I honestly can't think of any other country where this as pronounced as in china, you move between different cuisines from different parts of the country and the food is completely different
@@fsmnt I would love to explore indonesian cuisine more, but it's hard to find here in Australia (surprisingly given we're neighbours). I can get many different regional chinese cuisines easily but I can only know of two Indonesian Restaurants in all of Brisbane
It's been already mentioned in the comments, but to phrase it a bit differently: there aren't Chinese restaurants in China. There are restaurants that specialize in regional cuisines (e.g. Beryl ordered from a Sichuan place, one of the 8 major regional cuisines), certain types of experiences (e.g. grilled food, dim sum, hot pot), or other specialties (e.g. breakfast places, noodle houses, dumpling houses). With such a diverse geography, historically people ate and cooked very differently in different parts of China. Loads of food adventures for anyone to try. 😄
I also recently learned here in the US, apparently some takeout places (the kind who would absolutely serve pot stickers and crab rangoons) have specific regional foods on a different menu. It's obvious in many sit-down restaurants when they have menues written in English and separate Chinese menus (or the English portion of the menu is three pages then goes on for 8 more pages in Chinese, hahaha)... but to find out that if you just roll up to some takeout places and ask, it's almost like a Chinese food speakeasy, haha.
Thanks for stating the obvious. Nobody in the U.S. says I'm going to have American tonight. Thats because local cuisine in any country will be called by region, or specific dish. Foreign food will be categorized by geographical region or country etc.
To answer your question, Chinese food is meant to be eaten piping hot. One of the things we often say to each other at the table is 趁热吃， which translates to "eat it while it's hot".
I think people tend to forget how ethnically diverse China is. Food from different regions is so strongly shaped by both their unique environments as well as the different ethnic groups that live there, making Chinese food so regionally diverse 💕
@jash21222 do you know anything about China’s ethnic minorities? It is incredibly ethnically diverse and it’s different ethnic groups often strongly influence the cuisine of the region.
@jash21222 Are you sure?? I found this: Among China’s population there exist 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, but according to some sources, there are estimated to be well over 200. Each of these groups has their own language, culture, cuisine, celebrations, and traditions that make it unique, and are a part of China’s long history that dates back thousands of years.
@jash21222 You are indeed correct that the Han people make up 90+% of the population of China but the others are several millions in many of the groups. And are probably located in local areas with the density of the ethnic population being high in that one particular area. For example: The major minority ethnic groups in China are Zhuang (16.9 million), Hui (10.5 million), Manchu (10.3 million), Uyghur (10 million), Miao (9.4 million), Yi (8.7 million), Tujia (8.3 million), Tibetan (6.2 million), Mongolian (5.9 million),Kazakh (5 million) Dong (2.8 million), Buyei (2.8 million), Yao (2.7 million), Bai (1.9 million), Korean (1.8 million), Hani (1.6 million), Li (1.4 million), and Dai (1.2 million). Just because a certain dish may “look” Chinese to someone not from that area, it could indeed be an ethnic dish… Oh well, everyone has their own take in things.
@jash21222 Yes, but numbers do not account for their significant contributions to regional Chinese history and culture. Northern China (Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang) is the perfect example of this.
Texture is a very important component in Chinese food. Foods that have a "bounce" (when you were trying to describe the chew of the tofu skin) is sometimes referred to as being "QQ". Things like boba, the glutinous rice balls in the dessert you had, or those bean thread noodles in the "ants on a tree" dish all have that QQ element.
It's a pretty easy conversation to have at the start of the meal: do you want to get a few things to share, or do you want your own dish? If both want to share and both are interested in two different things, then you share. If you can't agree on two things you'd both like, then no sharing. I've sometimes been trying to decide between two different things, while another person was trying to decide between the two same things, so that made total sense to share. The point is to be flexible.
Absolutely! My bf always wants to share. Sometimes I really only want one thing I've really looked forward to. So every time we eat out we have this conversation lol
Yes! I have friends who I eat with, and I know we are going to share. I also have friends who have real issues with food sharing. Various reasons. Under either circumstance, I have a good time! And hopefully eat some good food.
Yeah, I would agree that I usually have a strong preference to share and try lots of things, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a red flag if someone didn't want to. There's plenty reasons someone might not be comfortable with that, ranging from not wanting to share the cost of something expensive, to food allergy concerns, some people just being very squeamish about how sanitary sharing is, or even just craving a specific item on the menu that only has a single serving option. It's fine for people to have preferences and even though I'm all about family style most of the time, there's occasions I'd want to opt out of that arrangement, and I wouldn't be offended if someone else wasn't into it either.
Agreed. At restaurants where family style is typically how the food is served, I do family style. Otherwise I usually do prefer to have my own meal, especially if I'm only out with one or two people. I want what I want and don't particularly have much interest in sharing my food or having anyone else's. I'm definitely always open to trying and trading bites of each others food, but not typically willing to share the full plate. My husband and I will usually just pick two entrees we both want to try and then split them, as you said . If we cant agree on two things, we'll just order whatever we want (and not share, beyond the bite for bite thing ^^)
I'm chinese indonesian, and I'm probably speaking on behalf of myself. But I feel like gate-keeping "oh you're not eating real chinese food if you don't eat x" diminish just how widespread, rich, and adaptable chinese cuisine is. There's so many variation on "chinese food" both in China (iirc there 8 of them just in PRC) and overseas (peranakan, taiwanese, indo-chinese, etc.) so tbh if any non-chinese feeling like "oh no this isn't real chinese food", I beg to differ. The popular american chinese food in your area might not be the ones eaten in the PRC or actual chinese people, but it's still as chinese as it is american. It's not more "authentic" or "better". It's just great food Everywhere we went, we brought our food, and non-chinese people love it so much that they tried to made it their own using what they could get. That's beautiful to me, and I wish people continue to do that. I will definitely be waiting for other variation of chinese food in the future.
This dishes is also not in any so called chinese resturants near me. There everything is fried in batter with sweet a d sour sauce. Had 1 resturant I knew of that was more real food from som area not sure wich one of china and the only place I ever seen chinese population go into to eat even. Most placesjust to sweet drengtg in sauce and not any flavors. And all seem tobhave same chef becouse no variations over all i ended up in threw the country
I agree, there's internet wars started over how each person's grandma from their respective side of the country does a dish thinking who is wrong or right when in reality both dishes are valid 😅
Chinese-American restaurant food is great and "authentic" to how the Chinese diaspora adapted their cuisine to their new surroundings and customers in the US. There's no reason to denigrate it just because it isn't what Chinese-Americans eat at home or what Chinese people in China eat. To dismiss it out of hand is to miss out on some great stuff, which would be a shame.
@@yuyutubee8435 True. Very well prepared American-Chinese food can be very tasty in its own right. But having eaten very authentic Chinese food, from quite a few different provinces, it still does not hold up to the authentic stuff.
I'm Chinese American and love trying a lot of dishes from other regions from China since my parents mostly only exposed me to Guangdong cuisine. I didn't know half of these dishes, and I think that shows how many regional cuisines there are. Always something new to learn
@@audreandre it is so versatile, from artfully elaborate things to very economic and elegant. There are so many very simple to prepare struggle time dishes that are not boring at all. Due to dietary restrictions and a frail health I usually stick to the simpler things but there is so much to explore even with just that. Steamed eggs, ginger fried rice, fish balls, egg flower soup, congee, steamed fish, winter melon seafood soup... all things I prepare on the regular and they are not quite what one thinks of as Chinese food when one mostly knows it from restaurants which often features high levels of spice or deep frying. The first I can not have the second is not that practical to do at home for one person. And then the is of cause dim sum.
