There’s definitely no shortage of gimmicky restaurants in Beijing. We’ve got Haidilao’s robot restaurant, a penguin-themed restaurant, a poop-themed restaurant, and countless cat cafes. So when I heard about a restaurant just for that time of the month, I thought it was yet another odd gimmicky trend. But as it turns out, period restaurants are a legit thing in Beijing and they’re delicious!

Unlike the poop-themed restaurant that serves food in urinal and toilet-looking bowls, period restaurants aren’t serving up food on sanitary napkin-shaped plates. These restaurants are all about helping you ride out those dreaded cramps.

Go on Dianping and search 大姨妈 (dà yímā) — the Chinese equivalent to Aunt Flow, aka the period. Aside from stores that sell pads and tampons, you’ll pull up restaurants that specialize in making comfort food for your time of the month.

In the US we grew up with the idea that eating chocolate and ice cream helps during your period. And while that might be emotionally comforting, in China it’s believed that if there’s one thing you need to avoid while on your period, it’s cold stuff. Here, it’s all about loading up on warm soups.

Period restaurants in Beijing specialize in making all kinds of soups, from fish soups and chicken soups to sweeter choices like papaya and milk. And when your period cramps hit, having warm soup in your belly is like cozying up with a heating pad.

Is there really such a big demand for period soups that there are multiple restaurants in Beijing catering to it? Yes, there is… You don’t need to be on your period, heck, you don’t even need to have ovaries to like the feeling of a warm soup belly. During these cold winter months, we all crave a big bowl of warm soup for lunch.

KEEP READING: Wok On With These English-Language Chinese Recipe Sites

Images: Pexels, Mina Yan

I am Australian of mixed British stock, but I came to Beijing after living in France for seven years. Once I got over the initial shock of how different my new home felt, I was surprised to identify many similarities between these two cultures. France and China both have proud language traditions, a long history of cultivating the arts, and *ahem* overly-hierarchical and opaque bureaucratic systems. But best of all, they both have very old and interesting culinary traditions. Here are a couple of dishes that connect these two diverse nations.

Crêpes and Galettes vs Jianbing 煎饼 jiānbǐng 

A classic streetside jianbing (left) and folded savory galette

The first time I saw a jianbing being made street-side in Beijing, I was stunned. Everything from the large round hot plate to the thin wooden tool they use to spread the batter, to the hand gestures as the vendor spooned out the batter and expert flicking movements as she flipped the snack, were exactly the same as I’d seen a million times in a crêpe stand in France. Things only started to get a bit strange when cumin, cilantro, hoisin sauce, and a crispy wafer were folded in. 

Crêpe is kind of a catch-all term for thin pancakes, but in France, savory crêpes are called galettes and are often served as a main meal. Originating from the Brittany coastal region, they can contain a variety of ingredients, such as eggs, spinach, ham, cheese (of course), even pungent andouillette (tripe) sausage for the brave. But unlike jianbing, they are usually served on a plate, and only cooked on one side, with the nice crispy edges folded up to make a neat square. Crêpes, on the other hand, are always sweet. My favorite filling is honey and lemon juice, but Nutella and banana, jam, and even Grand Marnier liqueur are other popular fillings. Sweet crêpes are usually folded up and served on the go, just like a jianbing.

Stinky Cheese vs Stinky Tofu 臭豆腐 chòu dòufu

Delicious stinky Roquefort cheese (left) and squares of chòu dòufu

There are more than 400 different varieties of cheese in France, and the locals are obsessed with the stuff. Some of the more famous stinky varieties include the Pont l’Évêque, which is also one of France’s oldest cheeses having been made in the Normandy region since the 12th century. Pungent blue Roquefort is even older, and easily recognizable for its soft creamy body and blue mold spots, then there is Vieux Lille which is often nicknamed “old stinker” and is renowned for being the strongest smelling of the lot. 

