Ok here is your answer!

The number one question I receive from friends/family… “How is the food?” Since I know you are all dying to hear about some of the crazy things I’ve eaten I just want to set the record straight before you get to many crazy ideas in your head.  First of all, let's just say that it is very different then the meat and potatoes I grew up on.  Chinese food always seems to get a bad rep because the type of Chinese food we get in America is greasy and heavy. But in actuality, most of the Chinese food you have eaten has been Americanized to your liking.  I haven’t seen one dish here in China that I have seen in America.  The dining experience in Nanjing has been quite varied from cafeteria food served on a metal tray to delicious Thai, Cantonese and traditional Chinese food at fancy restaurants.  For me, the food experience has been an adventure and my sense of taste has been awakened by so many different spices and flavors that I have never tasted before.  

Ok so let me take you on my food adventure so far... My favorite dish here is called Gong Boa Ji Ding (pronounced: gum boaw g ding), which is sautéed peanuts and chicken in this amazing, slightly spicy sauce.  It has this rich flavor that coats your tongue with a layer of deliciousness!  One dish I am not so fond of is what Nanjing is famously known for called “salty duck.”  This dish has a kind of chewy and fatty texture...not my fav but hey who can say they ate salty duck?  

The whole presentation and dining experience is also much different then the US.  Usually, when we go out to a nice restaurant we are escorted to a separate room in the restaurant, where we have our own table and waitress.  Food is presented on a turntable (or lazy Susan as we would call it) in the middle of the table where dish after dish is placed.  Most of the time we order some type of green vegetable that has been sautéed or boiled.  Other dishes I have tried are different variations of pork, beef, chicken and fish dishes.  Some are better then others but the way they are cooked and how they taste is very different then the food we eat in the US.  Sometimes you aren’t too sure what your eating since it looks so different! I make sure to always ask a native Chinese but sometimes I wonder what they are really telling me.  Of course there is always soup and rice served with the meal and for desert usually watermelon or some type or fruit. 

Now the fun stuff- Beer is the prime choice for a beverage since water has to be bottled.  It’s called Pijo (pronounced pee joe) and was the second word I learned here after Ni Hao (pronounced knee how) for hello.  These are probably the two most essential words I have learned so far!  So put that in the memory bank.