other odd critters for a CBS Early Edition segment. (More photos following the video.) 

You can also see the video on CBS's site.)

On January 25th Jacob and I left Beijing on what was supposed to have been a leisurely 24-hour ride to Hong Kong. We got to the train station on time, despite being almost late, and went through check-in without hassle. The train left on schedule, and the first 12 hours were pretty relaxing. When I went to bed the train was still chugging along, having just entered Hunan province.

The next morning I woke up to the news that the train had barely moved all night. There was a lot of snow and ice outside. We inched along, stopped, inched more, stopped. We stopped in Changsha's train station for about 6 or 7 hours. It wasn't until dinner time, way past our expected 1pm arrival time in Hong Kong, that we passengers were finally clued in.

Areas of Hunan, and other surrounding provinces, were experiencing the worst snowstorm in 50 years. Hunan had a massive power failure, and we were on an electric train. We had no power to run on. By 9pm, almost all the lights were shut off to conserve electricity, in case the conductors needed to jumpstart the engine. There was no more hot drinking water. Heat was also turned off. Bathrooms and hallways were getting filtheir and filthier. We still had to buy, and sometimes pay extra for, all our food.

My obsession with food has taken on a life of its own. Or rather, a blog of its own. Appetite for China is my new blog focused on food in this country of seemingly endless foods to try. It will have previously published food-related posts from indietrekker, and will become to repository for all future food posts. AFC started out of my endless curiosity about China's many cuisines and my inability to find another blog focused on the topic.

Indietrekker, meanwhile, will not be forgotten. It remains my blog for general travel around the world, though for now it will remain centered on China/Asia.

Please visit Appetite for China, and stay tuned for more posts here as well.  

While exploring Beijing by bicycle today, we came across a restaurant we may not otherwise have found. Lǎo Běijīng Jiācháng Jiǎozi (老北京家常饺子）is located right near the popular Hongqiao Market, but set apart from other stores by an overpass. The name, which translates to Old Beijing Family Dumplings, jumped out at me as we rode by as a good place for a hearty dinner after we explored the Temple of Heaven.

We stopped by around nightfall. From a quick glance at the menu, it was obvious that the specialty was hand-made shuǐ jiǎo 水饺, or boiled dumplings. We asked for an order of lamb shuǐ jiǎo, thinking that if one weren't enough we could just get another order. Turned out we were right to hold off, since one order consisted of about 12 or 14 golf-ball sized dumplings, enough for two people to share and still be full.

The dumplings' skin was the soft and thick type that can only be rolled by hand. The lamb and onion filling was flavorful, especially with a few drops of chilli sauce. The dumplings also came with a broth that seemed like congee, without any bits of rice or seasonings. We figured out what it was for after Jacob accidentally swallowed one too many bits of chilli: the broth is a great neutralizer for your tongue.

As a frequent traveler, I have crossed political borders in many ways: by plane, train, bus, car, and boat. On our day trip to Macau yesterday, I walked across a border for the first time after taking a bus from Zhongshan to the Chinese/Macau customs. On the other side lay a place that is very much Cantonese in lifestyle and language, but where you will find a huge amount of culinary diversity.

Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999, when it was returned to China. It remains a Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong, which means it gets its own Special boundaries, laws, and Special access to bulk imports of Portuguese sausages. The thought of delicious cured meat compelled me to wander the narrow hilly streets in search of Portuguese and Macanese fare, which is a combination of Portuguese, African, and Southeast Asian cooking.

One of my favorite things about fall is that pears are in season. Here in China, we get Bartlets and Bosc pears like in the US, but Asian pears are by far the most popular and most abundant.

I did a little research on the origin of Asian pears and found out that all pears may have originated in China. From The Washington Post:

All pears, it's believed, have a common parentage from rootstock native to western China. But centuries ago, trees that were taken westward to European countries changed over the years and produced fruit with a texture and flavor like the common Bartlett pear.

Asian pears tend to be sweeter, more crisp, and juicier than their European cousins, which means they're excellent for making smoothies. The natural sweetness cancels out the need for additional sugar, though sometimes I use a spoonful of honey if I'm in the mood for a sweeter drink.

Asian Pear and Banana Smoothie

8-10 cubes of ice
240 mL (1 cup) unsweetened soy milk
2 Asian pears, peeled and chopped
3 medium-sized bananas, peeled and chopped
15 mL (1 tablespoon) honey, optional

Sī guā is a common vegetable used in Chinese cooking, but comes with a rather sinister English name: snake gourd, for the long, spindly shape. Despite the exotic name, I've seen it in both New York and Boston Chinatowns. (Sī guā is the long skinny gourd with bumpy ridges running the length of the outside.) The flesh is about as soft as a winter melon's, which means that any cooking method longer than a quick stir-fry will render it very soft.

Snake gourd goes well with a red meat that also cooks quickly, like lean pork. I add some green peppers, onions, and scallions, but keep the companion veggies to a minimum so the sī guā and pork stand out.

Even with a rough exterior, sī guā peels easily. So no need to exert more force than peeling, say, a carrot. My mother likes to cook sī guā with a concentrated abalone extract, which has the smell and texture of oyster sauce. Of course, good 'ol oyster sauce always works too and is much easier to find. Just don't cook melons or gourds with soy sauce or else your finished product will have a sour flavor.

Pork and Sī Guā Stir-fry

Serves 4 to 6, as part of a communal meal

The Cantonese often go ga-ga over Hainanese chicken, a dish prepared by boiling a whole chicken in pork and chicken stock. It originated on the island of Hainan, became a national dish of Singapore, and is enjoyed anywhere on the globe where the Cantonese dine.

Chicken without sauce allows you to taste the freshness of the skin and meat, much like eating shimp with nothing but a spritz of lemon. But no offense to Hainanese chicken - sometimes your tastebuds just cry out for something savory that just melts off the bone.

Soy-braised chicken is a simple casserole dish can be whipped up within 30 or 40 minutes. An earthenware casserole dish is ideal, but a medium sized pot also works. (My mother once said that moist-cooking methods with a lot of soy sauce is bad for metals...maybe any food scientists would like to explain why?)

Soy-Braised Chicken

Serves 4

500 mL (2 cups) soy sauce*
750 mL (3 cups) water*
1 piece ginger, peeled and sliced
45 mL (3 tablespoons) sugar
10 mL (2 teaspoons) cinnamon
5 mL (1 teaspoon) star anise
4 pieces chicken, thighs or wings or combo
1 scallion, roughly chopped

*More if needed to cover chicken at least 3/4 of the way, but maintain the 2 parts soy sauce to 3 parts water ratio.

Begin heating soy sauce and water over medium flame. Add ginger, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise.