How to Get Good Food in China

<blockquote>Quote
<hr> I have never ever seen the people waste so much food since I came to the West country. <hr></blockquote>
Sorry, but I must disagree. I have eaten in Chinese restaurants throughout China and I have always seen a lot of food left over on tables without being eaten and then thrown away. Tons of heaps beside eateries and restaurants thrown away without any care. So much waste in a country that is supposed to feed 1.3 billion people, I guess. Strange indeed !

From my point of view the people who wasted food in the West Country, they throw out into the garbage can, the food we do waste in the table that we feed animals.

>> Animals in a large city ??? Strange indeed !
I also give my garden-cat what I leave on my plate.
Anyway, I was amazed to see how much food is thrown to garbage in China and how much food is left over on tables in restaurants by diners. I guess it is good manners in Chinese culture not to eat all dishes served to you or not to eat all food as a matter of showing politeness. Is it so? Just find it very strange!
O.K, forget it ! I don't want to cause an unpleasant discussion.

>>You know you’re in China when you are standing on the bus, head and shoulders above everyone else, and looking across a sea of only black hair. You are not Chinese if you don’t have black hair. Well, actually, I did come across an albino Chinese woman in my travels, who was easy to spot, so there must be a handful of natural blonds in their billion strong population. But otherwise, it’s a pretty homogenous group. >>

Although most Chinese are Han, meaning they usually have black hair and look like what most people think of as "Chinese", there are also large populations of people who are blonde, or have middle-eastern looks, etc. Please be careful in generalizing - "you are not Chinese if you don't have black hair" is most certainly not true if you have really traveled or lived in China.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Sorry, but I must disagree. I have eaten in Chinese restaurants throughout China and I have always seen a lot of food left over on tables without being eaten and then thrown away. Tons of heaps beside eateries and restaurants thrown away without any care. So much waste in a country that is supposed to feed 1.3 billion people, I guess. Strange indeed !<hr></blockquote>

This food is not thrown away, people come around with the big colored barrels of slop and take it back to use as pig feed. then they kill the pigs and feed pork to us again. then we make slop for them to come pick up and feed to the pigs.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>there are also large populations of people who are blonde<hr></blockquote>

NNNNOOOOOOO, it's not true ! All have black hair & eyes !
The only strange thing I saw is a muslim in Lahsa (Tibet) having green eyes. I guess he is not Chinese but originating from central Asia !

In a country with 50+ ethnic minorities I don't think you can say that they are homogenous. While the majority are Han, those that are not Han are not any less Chinese, surely?

WE ARE ALL HAN

SOON

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>...There’s hardly any refrigeration, and the meat sometimes sits out in the sun for days before it is sold.<hr></blockquote>Except for the "in the sun" part, this may not be a bad thing. From here:<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Cooked, unaged beef has been described as "metallic" and lacking in typical beef flavor. Aging gives beef a flavor that has been described as "gamy." True beef flavor is fully developed after about 11 days of aging. The aged beef flavor increases with increasing aging time.

Aging also increases tenderness. It has been shown that during the aging process certain changes take place in portions of the structure of collagen and muscle fibers. Currently, it is thought that enzymatic-caused changes in the structure of muscle fibers are largely responsible for the increase in tenderness. It is known that tenderness decreases immediately after slaughter while rigor mortis takes place (taking 6 to 12 hours to complete); then tenderness increases gradually. Tenderness continues to increase up to 11 days, after which there is no increase in tenderness.<hr></blockquote>
I also think you're looking for trouble by holding out your money to let the restaurant people decide how much of it they want. If you can learn to understandably say "kung pao chicken," you can learn to say "how much?" Have them write it down. If you've been paying $5US for Kung Pao, you're being very generous.