Chinese cuisine, differences between Japan, Europe and China.2
Chinese cuisine in the real China is clearly different.
First of all, there are many kinds of siumai alone, and many kinds of fried rice alone. This may seem obvious considering the country’s population is four times that of the USA and Europe, but it is better to think of it as having that many different types of food in proportion.
The spicy stuff is usually more spicy in flavour. The variety of food is also unusual, as the saying goes that you eat anything with legs except a desk.
Deep-fried scorpions are sold behind high-rise buildings in the big city, and there are meats that you would never think of. [Laughs.
I haven’t had that many unusual challenges myself, but I can’t remember eating anything that wasn’t tasty, even though I have eaten things that were too spicy.
I would like to warn you that there are sometimes restaurants that are not hygienically safe. I have to be a little careful because sometimes there are shops that are not hygienically safe.
Once I was served ramen noodles that glistened in rainbow colours, like oil in a puddle on the road. (Even in such restaurants, the staff are usually friendly, so I ate it and worried a few times. And it was delicious.) Also, some meats are so unusual that it is better to check them carefully before eating them. (I am probably just being conservative because Japanese people rarely eat meat other than beef, chicken and pork.
It looks fancy, it’s well heated and the portions are basically large. I think this is probably because in China people often go out to eat in large groups.
I once went to a restaurant by myself and ordered fried rice for less than $10, only to have a barrel shaped like a bucket placed on the table with a huge amount of fried rice in it (but it was good). （It was delicious though.)
Anyway, large quantities of ingredients, lots of cooking and fancy food – this is my impression of Chinese food in China. I have the impression that Chinese food in Europe has been reduced in variety and intensity of flavour, and that Chinese food in Japan has been made more subdued.
I don’t like Chinese snacks because they seem dry to me, but I recommend that you try Chinese food every day when you travel to China, whether it is from a restaurant or a street stall. There are numerous varieties of dumplings alone, and there is a dumpling universe.
