The Glory of Chinese Food

There's nothing quite like it.

Some days, I am very indifferent to my Chinese-hood. Other days, like today, I am very grateful for it. Particularly when I get to enjoy really good food. I'm talking that really good, special occasion stuff. The lobster egg noodles (say no more or I will cream my pants right here), salted egg fried prawns, century egg spinach (I don't even like century egg but with spinach, it's delicious), yam basket, dried scallop soup.

I've only had the pleasure of eating a full course Chinese banquet a handful of times in my life. But it literally is an amazing experience. Once was at a dinner while I was in Melbourne for my cousin's wedding. They are rich. It was like I was feasting as an oriental princess, living it up in the Qing dynasty (I don't even know what shit I'm talking now). We had roasted quail, scallops three ways in the shell. That's pretty much all I remember but I know the rest was magnificent.

I feel like I'm allowed into this secret garden that only Chinese people are allowed into when I eat this stuff. Other people who eat Chinese food don't eat the same stuff or would likely not appreciate the more traditional dishes. Century egg is essentially black, sloppy jelly. Yam has a really gluey texture and is reasonably tasteless. But for some reason Chinese people love it. I love eating one of these dinners with a bunch of Australian born Chinese teenagers and young adults. Boisterous with their hearty Australian accents (again, talking such shit that I should courtesy flush right now) but with chopstick skills taught by their parents from infancy, who never pour tea for themselves first but always for their neighbour and who fucking love century egg.

J