The morning of our second day, Chef Martin Yan takes our group to a local wet market in Shunde, China. If you want to get a sense of local culture, and local food – the wet market is where you can get an up close and personal view. In my case, my experience might have been a little TOO close, I emerged with stains on my clothes and smelling like fish – but happy, that all of my appendages (including head) are intact……
The market is located in a two-story building. As we enter, it is crowded with customers. We immediately see stalls and stalls of cut-up poultry, and people yelling. They are yelling at customers, yelling at their co-workers, yelling at each other, yelling at ME. Yup, somehow, I had already doing something wrong, because there is a man waving a large cleaver and yelling in my direction. What/Why??? Since the crazy yelling man is down the aisle from me, and too far to inflict harm to me, I shrug him off, and continue to browse the stalls displaying a variety of poultry, including black chickens, geese, and birds that were cut open with eggs still inside!!
Second warning!! There may be pictures and descriptions of events posted here that might make the reader uncomfortable. I wish there was a more delicate way to portray all of the sights, sounds and smells at the Wet Market. But while I am here, I am simultaneously, feeling amazed, disgusted, horrified, scared and incredibly intrigued. With a sense of morbid curiosity, I cannot tear my eyes away from all of the things happening around me. In lieu of standing there looking dumbstruck with my mouth agape, I start taking pictures.
Behind poultry, is the livestock section – with rows of cages containing several species of live birds. When a customer makes a purchase, the vendor will slit the throat, drain the blood, and de-feather the bird – all in a matter of minutes!
Beyond the caged birds, there are baskets of live frogs, snakes and turtles. Those vendors, are also gutting and cleaning, leaving the still-twitching frogs on the floor. I carefully navigate my way around the flying cleavers, and piles of guts on the wet and slippery floor. At the other end of the building, there is a set of stairs. Needing to escape the slaughter all around me, I head upstairs.
Whereas the first floor was dark, wet and bloody, the second floor is brightly lit with windows on all four walls. This floor is where they sell vegetables, flowers, eggs, fresh noodles and tofu products, dried seafood, and handmade dumplings. The hazards of this floor come from the motorcycles, bikes and large carts that barrel down the narrow and crowded aisles. I am almost run over by a scooter, then a cart carrying a load of freshly picked vegetables pushes past me and smears wet mud on the back of my legs, and then I almost trip over the legs of a customer sorting through heads of cabbage on the ground. Aack!!
Half the floor is occupied with butchers selling beef, pork, lamb, and other meat products. If you are a fan of “nose to tail” eating, you should come here!! There are animal parts, I never knew animals had, being sold! Truth be told, after spending so much time among all of these animal innards, I start thinking about becoming vegetarian……
I notice that it is almost time to meet the group back at the bus. Reluctantly, I make my way back downstairs.
On the other side of the first floor is the fresh fish section. I am back in the wettest section of the Wet Market! As I head towards my bus, I push my way through the many fish customers and vendors. I am getting splashed by water from tanks overflowing with large live fish, that angrily flip their tails as they attempt to find some personal space. I marvel at the speed that the vendors are able to catch, gut, scale, and filet a fish – all with one BIG knife. Fish scales and guts are flying everywhere.
I emerge from the entrance of the market, feeling exhilarated by what I have just experienced, but also so happy to be away from the crowds, the smell and the blood. I am muddy, wet, and smell fishy, and there is still the strong smell of the market lingering in my nose.
As the other members of the tour arrive at the bus, everyone had some crazy story to share about the wet market. Martin has also bought several of the exotic local items to share with the group during lunch.
There is a large fountain and large tanks near the entry full of live seafood – several types of fish (big ones!), lobsters, crabs, snakes, shrimp….. This is food at its freshest!! When an order comes through, the chef would grab a live snake, or any type of fish, and proceed to kill and prep it – with the same knife. For Chinese chefs – one knife fits all!
Dinner on our first day in China is VIP all the way. In our private dining room, we have the executive chef and the restaurant manager demonstrating and preparing several of our courses right in front of us. The Executive Chef is still on duty. He is wearing an earpiece, and is giving instructions to the kitchen staff preparing food for a 2000-person banquet, as well as several other private parties. Voices buzz over the intercom, and we can see him mumble orders. (Check out video below!)
