Local writer Wang Yibing: Gossip about travel and food in Phoenix

Local writer Wang Yibing: Gossip about travel and food in Phoenix China's food is famous far and wide, mainly for its richness and diversity. Although the ancients said: Taste does not distinguish between north and south...

China's cuisine is famous for its richness and diversity. Although the ancients said that taste does not distinguish between north and south, and food does not matter east or west, with the changes of the times and the differences in people's living culture, coupled with the differences in climate, geography, history and customs in a certain area, a set of self-contained cooking techniques and flavors have been formed after a long historical evolution, and are recognized as local dishes across the country. The major Chinese cuisines and schools have also emerged one after another. They are divided by province into Shandong, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan and Hunan, which are often referred to as the "eight major cuisines" of China. According to cultural genres, it is divided into Northeastern cuisine, Beijing cuisine, Hebei and Shandong cuisine, Jiaoliao cuisine, Shanxi cuisine, Central Plains cuisine, Northwest cuisine, Shangjiang cuisine, Jianghuai cuisine, Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, Jiangxi cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hakka cuisine, and Cantonese cuisine.

In the past, every time I traveled, in addition to appreciating the great rivers and mountains of the motherland, I also tasted the local specialties. Traveling and enjoying local snacks went hand in hand, making the journey full of infinite fun. Over time, I gradually began to distinguish the different tastes of the north and the south (actually it is very easy to distinguish). In comparison, I prefer dishes divided by cultural genres, which are more detailed and less general. In fact, different regions have different flavor dishes. The more you taste them, the different textures you can slowly taste while chewing them slowly.

I came to the United States for the first time in 2009. Several of our friends drove out for a trip. The natural scenery and wild animals everywhere along the way made people lament the injustice of the Creator. God seemed to be too partial to the United States. Have you ever seen such a natural Grand Canyon? It took many years of wind erosion and crustal movement to form such a spectacular scene. Not only the Grand Canyon, but with a casual glance, every place is picturesque. The blue sky, white clouds, and fresh air are so picturesque that it makes people feel like they are in a fairyland in their dreams.

After a day of sightseeing, we started to taste the local food as usual. In order to save time at noon, we usually eat Western fast food to solve the problem. The singleness of Western food is far less satisfying than the rich Chinese food, and our Chinese stomachs quickly get tired of too much creamy Western food. We finally found a Chinese restaurant in the evening, sat down in a quiet corner, and prepared to enjoy the delicious food slowly just like we did in China. We ordered the most Sichuan-style "Kung Pao Chicken" and Hunan cuisine "Boiled Fish", etc. When the dishes were served, we were completely dumbfounded. The names were the same, but the colors were not as bright as those in China. The dried red peppers were replaced with fresh green peppers, and the fish was as smooth as boneless. I tasted it cautiously, and the difference was so far away from what I had imagined. We suddenly lost our appetite and became a little depressed. The local temporary tour guide told us that in the United States, it is more difficult to eat 100% authentic Chinese food than to build the Great Wall. Because in order to cater to the tastes of Laos and Americans, all Chinese dishes have become "Chinese delicacies."

So, it seems that if you want to find the perfect combination of "tourism + food" in China, there is no hope here. In the next few days, we tried to eat all Western food, but after a few meals, we lost the energy we had just gained, and our appetites that were accustomed to Chinese food suddenly couldn't adapt. We went from nausea to stomach pain, and finally fell into despair. The romantic atmosphere of America and the wonderland created by the Creator have lost their appeal to us, and we are ready to return home. What’s the point of traveling without food? Before returning to China, a friend who was accompanying me asked me to go to Phoenix, Arizona, to see her son. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a last look at the United States. We drove for six hours, and the scenery along the way seemed to be the same, but it no longer had much appeal to me. I hope to return to China soon and have a big meal with my friends to make up for the appetite I have lost in the past few days.

We just arrived at the door of her son's apartment, and the young man was already there to greet us. I think while mother and son were reminiscing about old times, I would lie in bed and sleep. Unexpectedly, her son was so excited to see his relatives that he directly pulled us downstairs. We were pulled into the car by him in a daze. About half an hour later, the car turned into an intersection and stopped in front of a building. The young man took us into a "Northeast Chef" restaurant next to the building. I thought that although "Northeastern cuisine" is also a major specialty of Northeast China, it was born in the United States at this time and may have already become American food. I think it doesn't matter whether this last supper is authentic or not, it doesn't hurt to have a "Chinese meal" one last time.

There are pasta and stir-fry dishes in the restaurant. I'm from the south and don't like pasta very much, so I ordered the "boiled fish fillet" which is my favorite in China. They ordered "Di San Xian", "Northeast Stew" and "Couple's Pork Slices". There was no staple food, so I ordered "Crystal Bun" and "Leek Box".

There are many people inside, most of them are Chinese, and there are also some foreigners. Our dishes arrived quickly. The young man looked at the food on the table and said excitedly, "I'm waiting for you to come to the United States to eat authentic Chinese cuisine from Northeastern China. Students from our school come here every day. They said that eating here makes us feel like we are at home. The food here can relieve our homesickness." I first carefully tasted the dishes I ordered, the potatoes and eggplants in the "Di San Xian", and then the "boiled fish fillets". The spicy, spicy and fresh taste finally aroused my appetite, and the familiar delicacies appeared again. We quickly finished several dishes. It was the first time that I was so "satisfied" in a foreign country.

Finally had authentic Chinese food in the United States, and the fatigue and frustration of several days of travel were gone. We were very curious about how they made it so authentic. The young man’s classmate and driver said that in order to let the Chinese people here eat authentic Chinese food, many of their seasonings and dry goods were flown directly from China. Once we got homesick, we would come here to eat together... Under the influence of these young people, we also became extremely happy and did not return to the apartment until very late.

I often hear people ridicule: The greatest happiness in life is to eat Chinese food, marry a Japanese wife, live in a British house, and earn American money. In my opinion, tourism and food complement each other and are indispensable. Wonderful travel becomes more exciting when accompanied by delicious food. In fact, there is nothing more fortunate than this in life. The older a person gets, the more he can develop the philosophy of happiness through eating.