When in China, do as the Chinese do! One way to save a buck when traveling or living in China, or anywhere else in Asia for that matter, is to head for the nearest “food street” when the hunger pangs strike. Not only is everything available at rock-bottom prices but also fresh and delicious. Part of the fun is seeing the stuff made before your eyes as you wait! Today at lunch I did just that…jumped on my CJ750 and rode down the road to the closest food mecca, about ten minutes from the high-school.
Many people have written me over the last few years asking how safe this food is. All I can say is most of us have been eating a lot of stuff off the street since we arrived and nobody has ever had a problem. You soon learn how to tell the cooks how much or little spice you want…I always love mine super spicy. Bring on the peppers! The only thing we will never do is drink the tap water.
It is always fun going for this little jaunt at noon when I can fit it in, knowing what awaits at the end of the ride. Just walking around the area is a sensory experience. The sounds, smells, and tastes of so many different possibilities is enough to send the senses into overdrive. Add to this the usual throng of people and it adds up to another Chinese experience. Every university has this type of food area nearby so most of the customers you see walking around are university students. This place is no exception, although I don’t know the name of the university where it is located. I just know how to get there!
The guy in the video below is still my hero! He has been there cooking with his partner since I first started eating at this spot four years ago and is still there doing his thing…one meal cranked out every forty seconds, give or take five seconds!
What a dance! That made me so hungry for all that marvelous REAL Chinese food! When we visited, I learned that food is so much more than just something to gobble down and forget! It’s a social and sensory experience, medicine, a university education in efficiency and entreprenurial finesse. And it’s almost cheaper to buy than make at home, especially if time is money in your life!
That’s where Nancy & I went, so neat to see it now, what an experience it was!
Well, as I like street food, too, I can’t say nobody has ever had a problem. The university streets are probably the best you can get. I’ve known many people, foreigners and Chinese, who have become “uncomfortable” after eating there.
I feel that way too after I eat there sometimes but I think it probably all the hot sauce lol.
Mine is a question really. We have been traveling around Thailand and Vietnam since February. No problems especially with food.
We are flying into Beijing on 9 September and staying in China for 5 weeks. Haven’t made any plans yet. I am quite concerned we are going to starve as most people say no English or even pictures so how do we order anything. Any tips on food or anything else would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Sheila
Trust me, you won’t starve in this country! People eat around the clock! You can find restaurants with pictures in most places. But when traveling, you really can’t beat the street food. It is cheap, readily available and there is a huge variety. Usually the best “food streets” are found near universities but you will find vendors scattered around all parts of cities, especially in night markets. You don’t have to speak the language, just choose what you think looks good and go for it! If you really find yourself in a jam in the small villages, just point to stuff that other people are eating. My friends and I have also been known to just point stuff out in the fridge and freezer of various establishments when we found ourselves in tiny villages during some of our motorcycle excursions! Unless you are really going to be off the beaten track, you won’t have a problem. If worse comes to worse, you will always be able to find a KFC, and probably a Macdonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, etc. And don’t be put off by restaurants that seem too difficult to deal with. Usually the staff will do their best to accommodate you. More and more, you will find somebody on the staff that speaks a little English. Also, BBQ is a popular thing here and most places will have an area where many are set up. You can always find tons of fresh fruit and vegetables in any grocery store along with snacks you will recognize from North America like chips, pop, yoghurt, nuts, etc. Happy eating!