Grocery shopping in China has proven to be interesting. There are some very different items carried in the stores here. Some things I just don't even know what they are. Others are fruits and vegetables that we don't have in the states. One of my favorites is the Dragon Fruit. It has a bright pink spiky rind. The inside flesh is white and specked with black seeds (similar to those of kiwi).
Then there are things like meat and fish that are just sold and packaged differently than what we're used to. While shopping today, I was looking for chicken breast. I came across a packaged whole chicken that was still looking at me. The label read "whole chicken, no feet". And I still can't get used to seeing some of the chickens with black skin. Apparently this is a certain breed.
In the meat department you see whole sides of pork hanging from the ceiling. Customers pick through bins of what I think are ribs. You can buy almost any part (muscle or not) of any cow/pig/lamb you would like.
The fish & seafood department is similar. The fish is so fresh in fact that your dinner is still swimming in the tank right in front of you. You simply tell the employee which you'd like and he fishes it out of the tank with a net. I don't know what happens next, but can only imagine.
I am very happy that I stocked up on baby food before we moved, and that I can find some "normal" Gerber foods in the import stores here. The cereal in local stores come in varieties such as fish and vegetables, salmon and carrots, bone marrow and carrots. I guess starting them early on fish gets them ready for dried fish flakes, and dried shrimps. These go nicely with the different varieties of seaweed available.
1 comment:
Dear Miss Manners in China, I know you don't remember Grandma Angellotti,but your father and I do.
you can ask him what part of the chicken she didn't use. If my memory serves me justice, she used everthing but the beck and toenails. One Christmas, years ago, we were at her house with the entire family(all cousins included)and I was the one who received a small portion of pasta with a little braided piece of something on my dish. I remember asking what it was, but was told not to be rude and eat it anyway. So I did!(I didn't want to hurt Grandma's feelings)Oh yeah...you will never believe this but it was intestines.....all cleaned and braided so nicely....who would have thought it....to this day I refuse (sometimes to eat things that I don't know what it is)...ha..ha!!! Ask your dad...he probably ate some too!!!
As always, XXX's & OOO's Aunt Linnt
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