Growing up as a Caucasian Australian, I was accustomed to not sharing my meals, but when I got to uni I lived with Asians for about 5 years- so now I’m all about sharing- which tbh, drives my family crazy lol- they have not been introduced to the joys of eating “family style”- unless we are eating something like Chinese, Thai, Indian etc- in which case we each order something different which we do share, but sometimes it’s a bit odd- the dish we order is “mostly ours” but we do share SOME of it lol
When eating out my Chinese-Aussie family typically does a 50/50 mix. Typically everyone choses a main course for them selves. Then we order Entrée and big main courses i.e. whole fish to share family style. This is just a way to maximize everyone's experience and cater to each person's preferences. At home with limited options it's just servered family style.
Not a food recommendation but a utensil recommendation. I'd recommend you getting some Chinese soup spoons. They're deeper, shorter, and I find the handle angle much better for soup bowls. They're really good for getting a lot of broth and food bits all in one bite.
I agree. I’m in Japan, but I have a set of Chinese soup spoons which I use a lot. I think Beryl’s eating experience with the soup dumplings would have been better if she had had Chinese soup spoons. Here in Japan, in a real Chinese style Chinese restaurant, we were told to make a little hole in the dumpling and pour the super hot soup into the _Chinese spoon_ where we have already added _a tiny bit of soy sauce and a few match stick slices of ginger._ I have also been told the same thing in a Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurant here in Tokyo. Then we drink down that soup with the seasoning out of the spoon. Next we take the dumpling that no longer has the super hot soup in it and put that into a little bit of soy sauce with the ginger and start eating that. It is awesome.
Yes, Chinese spoons have more depth that allows you to combined the various elements of the dish or dishes in one mouthful. For instance, when you eat a bowl of soup noodles, place a bit of noodles, bit of soup, top with meat and veg all in that one spoon and viola, you have an explosion of flavours and textures all in one mouthful! Same application for the variety of dishes paired with rice. Since eating one dish on its own maybe too salty or too bland as they are made to balance each other.
I think it's important to point out that Chinese food is incredibly regional. Most of the dishes here were from Szechuan/Sichuan, which is known for their distinct flavor profile, but other parts of China also have amazing cuisines that would also be "authentic." Regarding your question about food sharing, I understand that there are cultures different from mine but if we've been friends for a long time and you're not comfortable with sharing food, I have failed in our friendship 😂
I prefer to share foods - especially in cuisines I am less familiar with. But I also think it is fine to have my own dish that is exactly the same as someone else- I think that happens for me more in American restaurants or steak houses.
hihihi, yeah, foodsharing is great, but not very commen in the western more individualist cultures then those with a stronger sense of community. My family only does that with cake for some reason and when my aunt was visiting we had a fight over that for she did not want that at all even with the compromise of her getting her piece seperate and the rest of us sharing . . . I really did not get her problem there
I so don't understand the question about ordering the same thing. I mean if we're having dim sum or small plates then, of course, there are three of everything, grab what you want. But entrees? If the Pappardelle Bolognese sounds fantastic to both of us, well that's too bad because we're not allowed to order the same thing? What kind of insanity is that? Look, if we both have leftovers they can get piled into the same takeout container.
@@61hink No need to feel so offended and start calling what is normal to other people "insanity." I personally think it's unusual to order the same thing, especially in my close circle, but I understand that it is my *personal* preference. It would be nice to zero in on one single dish on a menu all the time, but I always find that I would like to try a few different things on any given menu. If I find out the other person is also interested in one of the options I narrow down, I would not order that and instead order something else, then when the dishes are served, I would be trying at least a few bites from their dish and vice versa. Scientifically, there is also a concept call sensory specific satiety, which is an example of habituation. The basics of it is that you get full on one particular dish not because you have no room left in your stomach, but partly because you have become bored with the dish and would not like to eat more. This explains why we always have room for desserts, but also reinforce the idea that having variety allows you to enjoy more food. So food sharing--even for what you deem as an entree, one-plate type of dish--not only encourage appetite, but also social bonding. It is not so clean cut as: "Here I divide my plate in half so that you can have half while I get half of your plate." It is more: "Hey, my dish is pretty good, wanna try? Ooh, yours looks great too, can I try?" As you can imagine, such a scenario won't be possible if you both have the same dish. Of course, in a larger setting, it's perfectly normal for my friends and I to maybe order two of the same dish, but at least all of us would be able to share the 3-4 different dishes at the table. Finally, saying "I don't understand ordering the same dish" is not a personal attack on anyone who does this. It is a statement to open up a conversation in how different people have different preferences in their dining out habits. No one is trying to tell you you are wrong; we are merely different.
Your question about sharing food made me laugh. Even though I was born in the US, my family is Filipino and I grew up thinking duh, of course everyone shares food at a restaurant. It was a culture shock when I was old enough to go out to eat with friends and I realized that's not the norm in the US. I definitely "tested" my now-husband on our second date to make sure he was a food sharer and adventurous eater too. As an incredibly food-motivated person, those are my deal breakers. 😂
I remember a friend of mine was studying in the US and she came back to India during winter break and took some fries off my plate and started eating and almost started crying because she realised how much she missed sharing food in the US😂
Lol! My Pinoy husband and I have such different tastes in food! We both like to share, but I can't eat a lot of his things that contain pig. Once he put a spoon from his "infidel" dish in the halal dish by accident. He was very sorry but I just thought it was funny. In relationship you have to compromise, right?
My family is US American for many generations … we all share food at restaurants all the time. I only learned it’s not “normal” here when Beryl brought it up 😅
I'm not American but I only share food with my husband, and even that mostly not. Adventurous eater is absolutely on my list, but sharing is a no no lol. Well he often eats my leftovers since he's much bigger but nobody pokes around in my food while I'm eating ☠️
For me, a lot of this depends on the amount of thought put into a progression of courses or dishes. Even if later dishes will be exclusives, sharing starters/appetizers often works when they are ordered before everyone has studied the menu and decided what else they want. If, however, either the chef or the diner has carefully chosen a progression of dishes that are supposed to relate to each other and build a particular experience, then sharing or mixing in someone else’s experience can confuse or ruin things. All of that assumes a particular culture and attitude toward fine dining, and that’s sometimes a thing and sometimes not. So, I guess my answer is that sharing or not sharing dishes isn’t exclusively one way or the other for me, but depends on context.
"Get two and split" is a must for my spouse and I. If I don't want to do it, it's because I want something on the menu that I know is not their favorite. That's about the only time I go rogue; then we'll typically have bites of each other without committing to forfeiting half of our entree. I don't have many other people in my life who would be up for sharing, unfortunately.
For the temperature, depends on the dish. Also, since it is family style, each entree enters the table at the same time, and cools at the same time. Soups are almost ALWAYS meant to be scalding hot. There are definitely dishes you don't want to wait for it to cool (eg. claypot oysters)... that's my take!
As someone who cooks more Asian food than from my UK heritage, and who did restaurant reviews/cultural reporting, I fully support your position on shared foods. I also feel eating with your finger as is done from India thru the Middle East is the most authentic and sensual way to enjoy your meal. I am new to your channel and am thoroughly enjoying you.
My mother brought me up with the lesson of... if you are trying foods from another culture then you eat them the way they do.. if they use hands, chopsticks whatever then you do too. It helps you learn more that way too.
Thank you so much for letting me work with you on this video Beryl! I totally agree with everyone in the comments. It would be so fun to do video on regional Chinese foods as there is SO much to unpack there.
Watching her eat the mini rice ball sake reminds me of me and my Mirin I always keep a bottle in the cabinet originally for cooking but I have to buy a new bottle every week because I keep drinking it as I cook.