While you’re hard-pressed to find much cheese in China outside of Yunnan and Mongolia, fermented chòu dòufu (lit. stinky tofu) can knock your socks off, and stink out an entire restaurant. However, it generally has a pretty mild flavor so if you can get past the smell, you’re in for a treat. The recently opened Maizidian branch of local Slow Boat Brewery recognized the cross-cultural potential for chou dofu with their new ‘Love the Chou’ burger which combines a chou dofu patty with smelly blue cheese sauce.

Ratatouille vs Chaos Stew 乱炖 Luàn dùn

Late harvest ratatouille (left) and hearty chaos stew

The French may have invented the concept of haute cuisine, but most of the food eaten on a day-to-day basis has much more humble origins. Ratatouille stew was a staple dish in the Provence region of France long before the Disney rat came along, and is a typical late-summer harvest dish, containing tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers. 

Dongbei, the Northeast region of China, is known for its no-nonsense fare, and while luàn dùn, amusingly named “chaos stew” generally contains at least one kind of meat, it is very similar to ratatouille in that vegetables are the main focus, and they are both hearty, dense filling meals. Vegetable-wise, chaos stew usually contains potatoes, broad beans, and pungent fermented soybean sauce. Both are dump-and-stew kinds of dishes, great for clearing out the fridge, and while Ratatouille goes well with roasted chicken or a fatty fish, chaos stew is likely to be served with wide flour noodles.

Bigorneaux vs Tianluo 田螺 tiánluó

From the French coast (left) to Canton, sea snails are a hit

Garlicky escargot might be the most famous kind of snail eaten in France, but they are not the only one. In coastal regions bigorneaux, known as periwinkle in English are a popular seaside treat, and are usually boiled in a simple broth of water and lots of pepper. 

Clearly garlic is a good idea because it also features heavily in the Cantonese preparation of these marine gastropods. There are actually a million different ways of calling this dish and snail, but in the south they are usually wok-fried with ginger, garlic, and black bean sauce, rice-wine and soy sauce, and served with steamed rice.

Foie Gras vs Salted Duck Liver 盐水鸭肝 Yánshuǐ yā gān

Classic duck foie gras (left) and Chinese salted duck liver with star anise

Along with horsemeat, foie gras, lit. ‘fatty liver’ has got to be one of the most controversial food products available in France. Made from the liver of either a goose or duck which has been force-fed in order to increase the size and fattiness of their liver, it is considered a delicacy and often served with small pieces of toast on special occasions, such as New Year’s Eve or Christmas. It may also be prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté. Due to the way the birds are force-fed, foie gras is banned in certain countries and regions around the world, but eating bird liver itself is not exclusive to France. In China, yánshuǐ yā gān, lit. salted duck liver is a delicacy that is often served at duck restaurants. After soaking in fresh water to remove the blood, the liver is boiled in a broth with spices like star anise, peppercorn, ginger, cloves then soaked for 6-10 hours to achieve the distinctive salty taste.

KEEP READING: “That’s Not Chasiu! It’s Nyama Choma!” When Kenyan and Chinese Food Unite

Images: Wikimedia Commons (1, 2, 3), Flickr (1, 2), Omnivore’s Cookbook, Christophe Certain, The Woks of Life, Eymet Village, Xiachufang,   

Better known as Chinese steamed buns, mantou is a staple food in the Chinese diet. Originating from a folk tale over 2,000 years ago, mantou has evolved from simple, plain buns to a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors. Initially, it was popular mainly in northern China because rice is seldom grown there so people had to find alternative foods. Now, it graces the menus of every city, every town, and every village in China.

Mantou in its most basic form is white and round, often considered part of the main course. As a dessert, smaller deep-fried versions are dipped in sweetened milk. Nowadays, mantou is a cross between food and art, with chefs racing to find a new, creative way of styling the dough. My household was first introduced to this innovation on Valentine’s Day this year when my mom decided to steam Mantou roses. Since then, we’ve been working our way through mantou crabs, porcupines, frogs, and many more.

Qinglan and her mom with their mantou creations

Ingredients (makes 6 medium or 3 large mantou)

• 250g all-purpose/plain flour
• 1 tsp dried active yeast
• 130ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste (optional)
• Food dye or raw ingredients for coloring (yellow mantou can be made from steamed pumpkin, green from crushed spinach, pink from dragon fruit, and purple from purple sweet potato.)

