Where's the McDonalds?

I think it’s no secret that I don’t like Chinese food. I once tried to explain my food preference using the “distance from America” theory. Start in America, land of the free, and home of the double-cheeseburgers, steak, and fried chicken, and proceed to the east. The farther away from America, with some exceptions, the less I like the food. Hence my general enjoyment of English, Mediterranean, and Italian food; Middle-Eastern food less so; Indian food even less; and Chinese rounding out at the bottom.

Still, now living in China, I had no choice but to “do as the locals do,” and had my first fully Chinese meal the next day after arriving. It was . . . decent, although less than filling, as I would find most Chinese meals to be. In general, Chinese food is okay. Rice is a substitute for bread, and most food is salty, so I’ve taken a shining to chocolate chip cookies, comprised of dough and chocolate. Chinese also don’t serve much water (hot tea is customary) with their meals, and water can be more expensive than coke, so each meal I can be underhydrated. That first time, I had my camera with me, and thinking of all you good people back home anxious to see whether I would burst into flames eating non-American food, I proudly present the first photo of me eating Chinese food. (The first in several years, I honestly believe). Each photo is paired with the food I am eating.

The second major experiment is a food form known as “hotpot.” Essentially, each customer is given a pot of water, set to boil, occasionally with spices or flavoring. The customer orders his choice of meat, veggies, etc., and then dips the food into the boiling water to cook it himself. The beef was enjoyable, although without some Masterpiece BBQ sauce, it was a bit lacking (just kidding). The second photo is Jenny, attempting something I figured I was okay not trying: bull testicles.


The one local food I think I really enjoy, and in fact look forward to having again, was the famous Peking Duck. I’m not sure why it’s famous, but it is quite good. You have the roasted duck, and various toppings. Prepare by taking a dough wrap, place the duck, onion, and celery, and cover with soy sauce. Roll like a taco, and eat. (I omitted the celery on my second helping).

Dumplings, also known as “jiaozi,” is another mainstay. Depending on how it is made, it is quite good, but like any other common food, can also be quite bad. One evening, Dr. Youli Sun, the program director, invited us over to his (very nice) apartment to make dumplings. Essentially one takes a small circle of dough maybe one and a half inches across, and places a meat or vegetable filling on the circle. Press the dough into a half circle, trapping the filling, and steam or fry. Eat when hot, preferably many at a time.

The experiment in food cracked before the end of the week, as half the program suited up to find McDonalds. As it turns out, there are two within walking distance, one approximately ten minutes to the south of our dorm room. McDonalds, it should be noted, has hundreds of outlets operating in China. Unlike in the United States, McDonalds directly operates each restaurant, not allowing franchising for quality control reasons. As the fifteen or so of us descended on the counter, we all noted with delight that there was a picture menu conveniently for non-Chinese use. A double cheeseburger never tasted so good.