Dinner, has 16 courses: Shunde’s Own Fish Chowder, Jiang Jiang Vinegar Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Steamed Fish with Pomelo Peel, Fragrant Lemongrass Prawns, Wok-Sauteed Pumpkin, Bitter Melon and Wood Ear, Pan-Fried Lotus Cake
Salt and Pepper Fresh Water Fish, Shunde-Style Creamy Seafood Stir-fry, Golden Crispy Scallops, Braised Fisherman’s Farm-Raised Fish, Steamed Beef Shank with Bitter Squash, Stir-Fried Chinese Greens of the Day, Baked White Mountain Almond Buns, Crispy Purple Sweet Potato Rolls, BBQ Pork Puffs
For dinner, a very famous Shunde specialty – Special Ginger Milk Custard. This is made of a sweet syrup of old starchy ginger – ginger that has been harvested after many of the sugars have already turned to starch, with the milk of water buffalo that has been heated to about 95 C degrees. The process startes with the ginger syrup in a bowl, then ladle in warm water buffalo milk by starting close to the bowl, and slowly elevating the ladle up above the bowl to agitate and combine the mixture. Wait about 60 seconds, and the mixture will harden into custard that will float a ceramic soup spoon. Martin explained what is happening is a similar process to adding cornstarch to thicken sauces. I love this dessert -sweet, creamy and gingery spicy. I was almost going to lick my bowl, when Martin offered me his portion -Lucky me!! We also had plates of local fruits that Martin and his Staff had purchased from street vendors we saw during the day.
The evening ended with a fiery wok show in the kitchen for the VIP audience.
Our group left the restaurant, feeling very “Happy Together” – Happy to be eating such delicious, unique food together with wonderful new friends!!
After spending hours in the re-circulated air of a pressurized cabin, I love the moment you step out of the airplane, onto the jetway and breath in your first lung-full of air at your new destination.
That first breath of air contains so many clues to what awaits you outside the airport.
My first breath in Hong Kong (after the fuel smell) was warm and muggy. I immediately felt too warm with my sweatshirt and boots. I could smell the faint aroma of Asian food coming from the clothing of the ground crew. As you enter the arrival gate, the airconditioned environment removes these clues, and you are back in a generic airport air.
As I dodged and passed through other travelers on my way to immigration I felt a rush of adrenaline. After sitting for 15 hours, it felt so good to move my legs! I was so excited to be starting my adventure in China, I almost start skipping!!
At the immigration counter, the agent checks my documents and stamps my passport. As he hands it back to me, I smile broadly and say, “this is the first stamp in my new passport!!!” I doubt he understood, but smiled back at me. (Yup, I’m such a dork!)
We collected our luggage and met the group in the arrivals lounge where Chef Martin Yan is waiting for us. He welcomes us to Hong Kong, and also tells us some interesting facts about the airport, Hong Kong, and about the adventure that is ahead of us. We all board a bus that will take us to the border where we will cross from Hong Kong, into Shen Zhen. More lines, more stamps in my passport – Hong Kong “departure” and China “entry.” Since the handover in 1997, Hong Kong is technically China, but the “one country, two systems” is still a reality. HK residents have no issue going in and out of China, but residents of China have restrictions on entering Hong Kong. In fact, HK and the rest of China use different currency and censorship guidelines are also different. Facebook and my e-eats blog were available in HK, but blocked in China.
From Shen Zhen, we are on a bus for about 2 hours to Shunde. Alongside the highway, we see rows and rows of factories as well as large dormitory and luxury highrise complexes. There is so much money is being spent on construction and revitalization! With all of the construction and manufacturing the sky around Shen Zhen has a yellow-ish grey haze of smog. Martin points out that Mao’s lasting influence is apparent in the beautifully landscaped areas along highways in newly developed areas. This only possible in China where the low labor costs of maintaining the landscaping is affordable (for now…) Among the factories, we also see evidence past industries. We pass duck farms, fish farms, fields of black sugar cane, and lychee trees. One of the “fun facts” that Martin gives us, is that the total annual US production of ducks is appox equal to the avg duck consumption in a top Peking duck restaurant in Beijing for one three week period. According to Martin, the Chinese love their duck!
Our bus pulls into Shunde, the streets are bustling. There are large department stores and western retail and food chains. There are scooters everywhere! Entire “families” riding on one scooter! It is Sunday so the streets are less congested. Shunde, located in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, is what Martin calls a “fourth tier” city in China. It has a population of a little over 1 million people. It is well know for its consumer electronics industry, as well as for being the source of some of the best Cantonese chefs in Southern China.
Our first meal is at ArYiLiangTong – which roughly translates to “second wife’s soup.” Martin explained that in agricultural areas, it was common for men to have more than one wife (more wives = more children = more hands to work in the field.) Often, the best way for a woman to catch the heart of a married man, was to be a better cook – in other words, “winning a man’s heart through his stomach!”
This is our first meal, and the first thing we eat since our arrival in China – the anticipation!! The ladies wheel out a cart of little ceramic crocks. What tasty delights wait inside???