Method

1. Decide on a color for your mantou;  In my case, I’ll be working with yellow, made from 1 small pumpkin.
2. Start by washing the pumpkin, then slicing it, and finally steaming it.
3. Put the flour in a clean metal pot. Squash the steamed pumpkin pieces and blend them in with the flour. It’s optional to add white sugar at this stage depending on your preference.
4. Dissolve the instant dry yeast in the water. I suggest the brand Angel (安琪 ān qí).
5. Once it’s fully dissolved, pour the liquid into the flour and pumpkin. Stir the mixture thoroughly until thoroughly blended, and cover the pot.
6. Allow the dough rise for two hours.
7. Shape the mantou into your desired design, below I show how to make a mantou rose, crab, and porcupine.
8. Place your creations in a steam pot and allow them to rise for another 10 minutes before turning on the stove.
9. Steam for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and wait another 10 minutes before removing the mantou.
10. Enjoy your very own colorful, creative mantou collection.

Mantou Rose

• When the two hours are up, retrieve the dough and a cutting board, and break off a handful of dough.
• Using your hands, sculpt that piece of dough into a long strip.
  
• Now split the strip into six equal pieces with a knife and use a rolling pin to knead each piece into a flat circle, just like with dumpling wraps.
• Layer the six circles on top of one another so that they overlap.
  
• Take a chopstick and press it down along the center of the stack’s length. Roll the stack up, along its length, and cut it with a knife according to the mark previously made by the chopstick.
• This produces two separate roses.
  
• Adjust the petals of the roses to your liking by pulling them out and opening them up. Then, place the two finished products in a steam pot.
  

Mantou Crab

• Break off another handful of dough from the metal pot and split that into five even pieces with a knife.
• Take out a rolling pin and knead one of the pieces into a flat oval. This will serve as the crab’s body.
• With the remaining four pieces, sculpt them into thin, long strips of equal length for the crab’s legs. Lay the legs horizontally across the crab body.
  
• Fold the two sides of the oval over the strips and make sure they stick firmly. Flip the whole structure upside-down and insert two beans, (both red beans or green beans work great) into the edge of the oval to resemble eyes. You may need a small knife to properly embed the beans.
  
• Lastly, take a comb and press it into the crab’s back repeatedly to form a pattern. Place the finished product in the steam pot and move onto the final design.
  

Mantou Porcupine

• Probably the most heartwarming of mantou designs, mantou porcupines requires just one piece of dough. Mold it into a teardrop shape with your hand and flatten one side slightly so the porcupine appears to be crawling on the ground.
• Take a pair of scissors and cut and lift small pieces of dough all over the rounded side, forming the porcupine’s prickly back. Make sure to maintain the scissors in an upright position so that with every cut, a triangular spike is created. Don’t cut too deep into the dough or else the spikes will be too large.
  
• Take two beans and insert them into the pointed area of the teardrop structure, serving as the animal’s eyes.

Qinglan Du is a 16-year-old student from Beijing City International School. She’s originally from Beijing but is currently living in Jerusalem with her mother due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from her passion for writing, she enjoys singing, spending time with friends and family, and experiencing new cultures.

KEEP READING: A Step-By-Step to Homemade Laozao Sweet Fermented Rice

Photos: Qinglan Du, food52

As a Kikuyu in Kenya, one grows very tired of the old but not altogether untrue joke that my people don’t have much in the way of culinary variety. The Kikuyu, one of the biggest tribes in Kenya, are known for a maize and bean gruel known as githeri which have become one of Kenya’s main staples because it’s just that easy to make. But as a city kid, I have the advantage of claiming, not only my own people’s starch-heavy cuisine but the plethora of dishes imported to the city in which I was born and raised – Nairobi. Some of these dishes hold a special place in my heart, and I have missed them in the years I have been away from home. But thankfully, I have found wonderful alternatives in Beijing that, in many ways, offer me a taste of home. So here we go!

