1/5/18 – Extraordinary Eats!

Today was a whirlwind of newness – from the breathtaking sights of the city, to the unfamiliar sound of Cantonese, to the myriad of smells and flavors of the cuisine, it seemed that every minute brought with it some new encounter. Amidst everything, though, what stood out the most to me was the food. While I had heard of dim sum back home, I had never really experienced it until today, when both our lunch and dinner consisted of an endless parade of dishes presented on a huge glass wheel. I honestly don’t know half of what I ate – some of the plates were easily distinguishable (the chicken and fish with lunch, for example, conveniently incorporated the animals’ heads for easy identification) and some mystified me even after hearing the English translations. I was blown away by the sheer diversity of flavors that could fit into a single meal – while in the US we might have a single main course, with perhaps a complementary side and a salad, the handful of meals (two) I’ve had in Hong Kong were spectacularly diverse, with components ranging from simple white rice to fried fish to a tofu-vegetable slurry to an entire boiled chicken, all with new and intoxicating blends of spices and sauces. The traditions surrounding meals (such as rinsing the bowls and utensils with tea before eating) and the colorful stories behind them that a Lingnan professor shared with us over lunch made for an even more engaging experience, and I’ve found myself at the end of every meal immediately looking forward to the next, no matter how much I stuff myself. I realize that all of our meals here may not be so extravagant, but I’m definitely excited to see what more this city has to offer in the way of cuisine!