I nearly screamed when you pulled out the herbal tea. I grew up drinking it every time I visited my grandparents as a child. They always stocked up too; I'd have a can a day. What a pleasant surprise! I'd love to see you do this again with regional cuisines, or other cuisines that fall under the Chinese cultural "sphere" (such as Taiwanese)! Comparing northern Chinese food to Taiwanese is as different as comparing Tex-Mex to Southern Soul. EDIT: THE ANTS CLIMBING UP A TREE! It's my dad's favorite dish, and my mom makes them for my dad every year for his birthday. I was NOT expecting to ever see it on TH-cam.
I clicked on the restaurant Beryl ordered from, and I was inspired to “order outside the box”, and got the Acid Beans and Ants on a Tree. On their own, I liked each dish but didn’t love them - combined, they formed a bite which I absolutely couldn’t stop eating. Thank you, Beryl, and your contributors for opening up my mind and palate!
Recently, I discovered a restaurant in a nearby town that specializes in Shanghainese cuisine. It completely changed my perception of Chinese food. They called their soup dumplings "juicy buns" -- and they were EXCELLENT! I have grown accustomed to Americanized Szechuan and Cantonese style food. I could tell this place was the real deal because they served WHOLE FISH with the head intact. It was an amazing experience and I will plan to visit again very soon.
Regarding the question about sharing, I love family style meals and believe that food SHOULD be shared. However, it is dependant on the type of restaurant. For example, there is a French restaurant where the duck is sublime 🤤. After going a few times and trying several items, that is all I order when I go there. I crave it and really look forward to it when we go there. If my dining companion wants the duck too, they can order it. We can both have the duck! There is no problem that we both have the same thing. If they want to order something else they can, but don't expect me to share my duck. That's all I want, and I want to eat it all 😥.
This! I love these restaurants where you order a lot of different dishes and share with everybody, but if I want to eat a specific dish this is all mine! My boyfriend and me tend to pick the same without sharing our thoughts so we almost everything have no chance to share. Sometimes we share an entree or two different ones. But if we want the same food, why should one of us order something else (and maybe is not that satisfied as both were with eating what weaver craving for)?
I think beryl should also make a video teaching us how she does the plating. What's the thought process because however the dish is, plating is always on point
Chinese food like mentioned so many times before is so diverse depending on the individual climates of the region they came from. My family originated from Canton, the southern part of China and close to the sea/ocean. There is a lot of seafood in our cuisine and the food tends to have more natural flavours or will have seasoning that brings out the natural taste of the food you are eating. I have always been told to eat my food hot since according to my parents, you lose nutrients when food gets cold. I recommend trying different foods from different regions. So much good food in Chinese cuisine in real Chinese restaurants. Also recommend trying dim sum. Very yummy experience too.
i’m so glad they recommended snow pea shoots! it’s my favorite vegetable ever, and i’ve always said if more people ate it, the world would be a better place!! i just had them this morning actually, lol. i’d be happy if my last meal was snow pea shoots, salt and pepper squid, and e-fu noodles
What would be an alternative for the shoots? The recipe sounds great, but I live in an area with a small population and no way will there be pea shoots at the supermarket. There is only 1 in this town.
Regarding sharing (I'm from SEA), it's more about what dishes and what place we're having. Stir-fries are generally for sharing and you can order them by number of people sharing, so it's generally understood that you're planning to share. For foods that generally come in one-person portions, depends on your friends but within my circles we default to not sharing unless we ask beforehand. And about hot foods, if you're talking dimsum and stir-fries, they're never really going to be too hot temperature-wise, cos the way they're eaten is to sit there on the table while you pick away at it and move among different dishes. But anything that's soup or congee-based is going to be scalding :) And I take it you haven't tried too many claypot or hotplate-based dishes? They come to the table sizzling hot, those are actual hazards. P.S. if you ever come across that acid word again, don't worry! The word "suan" 酸 just means refers to sour stuff in general, so it applies to the non-food acids, but also vinegars, pickled/preserved stuff, fruits....
I would love seeing people trying to recreate commune food (like LiZiQi or Country Life Vlog) in US cities. It would probably be a tall order but worthwhile. In Germany we still have an allotment culture where people who live in city apartments rent garden space to grow food. In New York City it would be a great idea to create such garden spaces on roof tops. Imagine every apartment building in NYC having a garden and communal kitchen on the roof where people come together to grow, cook, and eat their food. This is also a great teaching tool for children. That's where the word Kindergarten (children's garden) comes from.
I'm not Chinese, but I live in the Bay Area in NorCal. One of my favorite breakfasts is Jian Bing, which is like a large crepe, filled with egg, fried dough, and any number of other ingredients or sauces, depending on what region of China the person making it is from. It's a street food, but here in NorCal, you can get it from certain shops, usually ones that also sell dumplings, or buy the ingredients to make at home. Highly recommend, it's the perfect breakfast!!😋💜
Oh man, I haven't had one of those in like 12 years. There used to be this one stand on the campus at Peking University (didn't go there, just visiting friend) that had so many types of crepe mixture. Not just millet or wheat, but like 5 grain, purple corn, all kinds. So. Good.
I’m in the East Bay (but lived overseas in Beijing for 11 years in the past), where oh where can you get Jian Bing in NorCal?!? I did not think that could be found here….
@AN-jw2oe I usually get it from Tian Jin Dumplings, because it's the place I've been going to for forever 😂, and it's comfy for me. Hu Tong Jian Bing has outlets all over the Bay Area, and they're good, too, depending on who's making them. Hu Tong is more "modern", I guess you could say. And then there's places in Chinatown (SF), and a place called Elite Dumplings in Hayward.
When I went to Taiwan, I was blown away by the kinds of foods they had. I distinctly remember one person telling me, "Don't ask, just eat." Not exactly the thing you usually want to hear about food but sometimes that's what you have to do! I also have a friend from China that introduced me to some more authentic mainland dishes that blew my mind! I still like a good general tsos or sesame chicken, but there are definitely much better options out there!
that's basically every asian way about food, being picky about food is not that tolerable here, especially within household provinces. we eat veg because its not about "vegan movement", its about what can we cook today.
@@BenRover2961 I’m not a picky eater at all. I asked what it was because I was curious & that was the response I got. I’ll try pretty much anything once but I still want to know what it is.
@@emmalarsonJust to answer your curiosity- it was probably becuz of their limitations in English as well. And Asians tend to not “question too much” if that makes sense, becuz it might imply you aren’t happy, satisfied, judging/comes across as disrespectful, or just a bad vibe. But glad that you had an enjoyable experience though!
@@schatz_burg that’s totally fair!! His English wasn’t the best, but he was super kind & I got to try something I wouldn’t have ever ordered otherwise. 😊
Randomly saw your video, and I'm glad you enjoyed the dishes. I grew up in Beijing, but my parents are from southern part of China (Fujian province), so I got to try a lot of different Chinese cuisines (yea, plural because they are so different from each other haha). I'd say depending on the food, serving temperature differs. Most dishes served at restaurants will be hot to show you that they are freshly made. However, since they are served on plates, the heat dissipates fast and you will usually eat them at room temperature served over warm rice, congee or buns. One exception is soup, and you always want it served hot. Also rice, noodles, congee and buns are usually considered "entrées" (主食) in China because carbs fill your stomach, and the side dishes are supposed to add flavor to them. That's why people usually share a lot of different dishes at the table, so you can help yourself and DIY your own flavor to your bowl. And I love sharing food
I think if people want to share dishes when out to dinner and everyone agrees, that's a great way to try new things. If two people are out to dinner and want to order the exact same thing, that's ok too. As long as everyone at the table is comfortable, that's the main thing.