Mandazi vs Youtiao 油条 Yóutiáo

If you’ve lived in Beijing long enough and hang out around enough hutongs, you might have come across this delicacy which is basically strips of dough deep-fried ’till they are crispy. In Kenya, mandazi is a favorite breakfast snack for kids and adults alike, generally cut into triangles and fried to a crispy brown. There is a harder version of the same called ngumu – in Swahili literally translates as ‘hard’, as the pieces of thick dough are fried until the exterior forms a dark brown crust and the inside remains soft and fluffy! This is also one of those super easy recipes since all you need to make Mandazi is water, flour, a little salt to taste, and enough oil in which to deep fry the strips!

Matumbo vs Pig’s Organ Soup 猪杂汤 Zhū zá tāng

As a rule, when an animal is slaughtered in Kenya, very little is left uneaten. That also goes for the offal, generally turned into sausage only comparable to the Scottish delicacy haggis, but also turned into a soup eaten with a starch accompaniment like rice or chapatti.  Matumbo in Swahili literally translates to ‘intestines’, where the tripe, small and large intestines are diced, boiled, and then fried in numerous variations into a soup. Even though the Chinese equivalent, pig’s organ soup (猪杂汤 zhū zá tāng), utilizes pig offal, matumbo in Kenya is predominantly made of cow, goat, and sheep offal. Now, ‘cool’ city kids might never admit to having this dish as offal meats have fallen out of favor in the west, but it still a simple and delicious culinary delight!

Pilau vs Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭 Yángzhōu chǎofàn

Pilau rice is a favorite of most Kenyans, served at weddings, and at special functions. It is an elaborately made rice dish that takes a certain patience and expertise that disqualifies it from the slap-up dinner menu. Making its way to Kenya via its Indian and middle Eastern settles about two to four hundred years ago, this dish is made with a host of spices fried in with onions and tomatoes oftentimes, and chunks of tender beef which are cooked separately before being added to the pilau mixture. It is slightly different from the Yangzhou fried rice variety, which comes with more inclusions such as eggs, prawns, and vegetables.

Samosa vs Fried Dumplings 炸饺子 Zhà jiǎozi

To a large extent, many modern dishes we consider Kenyan are actually Indian dishes. But after many centuries, different Kenyan groups and regions have made them their own. Samosa is a lovely example of an Indian dish, now associated with the Swahili coast and the Muslim population of Kenya. Samosas can either be made vegetarian, complete with potato or green gram and carrot stuffing, or with minced beef or chicken and onion. Thin strips of dough are rolled out and quartered, a triangular shell is formed, the stuffing added, and the triangular pockets of dough and stuffing are fried until crisp. They can also be quite spicy and not unlike a China favorite, the fried dumpling.

Nyama Choma vs Barbecue Pork 叉烧 Chāshāo

Ask any Kenyan what you should eat first when you visit Kenya and the unanimous answer is nyama choma, which in Swahili literally means roasted meat. It is a simple recipe, which basically sees pieces of beef, mutton, chicken, chevon, and on rarer occasions, pork and fish, being roasted over an open charcoal fire until perfectly cooked and tender. The nyama choma is generally chopped up on a wooden block and served with salt to taste, kachumbari – a mix of tomato, onion, parsley, and chili, steamed or fried greens such as kale or spinach, and a starch such as ugali – a solid type of porridge made from maize flour and water.  This is slightly different from the sticky pork variety native to Guangdong, coated with honey and five-spice before being slow-roasted and served in thin, boneless strips.

KEEP READING: “That’s Not Bing! It’s Roti!”: When Indian and Chinese Food Unite

Photos: pixist.com,  Wikimedia commons,  piqsels, pexels, pxhere, flickr

In recent years, milk tea (奶茶 nǎi chá) has become tremendously popular across China. It’s now one of the most iconic Chinese beverages and is particularly favored amongst the young generation. It’s basically what coffee is to Westerners and there are milk tea stands in every city all over the country. Grabbing a cup of milk tea at the mall is a norm; but with popularity comes backlash, and there has been more than sufficient evidence showing this drink’s negative health impacts due to the amount of sugar added, the type of milk that’s used, and just what is considered an appropriate amount of tapioca for one to consume on a weekly basis.

