I don't know who Theophilus London is but I think he has shopped in a Chinese market before. There is a click, a zen a feeling I get when I go down various rows of produce, meat, fish, nick-nack and other items I have not a clue what it might be. One in particular we enjoy. It looks like a mini tomatillos but when I peel back the wrapper, I get a yellow fruit that is sweet. Perfect in a fruit salad with mangosteen and bananas with a sprinkling of cinnamon (which I had to borrow because my spices are in customs-another post later about that). I have had the fortune of tagging along with someone that has been here for 3 years and is a foodie like myself.
 |
| What are these tasty treats? |
Michellena goes shopping every Saturday at the market at 7 am. with bags in hand. Let me explain to you that shopping is not a quick trip to Safeway or a jaunt down to the local farmers market. The 'compound' is about 30 minutes away from the JinTiTan farmers market. You can take the Chinway (light-rail), the school hired bus or you get a taxi. Michellena prefers the taxi and here is why. You have a lot of bags to carry around and with the personal taxi, they will wait for you, take your bags and away you go to the next part of the market. Its really like hiring a limo service! It is a bit more pricey but it is all relative. It costs me about 30-40 Yen (about $4-$6 for the whole DAY!) compared to the Chinway (1 Yen) or the bus (free).
Shopping for groceries and other incidentals is an all day event! We start at 7 a.m. for produce, meat, and spices. We get back to our apartment around 8:30 a.m. Then we are off again around 10 a.m. to the larger town, Kaifaqu where we go to the local mall, the Korean butcher shop and to Sunny's, an import store for things like peanut butter, etc. We get back around 3:30 p.m. If you prefer to go into Dalian, the free bus goes there only on Saturdays for a trip to IKEA, Metro (similar to Fred Meyer) or Sams Club. If you do that trip, you will get back around 4:30 p.m.
 |
| outside IKEA |
We have been to IKEA, Metro, Korean butcher, the market twice so far. I am pretty shopped out at IKEA and Metro but I will never be shopped out for the market or the butcher shop. That is when I know I am not in the United States. I am in China. The meat is cut right in front of you on a butcher block that I believe hasn't been washed since 1990. (I might be exaggerating a bit, maybe) It is not for the faint of heart, I'm sure of that. The pictures will speak for themselves.
 |
| Seriously, went around the corner and this was there! |
 |
| Chickens and little chicks |
 |
| Need any spices or anything pickled? |
 |
| I don't buy my seafood at the market. |
Because there are no regulations really to speak of, I make sure our food that I have purchased at the market are cleaned and properly prepared. I wash my lettuce in a vinegar bath, pat dry and wrap it in paper towels then seal them in a ziplock and put it into the refrigerator. When I am ready to use the lettuce for a salad, I cut it up and I nook it in the microwave for about 30 second. Now it is ready for a salad. (I also stir-fry any vegetables I want to put into the salad, including the cucumbers) It is a process but our health is very important to us. So far, we are doing well.
 |
| Dinner time. Flank steak, salad and sweet potatoes |
Until next time,
Liz
No comments:
Post a Comment