I agree, love sharing. Beware -- the restaurant may not be ok with it. My sister was very embarrassed when their dinner was interrupted by the waiter telling them to stop sharing. They were disturbing other diners. Her story struck me as very funny, since she is a military wife and generally the most well behaved of my family. I think you need to read the room.
Since post covid I think it is better for each person to have their own dishes as it prevents disease transmission. However, if it is an Asian restaurant, dishes are meant to be complementary with each other and helps to make a whole meal. So sharing different dishes would enhance the experience; one gets to taste more interesting textures and flavours. You could have still share just ask for common utensils to get the food if hygiene is a concern.
I frickin love jellyfish, but everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I mention it. People really need to try it! It's not weird at all, and the texture is soooo good. That spicy salad is such a great dish...
Ohh I love both the fragrance from the sesame oil in Japanese jellyfish (Chuka Kurage), as well as the in the more spicy kick from the Chinese version.
The best days are when Beryl uploads a new video. I can't explain how youve helped me during lockdown and still do every single time. My mental health can be a challenge, but ik literally smiling throughout every video. The wooden cutlery, the "bloopers", the inspiration, your vibe is just the best on youtube. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart, you're this ray of sun when my shadows want to argue with me. Thank you for all you do Beryl!! 💜
Me and my husband ALWAYS make sure we order different things even if we both feel like having the same dish, just because we love trying a variety of things when we eat out :) that’s also why we both love the meze/tapas culture, which as you said allows you to try so many different things.
For a long time, I was possessive of food like that because I 1: grew up pretty poor and had food resource insecurities and 2: had an abusive marriage that had weird food issues too. Once I got out of that relationship and slowly started getting at least a bit more financially stable, I became more open to sharing food, but only after I had built trust with that particular person or people over time. I think that's when my current boyfriend really started realizing how much safer I felt with him, when I started willingly sharing food and even handing him my dish to share. He knew how big of a step that was for me
Yes. This. Not everyone grew up in a situation where sharing food was a thing. If money was short, you wanted to be sure everyone has an equal share, and going to a restaurant or adventurous eating was unlikely. Food isn’t available as entertainment to everyone.
Your reaction to mung bean noodle was exactly how I reacted when I first tried it. It’s very filling so it’s good for sharing. And Chinese food should be hot, not room temp. I think the Chinese places that serve not-hot food do it on purpose so people don’t complain about not being able to eat immediately. Or maybe you eat banquet food a lot, because those aren’t hot. Can’t keep that many servings hot. But if you go to a regular Chinese restaurant, food should be hot.
So I used to date someone who was very much like “this plate is mine, that plate is yours” but was always glad to share a bite with each other so it wasn’t a big deal. I definitely had to change my expectation of “sharing”. It didn’t bother me though and it made eating with my mom equally special because my mom and I coordinate what we’ll order and share all the dishes.
Here in America, the concept of sharing food dishes while dining out, for the most part, is simply not done, especially among total strangers, of whom you're not likely to meet up with again. As habitues to a restaurant with known friends however and in so doing, if the gathered company indeed is used to that familiar sort of personal gesture, there's no law that states that it is verboten. Supposing however that someone in the party, (decidedly a mischievous bete noire!), suggests sharing and sampling of all his neighbors' ordered dishes, well into the meal, in the general tone of voice that smacks more of a royal mandate, than merely a harmless and friendly gesture? Now, half the assembled company, sensing an element of instant trouble brewing and personally not wishing to be voted outside the majority in the eyes of the others and based on the capricious whims of this unknown and presumptuous newcomer, readily announce their intention to allow his thoughtless, onerous and in a word, risky, absurdity. In such situations, as in so many of its kind nowadays, we have to take a courageous stand, based on a firm belief that wherever one goes today, there will be others present on the sidelines, strangers, watching, taking notes and testing the mettle under fire, of all those present, and reporting their findings... Be warned!
Also the Wang Lao Ji drink can come in a big bottle size too. You can find them in a lot of Chinese super markets. I recommend you visit Flushing, New York City. Flushing is like the lesser known Chinatown since the actual one is being gentrified more and there were a lot of authentic places offering real Chinese food that are closing down. However, in Chinatown, NYC, there is also a Wang Lao Ji store, and it's pretty cool! You should definitely try that out too because they make combinations of other types of drinks like boba with the original wang lao ji drink or using some aspect of it!
Huangs World on Vice showed me just how incredibly regional and adaptive Chinese cuisine is. Jamaican Chinese food will be so different from American Chinese food. Chifa cuisine in Peru seems so fascinating, and I don't even know what I could expect in Mauritius. This episode is so exciting because NYC probably offers such a broader coverage of pan Chinese cuisine. I love and appreciate how nearly alchemical Chinese cuisine is. So much of each dish feels so intentional and balanced (shout out to Chinese medicine!) I feel like this is defined a common trait of Pan Asian cuisines have and I absolutely love it.
Chinese mauritian food have normally the same base as Jamaican chinese as both originally from the same region even town! Same for the chinese from Calcutta, India!
One of the excellent things about living in a city (NYC, LA, Philly) is having a Chinatown. You go in, throw the English menu away, and order off the illegible boards on the wall by pointing (and then usually assuring the wait staff that you'll eat whatever it is you just requested). You get such WONDERFUL things.
"In some cuisines where vegetarian foods are not vegetarian..." Bengali cuisine is a brilliant example of the same, both from Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The cuisine is so versatile and elaborate and yummy and so so much more than just Dal-Chawal, Rajma/Chholey, Alu-Gobi or random Paneer dishes! The use of local and seasonal veggies is mind boggling and literally nothing goes to waste in a Bengali household! You should definitely explore the cuisine and make a video on it!
Snow pea shoots/tendrils are my absolute favorite vegetable but are so hyper seasonal it breaks my heart. So excited it made it into the episode. Also our foods are meant to be eaten hot. Our parents usually tell you "eat your food while it's hot" because certain textures and flavors change/disappear as it cools.
The snow pea shoots here looked a little overcooked or have turned that way from being in the container too long because they're not as vibrant as when they're served fresh
Hi beryl, love this episode!! Chinese food is very diverse indeed. I am a chinese from Malaysia..and the only familiar dish was your 1st..the soup dumpling.. the rest is new to me too! I will be googling those recipes to add to my repertoire. Usually we eat food hot, it is quite a skill to stirfry green vege, steam fish and deepfry wontons all at the same time to ensure all are just hot from the stove for a wholesome meal. Regarding your dessert, our staple is rice...and rice can be use diversely . The indescribable texture you mentioned in your dessert is achieved with rice flour and glutinous rice flour. If you can find Malaysian restaurant in your area, try the Kuih/ Kueh....mostly made with rice products...be adventurous😊..love your reactions to new flavors and textures...
I think if everybody is okay with it, then totally. If both people like the same dish, or if there are food sensitivities at play, or if one person just didn't grow up that way and having a secure plate of food is important to them, so be it. No one should have to order something that they don't want/know they won't eat to satisfy the cravings of their partner. Sometimes, you order the same dish because you know how it's prepared and it's a "safe" food for you, and the idea of switching things up or having to part with some of that food for a different dish that might not be safe is daunting. Not to mention, in the US where communal eating isn't as common and there are a number of people (especially here in the South) who grow up with food insecurity, I think it would be disrespectful to assume that everyone is psychologically comfortable with sharing their food. Having said all that, I also like getting to try different things and my partner and I are perfectly happy to order different fun and safe foods that we'll both eat and enjoy!
7:05 The word you're looking for, as we like to say in Taiwan, is not that it's chewy, but that it's very "Q"! The slang "Q" evokes a sense of bounciness, toothiness, almost like al dente pasta, but with more springiness. The way Wan Na described it as elastic I think is a good way of thinking about it - not that it's rubbery necessarily, but that there's also a mild stretch to it.