I love milk tea and usually go out of my way to try every new flavor and enjoy every sip. However, a number of videos showing milk tea shops with unsafe and unsanitary practices, particularly for preparing tapioca balls, and news articles about children being hospitalized post-milk tea consumption have surfaced of late. So my mother and I decided to make our own milk tea – a healthier version that can still bring us a taste of home.

Qinglan (left) and her mom pose with their healthy milk tea.

How to make your own healthy milk tea

1. Find a clean mug or glass bottle in your house. Make sure it either has a large opening or is transparent so later on it’s visible how well the ingredients are mixed.

2. Cook a bowl of glutinous rice in a rice cooker. It won’t all be used, so the leftovers can be saved for another meal. The glutinous rice will serve as a much healthier substitute for tapioca balls, whilst preserving the same chewy, sticky effect we all know and love.

3. Boil a kettle of water then pour it into a ceramic bowl, allowing the liquid to cool down slightly. In the meantime, take milk from the fridge and fill up half the mug/bottle with it. The coldness of the milk contrasts with the warmth of the water, ultimately producing the ideal temperature.

4. Now take a spoonful of brown sugar, ideally in a powder state. If not, break the chunks into smaller pieces with your hands and place them in the bowl of boiled water. The quantity is adjustable depending on your sweetness preference.

5. Use chopsticks, or any other utensil, to stir the mixture and help the brown sugar dissolve. Then take out a black tea bag, I typically go with Lipton, and place it in the bowl of water. You will notice significant color changes. Wait until the color stops darkening to remove the teabag.

6. Pour the bowl of water with tea and sugar into the mug/bottle. Take a scoop from the glutinous rice and sprinkle it into the drink. Even though glutinous rice has a tendency to stick together, try and separate them so they’re scattered.

7. Finally, with the same utensil as before, stir the liquid for a minute or two and give your own homemade milk tea a taste!

KEEP READING: How to Make Quick and Easy Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Tang Yuan)

Qinglan Du is a 16-year-old student from Beijing City International School. She’s originally from Beijing but is currently living in Jerusalem with her mother due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from her passion for writing, she enjoys singing, spending time with friends and family, and experiencing new cultures.

Photos: Qinglan Du, Unsplash

If you want to set one food goal for the whole family this summer that you can achieve without ever leaving Beijing, it could be to experience all the different types of hot pot that China has to offer.

I know, summer is already hot enough as it is, so the thought of sitting in front of a steaming pot of boiling broth sounds like the exact opposite of what you want to do. But contrary to what most people assume, hot pot is an all-year-round kind of food. In places like Sichuan the consumption of hot pot actually increases during the hotter months as locals believe that a healthy sweat during the hot weather helps them expel toxins.

So how many types of hot pot are there in Beijing and what are the differences between them? The types of pots used for cooking, the ingredients, and sauces all change depending on the region so this summer, step away from trusty old Haidilao and try some other authentic flavors from around the country.

The humble hot pot and all the ways to eat it.

Beijing Hot Pot 北京火锅

Classic Beijing hot pot is cooked on a copper Mongolian pot heated with actual coals. According to legend, it was brought to Beijing over 800 years ago by Mongolian soldiers who would boil thin slices of meat in their helmets for dinner. The Beijing hot pot broth is both very simple, and probably the healthiest around: consisting only of a few slices of ginger, scallions, and some dates with no oils or spicy sauces. Beijing style hot pot is usually served with a simple sesame sauce along with some optional condiments like scallions and cilantro.

Tibetan Style Hot Pot 藏式火锅

Very similar to the Beijing-style hot pot, Tibetan-style hot pot stands apart thanks to its use of yak bone to create the broth. The cuts of meat used for Tibetan style hot pot are also usually thicker than those used in other hot pot styles, making this one a rare but lucky find for meat lovers.

