Things on Sticks
If there is one thing that China has mastered, it is the art of food on sticks. You can find almost anything on a stick in Beijing. On any given roadside you are likely to see skewered meats af all kinds being grilled, fried, or marinated. The first “stick food” we tried was the kebab, or as the Chinese say, “chuan”. As you cruise around Beijing you’ll see light up Chuan signs everywhere. The chuan character is shaped kind of like a dragonfly, and the kebab-masters here have taken to bending string lights into that shape to advertise. The most commonly eaten chuan is mutton. Tiny chunks of meat and fat are skewered and grilled over hot coals until they are sizzling and perfect. They are sprinkled with a huge dose of cumin and hot pepper, then served in a delicious greasy pile. I can’t properly express my love for these things. Let’s just say that Bobleo learned quickly to order about 50% more than I originally indicated. Otherwise, I would start attacking his kebab pile.
Fried sitck-food is also really popular here. Breaded or battered chicken legs are a real hit, and you can find them at many street markets throughout the city. In some special markets you can find some fried stick food of a more unusual variety. In Wanfujing, for instance, there are several stands featuring fried scorpions, sea horses, snakes, and beetles. As you can tell by the blog name, eating fried scorpions was a goal of mine, and on one of our last days in China I finally did the deed. I ordered one skewer of scorpion, and one of snake. A French buddy of ours had particularly recommended the snake, so I decided to give it a try. They coated it in a mild curry before frying it, and I must say it was quite tasty. It had a flavor similar to chicken, and a texture similar to a firm, white fish. The scorpions were also surprisingly good. I was a little nervous about the poison, so I flicked off their stingers before getting my chomp on. They were crispy, spicy, and actually really, really good. I could see fried bugs as being great bar food. Greasy and crunchy – better than potato chips!
The real fried stick specialty in Beijing involves a variety of skewered meats and veggies, and a sizzling hot vat of heavily spiced oil. These suckers are very very hot, but nothing compared to the last stick specialty found in Beijing. This last stick based specialty will really put hair on your chest. Bobleo and I stumbled onto this accidentally. In many noodle shops, they have baskets of skewered meats, veggies, and other curious items. We grabbed a few interesting sticks, thinking that they would be added to our ramen. A few minutes later, the kebabs returned, covered in a very strange sesame sauce. The first bite was delicious! We smiled at eachother, feeling triumphant and adventurous, but it wasn’t long until our mouths lit on fire. Turns out that the seemingly innocent sesame sauce was actually composed primarily of napalm. God damn, that hurt.
To sum up my feelings on Chinese Stick foods, I would describe them as sometimes dangerous, mostly tasty.