When I was living in Shanghai, I heard there was an American Chinese restaurant that opened, but it was supposed to always be super busy with both Chinese and foreign customers, haha. Chinese cuisine is just great no matter what it touches, much love to all the regions and variations! ❤
I would recommend Chin Jao Ro Su (A stir fry with beef, bell peppers and bamboo shoots) and the classic Szechuan Mapo Tofu for main courses. For snacks, I'd recommend pork and shrimp siu mai and not to mention scallop dumplings.
The glass/cellophane noodles featured in the ants climbing a tree can also be found in Cantonese or Thai cuisine as well. And, despite being noodles, they typically are eaten with rice. It sounds counterintuitive; but, that's usually how noodles like these are eaten. I grew up eating these noodles in the Cantonese/Toisanese tradition. I loved them and still do. But, I always eat the noodles with rice.
OMG! I believe in that too. I feel, you mostly go out and eat in new restaurants with someone who you're comfortable with. And if that's the case, of course sharing is what I believe in. That way we can taste more food and even if we don't like one dish, the other person may like it (or vice versa) and it can save the both of us from embarrassment.
The difference in Beryl's energy when she REALLY loves something vs. when she appreciates it and enjoys the process.... girl, don't ever play poker. But, if you ever do, I'll spot you. You are a delight in this world. 💞
As a Malaysian Chinese , we can discuss if we want sharing meals or individual meals . If we feel like bigger meals we can go for sharing options , or if other day if we prefer simple meals like fried rice / noodles dish we can go individually. However if we invite someone who aren’t very close , we will always ask for “common utensil” to be placed one on each dish - so we use that common utensil to pick them into our own bowls
This makes me want to see Beryl collab with June (junelikethemonth) who previously worked at Delish but now has her own youtube channel where she also cooks a lot of Chinese-American food. They both live in New York as well.
I'm all for ordering family style dishes, and I always have been. Doing that allows you and the other diners to try multiple items, which can be very helpful if you haven't tried a certain restaurant or cuisine before. If you have tried the restaurant before, on the other hand, it can help solve the problem of not being able to decide what to get; if you both like two or three dishes, get all of them and share. Sharing also helps mitigate the negative consequences in case one dish isn't good; you'll have other things to eat and you'll also know not to order the offending dish again.
I love that you featured "Ants Climbing a Tree". I stumbled across a recipe ages ago. I thought the name was funny, so I gave it a try. I still make it at least once a year. I didn't know it was an authentic dish. I love it.
I absolutely love sharing food. There's something so wonderfully fun about it. My husband and I will often choose the same dish we want so we try to order something we've never had as our second dish. If we don't like it there's no harm because we can usually eat from one dish and be satisfied, but we've discovered so many amazing dishes by doing this. We absolutely love love love food and the shared memories and experiences we have from going outside of our comfort zone and discovering new flavor/flavor combinations.
For me, Chinese food means Yangzhou fried rice or what we usually call "Yang Chow" in the Philippines. The joy of this recipe is that any Chinese restaurant I go the taste is atleast 90% the same. It is such a comfort food for me It is perfect with saucy dishes or anything fried.
I am sooo excited for this video! Absolutely love LOVE chinese food! Sichuan, Chengdu, Hunan, etc. It would be great to showcase how diversified (as also with Mexican, Indian and Italian to name a few) the gastronomy really is! Post-scriptum: Also, sichuan cuisine has many “cold” dishes which I love, Koushui-ji, (although, I don’t know too many Westerners that would be keen on cold boiled chicken with the skin on and bones, just saying) Bamboo shoots salad, Funky cold noodles, etc. I love the combination of spicy, cold dishes! Hot & Cold together.
To those who pay not know, when sharing family style in Chinese culture(speaking as a Han Chinese). You should use the "shared utensils" to grab/scoop food. This is the utensils that should never touch someone's mouth or bowl, and putting it back in the shared foods. Plus, using your own utensils to grab food is seen as poor mannered. Usually with couples, very close friends ,and close family, this isn't a rule. This usually applies to friends+acquaintances, business related meals, and extended families.
I spent some time in Beijing, and all I can say is other than "Peking Duck", nothing I ate reminded me of what I grew up thinking of as Chinese food. It was interesting. I have Indian friends who told me it's the same with Indian food -- what we think of as Indian food, is basically what British people decided they liked of Indian food, and that slid over into America.
I am 100% with you on the family style dining. It's so much more socially oriented and way more fun. And you can discuss intelligently about the food all of you just enjoyed! Love all of your videos, they always inspire me to try new things and keep an open mind. I also love how you bring the universal aspect of food to the forefront, showing us that we are not that different. Thank you Beryl, you're the best!
Most Chinese dishes are meant to be hot in temperature. If you get your dishes lukewarm it's because your restaurant server is slow :-) One extreme example is hot-pot where you're cooking raw stuff in a boiling soup. There are some summer foods which are meant to be colder - various veggie appetizers (sometimes pickled), cold noodles, etc.
Off topic but I must say CONGRATULATIONS on Pan Pals! What a beautiful show with such ❤️ and amazing attention to detail with the postcards and video. Loved the sweet ending!
i love love LOVE chinese food. I love discovering new dishes from different provinces in china because the flavors are soooo different depending on the region ♥
I thought the hot food question was weird AF but then started reflecting that when meals are cooked at home and are extravagant many of the dishes are prepared one at a time and even if meant to be hot they stand on the table for some time while the guests are mingling and the rest of dishes get prepared then everything is eaten together and it makes most of the dishes quite room temp by then
Hey Beryl! Out of ALL of those yummy dishes you made, there's gotta be a few that stuck and that you now eat on a regular basis because they're really good and/or very easy and cheap to make! Can you make a video of a collection of these? I'd love to add more interesting dishes to my weekly meal plan! Lots of love from the Netherlands
I’m not Chinese, but I lived in Northern China for three years. I have never been exposed to any of these dishes, (except the soup dumplings in the US.) When I lived in China, people would often ask what my favorite Chinese food was, so I tried many different types. I found that my personal favorite was the Xinjiang (Uighur) food. Delicious! I wish I could get it here in the US. Ding Ding Chao Mian, Yang rou chuan, da pan ji, and nang.
There used to be a Uighur restaurant in Cupertino California...but they had a fire and went out for business. Look for a place with halal meat or one that doesn't serve pork.
There are a handful of restaurants that serve Xinjang/Uighur food in NY… not sure where you’re at! First I only found a couple and then a couple more and then a couple more! So I’m hoping it will grow in the following years!
In Peru we have a large Chinese population and the fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine is called “chifa” which is also what we call Chinese restaurants
I'm absolutely all about sharing food! I'm with you, share it all! I LOVE trying everything, and all kinds of new stuff, too. Bring on the fun dining companions who are like us!
@@sher64ct45 Not to mention food sensitivities, people with poor immune systems, eating disorders and stomach/gi problems. Expecting to share food is where I find the red-flag. Ask, and don't get panties in a knot if they don't want to. Doesn't mean they're not 'fun'
Just come to say the ants on a tree dish is traditionally made with sweet potato noodles rather than mung bean. Sweet potato noodles can keep its shape and chewy consistency better than mung bean noodles in a stir fried dish. Overall great recs on this episode. Sichuan food is really dominating the New York Chinese food scene. I wish there would be more Cantonese or northeast (dongbei) restaurant options.
Cantonese is a LOT more common in the 'burbs. They usually have a few "classic" Sichuan-Amer dishes on the menu, but most of the places around me are Cantonese, and I've only ever seen one of the dishes Beryl highlighted here on a menu.