Chongqing Hot Pot 重庆火锅

From the simplest of hot pot flavors to the most intense, Chongqing-style hot pot is famous throughout China as the spiciest of them all. Indeed, the city of Chongqing in Sichuan Province is known as China’s hot pot capital as approximately five out of six restaurants are dedicated to the dish. What makes Chongqing hot pot so unique is the numbing hot spiciness known as mala (쮸윤) literally ‘numbing spicy’. The broth uses a lot of chili oils and the surface will usually be covered with a thick layer of chili peppers and mala peppercorns. It’s said that Chongqing hot pot was developed back in ancient times to satisfy poor dock workers who wanted a cheap, fast, and warming dinner. To help improve the taste of the meat they ate, the locals added more and more chilis and spices to their broth, thus giving birth to the famous Chongqing hot pot that we know and love today.

Yunnan Hot Pot 云南火锅

Yunnan cuisine has a reputation of being light and delicate with dishes highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients, and their hot pot style is no exception. Yunnan hot pot contains a lot of Southeast Asian flavor influences and is possibly the most vegetarian-friendly hot pot available thanks to its rich broth flavor and focus on fresh vegetables. The broth is made from a variety of mushrooms and edible flowers that are also great for drinking in tea. Yunnan Hotpot in particular has become more popular in China in recent years, and it’s also my personal favorite as it is still very much a ‘Chinese’ hotpot, but with clear Southeast Asian influences.

Flower Hot Pot 菊花火锅

Originating from Jiangsu-Zhejiang, flower hot pot is more popular in Hangzhou and Suzhou but if you do a bit of digging, you’ll still be able to find one in Beijing. Flower hot pot is another one of the healthier hot pot options and is easily recognized by its tea-like fragrance and light flavors.

Contemporary Hot Pot

In recent years small single-portion hot pots kits using Japanese ingredients and unusual flavor combinations have popped up in convenience stores and supermarkets all over Beijing. While they might not have much of a historical culinary significance, they sure are fun!

KEEP READING: Haidilao, Beijing’s Family-Friendly Hot Pot Restaurant 

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

If you leave Beijing, head towards Tibet, and cross the Himalayan mountain ranges you will eventually arrive in India, my home country. Despite being connected by land, the presence of these imposing, snow-capped Himalayas has made contact between India and China limited throughout much of history. As a result, Indian and Chinese cultures have grown and developed without much interaction or influence with each other, and so have their food and culinary practices. Today, however, Indian food and Chinese food are some of the most recognized and well-known cuisines around the world.

Having lived in China since I was one year old, I consider myself very fortunate to have stayed connected to my native Indian food. While living in Beijing, I have not only been able to try the famous and recognizable dishes like samosas and palak paneer but also regional delicacies like rasgullas and dosas. Residing in China has also given me the opportunity to travel around the country and explore the regional diversity of Chinese food as well. Contrary to popular belief back in India and even globally, not all dishes here have meat or use some sort of animal product. There are a variety of Chinese vegetarian dishes, like tofu flavored in hot spices (麻辣豆腐, málà dòufu) and sauteed spinach with peanut (菠菜花生, bōcài huāshēnɡ).

And I was amazed when I found a few culinary delights here to have similarities with what I can find back in India. Though they differ in flavor and taste, the visual looks and preparation techniques of these dishes have many similarities.

Biryani vs. Chinese Fried Rice

Biryani has to be up there with one of my favorite Indian food items; hearing the word itself gets my mouth salivating. It’s a long-grained rice dish first flavored with spices and condiments (such as saffron, nutmeg, cardamom, and bay leaves) then layered with meat, vegetables, and a thick gravy. The word ‘biryani’ is derived from a Persian word, birian, which means ‘fried before cooking.’ It’s similar to the popular fried rice (炒饭, chǎofàn) we get here, which is cooked rice that is stir-fried in a wok pan along with other ingredients like eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. Both of these rice dishes are savory, but both also have many variations within geographical regions, mostly with regards to the type of spices, condiments, meat, and vegetables that are used and added.