Inside the crocks was our first dish, Herbal Fish and Quail Soup. Hmmmmm……. whole little birds in soup. I made a promise to myself that on this trip I would try EVERYTHING. This very first dish was already presenting a challenge. I looked down at the little bird head looking at me, and sipped the soup around it. Yum! The warm broth warmed and comforted my tired body, and the broth was flavorful yet subtle, with many unfamiliar but delicious ingredients. Soon, more dishes followed:
Happy Day Cold Platter – roasted duck, crispy chicken, and chicken rolls, Steamed Farm-raised freshwater fish from the Pearl River Delta, Red-cooked Pork with Long Beans, Fish Balls with Mustard Greens, Miniature Fish Dumplings in Broth, Salted Plum-flavored Pork,
Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Preserved Meat, Chen’s Village Rice Noodles, Special Steamed Rice Cake, and Seasonal Fruit (watermelon). Looking over my pictures, I think they added some of the dishes on the original menu. We also had a very interesting dish that looked like a bird’s next with the stir-fried milk of water buffalo. A sweetened version of the water buffalo milk was also what was inside the “chicken roll” of the Happy Day Cold Platter.
Over lunch, we had a chance to meet some of the other members of the tour. Martin gave us a tutorial on how to use a Chinese “squat toilet” – thank goodness, because we encountered many of those (maybe too many!), We laughed and ate til our bellies were full.
After lunch Martin arranged for us to visit a nearby garden – formerly owned by a very wealthy man – beautifully landscaped with rocks, stained glass, and small ponds. We had an opportunity to walk off our lunch and take tons of pictures.
Our first group pictures – which includes some random local girls who were fans of the Willis, our resident “handsome, tall, Caucasian man” in the back.
November 11th, 2011 at 11:11pm. At our gate at SFO, Rosemary Gong, her mom, Mary, her Auntie Peggy, Auntie Lynn, her cousin, Susan, and I closed our eyes for a moment and made a wish. We were all about to embark on a culinary journey through Southern China with the one and only, Martin Yan!
Rewind to one month earlier.
A recent trip to LA, inspired me to do a cleanse – to detox my body from my daily abuse of gourmet yummies, and to also lose a few pounds before I went to visit my sister in Hawaii. About a week into this cleanse, I am invited to a dinner with VIP guest, Chef Martin Yan at the California Culinary Academy. Do I interrupt my joyous vegan/gluten-free diet of only fruits, veggies, and juice to dine with one of the most famous and established chefs in the world? Hell, YES!!
After a cooking demonstration and a tour of the school facilities, we sat down with Chef Martin Yan at the Technique Restaurant, for a dinner which was prepared and served by the students of the CCA. During our meal, Chef Martin chatted with the bloggers about his experiences and many of the current activities on his plate – new restaurant, new shows, etc. He mentioned that he was taking a group of people to China on a charity tour benefitting The Leukemia Lymphoma Society. My ears perk up! I reminded him that I had actually met him earlier this year at a Leukemia Lymphoma Society charity luncheon for my friend Rosemary Gong. It turned out that this trip to China was part of Rosemary’s fundraising campaign!
Chef Martin casually says, “You should come too!” A seed is planted……
I start to ramble “It has been years since I have been to Asia, my parents are from Taiwan……”
Martin says, “You should add an excursion to Taiwan – I know some people there that I could introduce to you…” Seed sprouting…..
Martin continues, “I’m leaving for Beijing in two days, but if you have time to come by the office tomorrow, my staff can give you the details.” Leaf, leaf, roots……
The next day I drive down to the San Mateo offices of Yan Can Cook. I walk into Martin’s staff meeting complete with flowers, balloons and refreshments – the team is waiting for Martin’s wife to get off the phone so they can give her a birthday surprise. Martin introduces me, and everyone shifts so I can join them. While we are waiting, I look around the office – every wall was covered with plaques, awards, honorary degrees, and pictures of Martin with everyone who is anyone in the culinary world. I had pinch myself to make sure that this was really happening.
Martin was leaving the next day to Beijing for business, but he spent the next two hours talking to me and showing me around the Yan Can Cook enterprise. Wow!
After I left the offices, I immediately called my family to discuss. This trip would be a huge financial outlay – as a freelancer, my stream of random projects barely covers monthly expenses, I would need to dip into my savings. I was leaving in 6 days to visit my sister for two weeks, getting major dental work ($$) while I was there, and would be leaving for this trip only a few days after I got back. Should I go to Taiwan? Should I stop by anywhere else? How long would I stay? Where would I stay? Would my friends and family be available during this time? Blah, blah, blah…..
Who was I kidding? This was an opportunity of a lifetime! And exactly what I needed. While my life is full of amazing experiences, I had been desperately looking for inspiration for the next phase of my life. What would be a better source of inspiration – than an adventure to new places, with new friends – and with interesting and delicious new foods?
The next few weeks were a blur – finalizing dates and destinations, contacting friends and family, visas, travel insurance, major dental work, Halloween, nephew’s birthday, last minute preparations………
And so there we were – at 11/11/11 at 11:11 – all of us with our eyes closed at that magical moment – making a wish, and about to embark on an adventure………
Details of our adventure to follow…… stay tuned!!!!!