Cantonese cuisine has dominated the US and Canada for the longest time lol there are so many others out there that haven't even gotten popular yet. 10-15 years ago I couldn't even get Sichuan cuisine
I definitely prefer the family style of serving. This is why I most prefer eating at Korean restaurants because the banchan (side dishes) all arrive on the table with the entrees and then you have your individual plate you serve to. Love it!
I have food aversions and trauma with food so I have to feel comfortable having my own dishes and having enough. I personally am happy if someone wants to order the same thing as me and not share, so that I feel comfortable having enough for leftovers and being full.
Love to share food especially Indian and Chinese food. One of my favorites is going for dim sum. The entire idea behind that is a lot of little dishes that are shared.
The biggest challenge I have is that I am half Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish (mom's side), and while I ate a lot of traditional Chinese food as a kid, I keep kosher today. So if I want good Chinese food, I always have to adapt it and sometimes make ingredients from scratch because they are too hard or impossible to get kosher certification, or doing entirely without (RIP black vinegar and shaoxing wine). A lot of work before I even start and that's before adapting pork dishes to other meats or vegetarian versions--which is usually the easy part.
Ants climbing trees is one of my favorites to make at home. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Whenever I make it for friends they are surprised and want the recipe ❤️
When I went to Peru I was surprised to see how many Peruvian-Chinese restaurants there were. And like you said, it reflected both cultures and had very different menu items than American Chinese food! Great episode, I love the take out series 😁
Especially when coming to a new restaurant, sharing is almost a must to me. When I was at a mexican restaurant for the 1st time, I was pretty clueless. So we asked our waiter to name his favourites. They where fantastic! And though my wife was american, she had never ordered these before. I sometimes do this here in Germany now, even at restaurants I was often before. It can be an eye-opener! When restaurants offer seasonal meals, not on their standart menue: take a close look! They are very likely to be great. Sometimes carry ingredients, that are simply not always available.
Hey, regarding your question about sharing the food at the table. I live in France, and it's not a thing to eat from the same dish, at the restaurant, it's possible but very uncommon to ask for one plate of food to share (It's considered cheap.). One can have a taste of the other person meal, but even for long-time lovers, that's it. Family style meal in one big pot at the center of the table is a thing (like a stew, a salad or a big piece of meat) but every person as it's own plate and the food is usually divided at the beginning of the meal by one person serving the others. Hope that answers your question!
Pleeeease make an episode like this with Italian food. I feel it's a type of food that "everyone can make" and/or "you can find anywhere" ...and that inevitably leaves room to A LOT of food nightmares vaguely named "Italian". Come on Beryl, let's do it!
I think it’s OK for you and your date/partner to order the same item if you both happen to like the same item. If the intent is share, then sharing is always better or ideal but if you both want the same thing that night, that should be OK. There’s a tricky situation, because some restaurants will have only one fish option or one vegetarian option so it might limit mattresses for someone who might have more restrictions or allergies. At the end of the day, you should order what you want, and have your friend/date to order whatever they want. And the intent should not be that you don’t want to share. I think that’s what makes it wrong. Other than that, you both should do what you like. It’s just food after all. You can also tell your date or friend that you want to try a couple of different items and you’re hoping that you both can share each others meal and that could definitely clear up any resentment. Another wonderful advantage you have that you didn’t used to have is that you can look up a restaurant menu online and decide what you want long before you go into the restaurant.
Agreed. Food is meant to be shared! As a first generation Italian, I could not imagine a life without family style meals. Even now when I’m out for dinner with my family and friends we all pass dishes around!
it really depends. I'm all in for the dim sum vibe where we just order a bunch of dishes and share. But sometimes the company or the type of restaurant makes it hard to share food because it's not meant for sharing (like going to an italian restaurant and ordering a pasta dish)
1 dish to share between 2 people for sure, and if hygiene is an issue you can use sharing utensils and take what you need and put it on your own plate. And with regards to chinese food, there are 8 styles within chinese cuisine (and many other sub styles that branches of the main ones), hence chinese food is really a general term that covers a really wide variety of cooking styles and dishes that exist
"This noodle is noodling so hard" is my new fave expression!!! And I agre with Beryl; I tend to order different meals, than the person I'm with to get to taste somthing diferent!
For cold appetiser one of my favourites is silken tofu with pork floss, pickles and century egg. The whole thing is also drizzled all over with soy sauce. The mouthfeel of this dish is amazing. It's so silky smooth and creamy, with the occasional crunch from the pickles. The flavours also work well together. I feel like you could add all these ingredients into a congee and it would work well.
@@Padraigp It's pretty common, though the plain version is more of a home dish than something you'd go to a restaurant to get. If a restaurant serves it, it'll be more dressed up with vegetables and meats and cooked in broth rather than plain water, etc. On menus, keep an eye out for the word porridge as well as congee. Not all Chinese restaurants have it, but you'll have better chances looking at a Cantonese or dim sum restaurant. It's also really simple to make! Made With Lau has a recipe for a Cantonese chicken porridge. The plain version requires nothing but water (sub for broth if desired) and rice and you can cook it to any consistency you'd like, but you should eat it with toppings and/or side dishes.
When I spent a month in China, I was blown away by how incredible the food is there. NOTHING like what people will find in a Chinese restaurant here (I live in Australia). Then we found a place in our regional town that you could order totally different dishes off a secret menu. I thought people were joking about this being a thing but it is a thing! I am not dissing what people ordinarily eat in restaurants in western countries but there is a whole world of deliciousness out there!
The Chinese food in Australia can be authentic, however what most westerners are familiar with is Cantonese food and not food from other provinces in China unless you specifically look for them - which do exist in large metropolitan cities in Australia.
I'm going to talk about sharing meals with my sister and say: it depends. There are meals where yes, we will order the same thing. Lasagna was like that growing up; we would both order it and eat it completely, never wanting to share. Other foods... we were more open to sharing. I was and am far more adventurous and open to trying new things. I'll get the thing we've never had before, and my sister - who got something that's tried and true - will trade bites off her plate to try mine. Sushi was one of those dishes twenty years ago lol. I eat mushrooms; she doesn't. I'm willing to have a no-meat meal; that's a little weird for her. It's a family culture that leads to that kind of openness to sharing food like that, and it's not always based on food (in)security though that can have a large effect. Growing up, my first bites of some new food were always eaten off my parents' plates as they expanded my palate. I have positive memories with food and sharing, especially with introducing people to new foods.
Your comment about food insecurity made me realize that’s probably why my mom’s family shares food all the time at restaurants - my mom, her oldest sister, & I regularly split 1.5-2 meals because it’s wasteful to order more than you can eat.
Loved this Episode! The vareity of the many dishes is just mouth watering. Regarding your question: the absolute best, most wholesome and fun experience at a Restaurant I had together with my 3 teammates from work at the vietnamese teahouse of one of our students' dad. We just oredered all the apetizers , a different main dish for every one and dad put out Desserts for us to try as well. We shared and tasted the whole evening. I absolutely loved it, not only for the chance to taste so many different dishes, but also for our shared experience and our bond as a team and friends being strenghtened by it.
Hi Beryl! Thank you for doing this video! If no one else has suggested it look up the word "Q" as a food texture. It's probably the word you are looking for for tofu skin. The Times has done an article about it. Would love to see you do a video just for a region of China (there's great Sichuan in midtown and Cantonese in Chinatown)
I agree! Eating with other people should be about sharing! I would say if there's only two people you should def get something different! Also there's still so much Chinese food to explore!!
The snow pea shoots are basically impossible to find in any restaurant, the fact that you were able to find them for delivery is some sort of miracle. They are a seasonal dish, kind of like fiddlehead ferns. They are available for a very limited amount of time and once they’re gone, they’re gone till next year. Toronto, where I’m from, has one of the largest Chinese populations of any city in North America, and I have never ever seen this dish even in the most authentic, no white people, restaurant in the deepest darkest corners of Chinatown. You can find the snow pea shoots for a couple of weeks in good Asian market though.
