An old Chinese saying goes, “Different lands and waters nurture different people.” As China’s territory extends from the cold zone to the tropics, from the Pacific Ocean to the Himalayas and the Gobi Desert, over thousands of years Chinese food has naturally been as varied. According to the simplest method, the food of just the Han Chinese can be divided into four sub-systems: Sichuan cuisine (southwest region), Cantonese cuisine (southern), Huaiyang cuisine (southeast), and Lu cuisine (north). The Chinese love for food and loyalty to the taste of their hometown makes them sensitive to subtle differences in taste. “Chinese stomach” is a term used to describe the physiological reaction of a Chinese who has been deprived of Chinese food for a long time. Its main manifestations are bad temper, lack of concentration, and interest in nothing. My wife and I are both Han Chinese. If we analyze the reasons for our quarrels at home, the argument about “Sichuan or Lu food” is always Number 1.
I arrived in Kathmandu at a time the Chinese were waging a national debate on social media about whether to add sugar or salt sauce to Doufunao (a kind of very soft tofu). In this, my first long-term job abroad, I found the Chinese food has grown new branches and flowers abroad. In Kathmandu, you can eat Southeast Asian Chinese food, you can eat Indian Calcutta Chinese food, and you can even eat Chinese steamed buns (Dai Po) that may have been brought to Nepal from Southwest China, Myanmar and the southern foothills of the Himalayas. When the Chinese people go to these overseas Chinese restaurants, they have indescribable experiences that are both familiar but also different.
The Big Bang Theory, an American TV series, loved by many Chinese viewers, has takeaway scenes from a Chinese restaurant. After research by curious viewers, this Chinese restaurant has become one of the most popular in the US. When Chinese netizens went to the US to try the food from this Chinese restaurant, most of them were surprised that the Chinese food here was so different to the food they grew up with.
The same is true in Kathmandu. Peking roast duck is a famous delicacy in Beijing. The three most important parts of the dish are the roast duck, the semi-transparent pancake used to wrap the duck meat, and the sweet bean sauce. Once I ordered Peking roast duck at a Chinese restaurant in Kathmandu owned by an overseas Chinese. When the dish was brought, I was shocked: the duck was not roasted on firewood, the pancake was thick and stiff, and even the sauce was cranberry sauce. The restaurant manager politely asked me how I felt about the dish. My reply embarrassed him.
Not just Chinese food. When traveling to unfamiliar places in China, I tend to choose well-known chain restaurants because I think they have good “quality control” and consistent prices. When I came to Kathmandu, my principle was broken, because even at international fast food chains in Kathmandu, the chicken nuggets are more spicy and saltier than what you get from the same chains in Beijing!
Many Chinese restaurants in Kathmandu are not authentic Chinese. Yes, but so what? What is authentic Chinese food? Chinese civilization has a 5,000-year history. Do we eat the same food as the ancients? Sichuan cuisine is famous for its spicy flavor, but remember that chilies, native to South America, didn’t go global until after the great age of sailing.
I used to be able to argue indefinitely with dissenters even over a small issue. In recent years, I suddenly feel there are no right or wrong answers to many things. What is the best? What is suitable for you is the best, and what is suitable for the local people is the right choice. Why do I have this idea? Maybe I’m getting old.
There is a famous dish in Sichuan cuisine—boiled meat slices. Traditionally, the main ingredients have been beef or fish. Since I respect the customs and religious beliefs of the local people, I never order this dish when I invite my Nepali friends to dinner. One day I was having dinner with Nepali friends at a Chinese restaurant. The head chef there was happy to tell me that, through experiments, they had succeeded in making boiled meat slices from pork. After the chef’s introduction, my Nepali friends tried the pork version. They loved it, and I thought it was just as delicious as the boiled slices of the more traditional stuff.
You see, that’s a good example of how different lands and waters nurture different Chinese food. Any culture that can continuously evolve and adapt to the objective environment is a culture with vitality. The Chinese food is no exception. Only thus can a civilization preserve the essence of its culture and make it a bridge of understanding with other civilizations.
I should get going now. My wife is cooking tonight. I better start cleaning the vegetables if I want good food.
The author is chief correspondent of the Kathmandu office of Shanghai Wen Hui Daily. He has a Masters in international relations.