Idli vs. Osmanthus Cake

There’s more to traditional Indian staples than your naans, paranthas, and chapattis. Within specific states and regions in India, you get different, lesser-known, staples. One of them is the humble Idli, a dish most common and widely found in South India, where I come from. It is a circle-shaped rice cake that is usually eaten for breakfast in South India, made by steaming batter consisting of lentils and rice. Now, I never thought that a Chinese dish would resemble idli until I first tried an osmanthus cake (桂花年糕, guìhuā niángāo). I remember ordering them for the first time at Yuxiang Kitchen to cool my tongue after a heavy, spicy meal of Sichuan food. I was astonished that a triangular-shaped idli-looking dish was brought to my table. Expecting it to also taste savory like idli, I was surprised when it turned out to be slightly sweet. Sans the shape, both idli and osmanthus cakes look almost visually the same with their white exteriors and soft textures. Both dishes also utilize rice in their preparation. However, the idli is always round and the osmanthus is usually found to be in the shape of a rhombus (diamond). The flavors vary too; as mentioned above, idli is savory whereas osmanthus cakes are sweet.

Roti vs. Bing

Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread commonly found in the Indian subcontinent (the geographical region that is made up of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan). It is made from wholemeal, unleavened flour, which differentiates it from other Indian breads like naan and parantha. Being a casual food and a regular accompaniment to meals, I draw comparisons between rotis and the local bing (饼, bǐnɡ). Bing is a flatbread made from wheat flour, and like roti, is also unleavened. The flavors can be different though; it’s common to roll up bings and add toppings like spring onions to them, while roti is a plain, staple accompaniment that you eat along with meat and vegetable dishes.

Ela Ada vs. Zongzi

Ela Ada is an Indian sweet dish, a traditional delicacy from Kerala, my home state of India. It consists of rice parcels enclosed in a rice flour dough along with sweet fillings and then steamed in a banana leaf. It is eaten usually as an evening snack or as part of breakfast. It draws a small likeness to the zongzi. Zongzi is also a traditional delicacy here in China, consumed usually during the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节, duānwǔjié). Like ela ada, zongzi is also a rice dish but made instead with glutinous rice instead of rice flour. A zongzi is also stuffed with various kinds of fillings, from red beans to pork, and then covered with bamboo leaves. However, while the zongzi can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, an ela ada is a purely vegetarian dish. Moreover, a zongzi can either be savory or sweet, whereas an ela ada is almost always sweet.

Baingan Bharta vs. Red Cooked Eggplant

Eggplant is a tricky vegetable to cook. But an eggplant dish that is perfectly seasoned, uses the right amount of oil, and incorporates strong spices and sauces will always be satisfying to cook and eat. To me, no dish shows off this vegetable better than baingan bharta (mashed eggplant). Originating from the state of Punjab in India, baingan bharta is minced eggplant that is grilled to perfection over a charcoal fire, giving it a smoky flavor. The smoked minced eggplant is then cooked with vegetables and aromatics, such as chopped tomato, caramelized onions, ginger, garlic, and cumin. When I first tried Red Cooked Eggplant (红烧茄子, hónɡshāo qiézi), it instantly reminded me of baingan bharta. In a Red Cooked Eggplant dish, the eggplant is also grilled until smoky and crispy. After grilling, the eggplant is also cooked in a rich blend of garlic, chilies, scallions and other vegetables and aromatics. The flavors are slightly different, with the Red Cooked Eggplant being a bit sweet and making stronger use of garlic than baingan bharta. Nevertheless, both are extremely delicious!

KEEP READING: “That’s Not a Youtiao! It’s a Churro!”

Images: Unsplash, The Woks of Life, Jiangsu Cities, The Times of India (Times Food), J B (via Flickr), Mike130012 via Wikimedia Commons

I come from a beautiful tropical country, Nicaragua, located in the middle of Central America, a perfect destination for beach lovers, volcanoes, hikers, or anyone who loves to stroll through colonial towns admiring the slow pace life of the locals or the colorful colonial houses. And one aspect you can not overlook is authentic Nicaraguan food.