I grew up in Vancouver, moved to Montréal, and now live in Québec City, and my oh my do I miss access to authentic Chinese food. I'm actually tickled pink that there are so many Chinese-Canadian restaurants here, and it's a cuisine I also like and one that is getting harder to find in the larger cities. And I also miss access to ingredients -- there are a few small Asian grocery stores that do their best to cover the basics, but the choice remains limited and pricey, and there are definitely no extras like dim sum or Chinese pastries or won-ton noodle houses. Sigh. On the plus side, it means I've learned to make many things myself, such as almost perfecting home-made char siu after many sad attempts.
With most Asian cuisines, or some more family style Mexican restaurants, food sharing would be expected. A bit of whatever with the rice or noodles, or something on a tortilla.
Chinese food tends to be very diverse and regional. You could always make additional videos of regional cuisines if you run out of ideas one day.
Yes, it's so diverse. It's a large country after all.
Same with india.
I honestly can't think of any other country where this as pronounced as in china, you move between different cuisines from different parts of the country and the food is completely different
@@jonathont7866 Indonesia too, especially because of the islands archipelago. Every cuisine is really different.
@@fsmnt I would love to explore indonesian cuisine more, but it's hard to find here in Australia (surprisingly given we're neighbours). I can get many different regional chinese cuisines easily but I can only know of two Indonesian Restaurants in all of Brisbane
It's been already mentioned in the comments, but to phrase it a bit differently: there aren't Chinese restaurants in China. There are restaurants that specialize in regional cuisines (e.g. Beryl ordered from a Sichuan place, one of the 8 major regional cuisines), certain types of experiences (e.g. grilled food, dim sum, hot pot), or other specialties (e.g. breakfast places, noodle houses, dumpling houses). With such a diverse geography, historically people ate and cooked very differently in different parts of China. Loads of food adventures for anyone to try. 😄
I also recently learned here in the US, apparently some takeout places (the kind who would absolutely serve pot stickers and crab rangoons) have specific regional foods on a different menu. It's obvious in many sit-down restaurants when they have menues written in English and separate Chinese menus (or the English portion of the menu is three pages then goes on for 8 more pages in Chinese, hahaha)... but to find out that if you just roll up to some takeout places and ask, it's almost like a Chinese food speakeasy, haha.
You forgot the 9th cuisine : hostel food
I feel like this is the same with Indian food - North Indian/South Indian are very different.
Thanks for stating the obvious. Nobody in the U.S. says I'm going to have American tonight. Thats because local cuisine in any country will be called by region, or specific dish. Foreign food will be categorized by geographical region or country etc.
@@Bander471reminds me of this ridiculous “infographic” I saw saying that Britain had “more Indian restaurants than India” 😂
To answer your question, Chinese food is meant to be eaten piping hot. One of the things we often say to each other at the table is 趁热吃， which translates to "eat it while it's hot".
I think people tend to forget how ethnically diverse China is. Food from different regions is so strongly shaped by both their unique environments as well as the different ethnic groups that live there, making Chinese food so regionally diverse 💕
I love the diversity of China. The people, the food, the culture is marvelous!
@jash21222 do you know anything about China’s ethnic minorities? It is incredibly ethnically diverse and it’s different ethnic groups often strongly influence the cuisine of the region.
@jash21222 Are you sure?? I found this:
Among China’s population there exist 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, but according to some sources, there are estimated to be well over 200. Each of these groups has their own language, culture, cuisine, celebrations, and traditions that make it unique, and are a part of China’s long history that dates back thousands of years.
@jash21222 You are indeed correct that the Han people make up 90+% of the population of China but the others are several millions in many of the groups. And are probably located in local areas with the density of the ethnic population being high in that one particular area.
For example: The major minority ethnic groups in China are Zhuang (16.9 million), Hui (10.5 million), Manchu (10.3 million), Uyghur (10 million), Miao (9.4 million), Yi (8.7 million), Tujia (8.3 million), Tibetan (6.2 million), Mongolian (5.9 million),Kazakh (5 million) Dong (2.8 million), Buyei (2.8 million), Yao (2.7 million), Bai (1.9 million), Korean (1.8 million), Hani (1.6 million), Li (1.4 million), and Dai (1.2 million).
Just because a certain dish may “look” Chinese to someone not from that area, it could indeed be an ethnic dish…
Oh well, everyone has their own take in things.
@jash21222 Yes, but numbers do not account for their significant contributions to regional Chinese history and culture. Northern China (Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang) is the perfect example of this.
Texture is a very important component in Chinese food. Foods that have a "bounce" (when you were trying to describe the chew of the tofu skin) is sometimes referred to as being "QQ". Things like boba, the glutinous rice balls in the dessert you had, or those bean thread noodles in the "ants on a tree" dish all have that QQ element.
There's a Chinese restaurant in my town with "QQ" in the name, and now it make so much sense. Thanks!
It's a pretty easy conversation to have at the start of the meal: do you want to get a few things to share, or do you want your own dish? If both want to share and both are interested in two different things, then you share. If you can't agree on two things you'd both like, then no sharing. I've sometimes been trying to decide between two different things, while another person was trying to decide between the two same things, so that made total sense to share. The point is to be flexible.
You summed up exactly what I wanted to express lol thank you !
Absolutely! My bf always wants to share. Sometimes I really only want one thing I've really looked forward to. So every time we eat out we have this conversation lol
Yes! I have friends who I eat with, and I know we are going to share. I also have friends who have real issues with food sharing. Various reasons. Under either circumstance, I have a good time! And hopefully eat some good food.
Yeah, I would agree that I usually have a strong preference to share and try lots of things, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a red flag if someone didn't want to. There's plenty reasons someone might not be comfortable with that, ranging from not wanting to share the cost of something expensive, to food allergy concerns, some people just being very squeamish about how sanitary sharing is, or even just craving a specific item on the menu that only has a single serving option. It's fine for people to have preferences and even though I'm all about family style most of the time, there's occasions I'd want to opt out of that arrangement, and I wouldn't be offended if someone else wasn't into it either.
Agreed.
At restaurants where family style is typically how the food is served, I do family style. Otherwise I usually do prefer to have my own meal, especially if I'm only out with one or two people. I want what I want and don't particularly have much interest in sharing my food or having anyone else's. I'm definitely always open to trying and trading bites of each others food, but not typically willing to share the full plate.
My husband and I will usually just pick two entrees we both want to try and then split them, as you said . If we cant agree on two things, we'll just order whatever we want (and not share, beyond the bite for bite thing ^^)
I'm chinese indonesian, and I'm probably speaking on behalf of myself. But I feel like gate-keeping "oh you're not eating real chinese food if you don't eat x" diminish just how widespread, rich, and adaptable chinese cuisine is. There's so many variation on "chinese food" both in China (iirc there 8 of them just in PRC) and overseas (peranakan, taiwanese, indo-chinese, etc.) so tbh if any non-chinese feeling like "oh no this isn't real chinese food", I beg to differ. The popular american chinese food in your area might not be the ones eaten in the PRC or actual chinese people, but it's still as chinese as it is american. It's not more "authentic" or "better". It's just great food
Everywhere we went, we brought our food, and non-chinese people love it so much that they tried to made it their own using what they could get. That's beautiful to me, and I wish people continue to do that. I will definitely be waiting for other variation of chinese food in the future.