Being far from home, many of us expats don’t only miss family and friends, but also the meals that you grew up with or those special dishes save for special occasions. For me, arriving in China and seeing the exotic local cuisine with all the interesting ingredients and wide array of presentations felt like food paradise, but that feeling of missing the flavors from home was still there. It came as a pleasant surprise, therefore, to have found a few dishes here in Beijing that are very similar to some Nicaraguan dishes. Although not similar in taste, the bases for their cooking are.

Nicaraguan nacatamales vs. zongzi

Nacatamales is a traditional food made with corn dough stuffed with pork meat, potatoes, rice, onions, garlic, mint and seasoned with salt and sour orange ( and not just any orange: a particular type of orange used to bring out flavors in certain meat dishes). The one striking similarity to local zongzi is the fact that nacatamales are also wrapped in leaves for their cooking process. In Nicaragua we use the leaves of a plantain tree. People use two to three leaves to create a thick layer to place the raw ingredients on it to then wrap it tightly and tie-up with a string to be cooked in water for 3 to 5 hours. Here in China, zongzi is rice-based and stuffed with pork belly meat, mushrooms, chestnuts, shallots, and soy sauce. Zongzi are usually wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied up with a string as well. Different from nacatamales, zongzi can also come in a sweet form. Nacatamales are a very popular meal on weekends to enjoy for dinner or for your Sunday breakfast.

Churros vs. Youtiao

Nicaraguan churros or fried dough can come in plain, salty, sweet, or spicy flavors. Some churros are made with corn dough and others with flour. This popular snack can be eaten along with the main hot dishes or served as dessert. The one Chinese snack that reminds me of churros is this type of fried sticks you find in every store, youtiaou. It’s always fun to find familiar foods that can bring you a little taste from home.

Rice and Chicken vs. Fried Rice

Another popular Nicaraguan meal is rice and chicken mixed with vegetables. The chicken is shredded and the veggies are cut in small pieces. People usually add carrots, celery, onions, green pepper, and peas. The chicken is cooked separately as well as the rice, once the veggies are stir-fried and seasoned with salt and pepper you add the chicken and the rice to the mix and then add mustard sauce and ketchup. This meal is very similar to the popular Chinese fried rice. The flavors are of course different, the Nicaraguan rice tends to have a sweet and sour taste whereas Chinese fried rice is more on the salty side. In my opinion, both dishes are delicious!

Chop Suey vs. Lo Mien Noodles

Ok, ok, I hear what you’re saying: chop suey isn’t Nicaraguan! But this dish is extremely popular in Nicaragua and has been popular for so long that it’s developed in a uniquely Nicaraguan way. Nicaragua has a small population of Chinese descendants, and we can gather that the introduction of this form of stir-fried vegetable mixture came from them. Chop suey or ‘Chopsui’ as it is called in my country, is prepared with finely chopped cabbage, carrots, chayote squash, celery, onions, and seasoned with English Sauce, a type of Worcestershire sauce, Ketchup (yes! Ketchup!), salt and pepper. Whenever there are big family gatherings, Nicaraguans will prepare a delicious chop suey dish to offer their guests as it is considered a healthy choice as well as a cheap one, and the most important thing, your guests will come out satisfied with such a succulent meal. The great part of eating this dish is that it’s topped with churritos or a small plain crunchy fried dough that makes a bite of chop suey so good even if you don’t like some of the veggies in it!

Lo Mein noodles certainly reminded me of chop suey. They are similarly prepared with chopped carrots, celery, onions, or any other vegetables you wish to add to the mix. Lo Mein noodles are seasoned with soy sauce and stir-fried together with the vegetables to blend in the flavors together. No doubt a great dish!

Food is one of the best ways to connect different cultures. It’s something that we can all relate to regardless of our background and when we’re able to find similarities between two very difficult cultures through food, it’s a reminder that we’re not so different after all. No matter where you are or what’s available to you, experimenting with new flavors, and creating new memories can make these special connections with your home to your new environment. This is my second time residing in China and the flavors, tastes, and smells are already becoming part of me. Whenever the time comes for me to depart, I will be missing the food of the place that once was home.

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Photos: Ash Chuan (via Flickr), courtesy of Eloisa Duarte, Unsplash, Dianping