Now I want Rendang :)
This dishes is also not in any so called chinese resturants near me. There everything is fried in batter with sweet a d sour sauce. Had 1 resturant I knew of that was more real food from som area not sure wich one of china and the only place I ever seen chinese population go into to eat even. Most placesjust to sweet drengtg in sauce and not any flavors. And all seem tobhave same chef becouse no variations over all i ended up in threw the country
I agree, there's internet wars started over how each person's grandma from their respective side of the country does a dish thinking who is wrong or right when in reality both dishes are valid 😅
Chinese-American restaurant food is great and "authentic" to how the Chinese diaspora adapted their cuisine to their new surroundings and customers in the US. There's no reason to denigrate it just because it isn't what Chinese-Americans eat at home or what Chinese people in China eat. To dismiss it out of hand is to miss out on some great stuff, which would be a shame.
@@yuyutubee8435 True. Very well prepared American-Chinese food can be very tasty in its own right.
But having eaten very authentic Chinese food, from quite a few different provinces, it still does not hold up to the authentic stuff.
I'm Chinese American and love trying a lot of dishes from other regions from China since my parents mostly only exposed me to Guangdong cuisine. I didn't know half of these dishes, and I think that shows how many regional cuisines there are. Always something new to learn
made with lau is a wonderful youtube channel that focuses mostly on cantonese cuisine and gave me quite a few new dishes I regulary prepare
Oh I would love that! I mainly traveled in the north of China and it's been difficult for me to find the dishes that I ate and loved.
I see that chinese food is a massive culture to learn for.
@@audreandre it is so versatile, from artfully elaborate things to very economic and elegant. There are so many very simple to prepare struggle time dishes that are not boring at all.
Due to dietary restrictions and a frail health I usually stick to the simpler things but there is so much to explore even with just that.
Steamed eggs, ginger fried rice, fish balls, egg flower soup, congee, steamed fish, winter melon seafood soup... all things I prepare on the regular and they are not quite what one thinks of as Chinese food when one mostly knows it from restaurants which often features high levels of spice or deep frying. The first I can not have the second is not that practical to do at home for one person.
And then the is of cause dim sum.
Totally unrelated, but I can't help myself noticing the Jollibee mascot on your pfp
I am a 60yo Chinese man and I enjoy this video so much that I have to share it with my daughter instantly.
Growing up as a Caucasian Australian, I was accustomed to not sharing my meals, but when I got to uni I lived with Asians for about 5 years- so now I’m all about sharing- which tbh, drives my family crazy lol- they have not been introduced to the joys of eating “family style”- unless we are eating something like Chinese, Thai, Indian etc- in which case we each order something different which we do share, but sometimes it’s a bit odd- the dish we order is “mostly ours” but we do share SOME of it lol
Sharing food isn't inherently just an Asian thing lol there is a family option in just about every fast food joint lol
@JayjayDumbledorff-lr1fo we eat this way at home too not just at the restaurants..
@@latishayang952 Exactly it's also just how home cooked meals are served. Soo who's paying is not relevant.
When eating out my Chinese-Aussie family typically does a 50/50 mix. Typically everyone choses a main course for them selves. Then we order Entrée and big main courses i.e. whole fish to share family style. This is just a way to maximize everyone's experience and cater to each person's preferences. At home with limited options it's just servered family style.
Not a food recommendation but a utensil recommendation. I'd recommend you getting some Chinese soup spoons. They're deeper, shorter, and I find the handle angle much better for soup bowls. They're really good for getting a lot of broth and food bits all in one bite.
I agree. I’m in Japan, but I have a set of Chinese soup spoons which I use a lot. I think Beryl’s eating experience with the soup dumplings would have been better if she had had Chinese soup spoons.
Here in Japan, in a real Chinese style Chinese restaurant, we were told to make a little hole in the dumpling and pour the super hot soup into the _Chinese spoon_ where we have already added _a tiny bit of soy sauce and a few match stick slices of ginger._ I have also been told the same thing in a Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurant here in Tokyo. Then we drink down that soup with the seasoning out of the spoon. Next we take the dumpling that no longer has the super hot soup in it and put that into a little bit of soy sauce with the ginger and start eating that. It is awesome.
Yes, Chinese spoons have more depth that allows you to combined the various elements of the dish or dishes in one mouthful. For instance, when you eat a bowl of soup noodles, place a bit of noodles, bit of soup, top with meat and veg all in that one spoon and viola, you have an explosion of flavours and textures all in one mouthful! Same application for the variety of dishes paired with rice. Since eating one dish on its own maybe too salty or too bland as they are made to balance each other.
@@s._3560 Yes, and some dishes are very hot, so moving a few ingredients into the bowl of the spoon allows it to cool down… making eating easier.
Yes, eating with that spoon is a terrible idea…. 😂😂😂
I find them awkward to hold and even worse to actually use.
I think it's important to point out that Chinese food is incredibly regional. Most of the dishes here were from Szechuan/Sichuan, which is known for their distinct flavor profile, but other parts of China also have amazing cuisines that would also be "authentic."
Regarding your question about food sharing, I understand that there are cultures different from mine but if we've been friends for a long time and you're not comfortable with sharing food, I have failed in our friendship 😂
I prefer to share foods - especially in cuisines I am less familiar with. But I also think it is fine to have my own dish that is exactly the same as someone else- I think that happens for me more in American restaurants or steak houses.
hihihi, yeah, foodsharing is great, but not very commen in the western more individualist cultures then those with a stronger sense of community.
My family only does that with cake for some reason and when my aunt was visiting we had a fight over that for she did not want that at all even with the compromise of her getting her piece seperate and the rest of us sharing . . . I really did not get her problem there
Ouch, we couldn't be friends then 😂
I so don't understand the question about ordering the same thing. I mean if we're having dim sum or small plates then, of course, there are three of everything, grab what you want. But entrees? If the Pappardelle Bolognese sounds fantastic to both of us, well that's too bad because we're not allowed to order the same thing? What kind of insanity is that? Look, if we both have leftovers they can get piled into the same takeout container.
@@61hink No need to feel so offended and start calling what is normal to other people "insanity."
I personally think it's unusual to order the same thing, especially in my close circle, but I understand that it is my *personal* preference. It would be nice to zero in on one single dish on a menu all the time, but I always find that I would like to try a few different things on any given menu. If I find out the other person is also interested in one of the options I narrow down, I would not order that and instead order something else, then when the dishes are served, I would be trying at least a few bites from their dish and vice versa.
Scientifically, there is also a concept call sensory specific satiety, which is an example of habituation. The basics of it is that you get full on one particular dish not because you have no room left in your stomach, but partly because you have become bored with the dish and would not like to eat more. This explains why we always have room for desserts, but also reinforce the idea that having variety allows you to enjoy more food.
So food sharing--even for what you deem as an entree, one-plate type of dish--not only encourage appetite, but also social bonding. It is not so clean cut as: "Here I divide my plate in half so that you can have half while I get half of your plate." It is more: "Hey, my dish is pretty good, wanna try? Ooh, yours looks great too, can I try?" As you can imagine, such a scenario won't be possible if you both have the same dish.
Of course, in a larger setting, it's perfectly normal for my friends and I to maybe order two of the same dish, but at least all of us would be able to share the 3-4 different dishes at the table.
Finally, saying "I don't understand ordering the same dish" is not a personal attack on anyone who does this. It is a statement to open up a conversation in how different people have different preferences in their dining out habits. No one is trying to tell you you are wrong; we are merely different.
Your question about sharing food made me laugh. Even though I was born in the US, my family is Filipino and I grew up thinking duh, of course everyone shares food at a restaurant. It was a culture shock when I was old enough to go out to eat with friends and I realized that's not the norm in the US.
I definitely "tested" my now-husband on our second date to make sure he was a food sharer and adventurous eater too. As an incredibly food-motivated person, those are my deal breakers. 😂
I remember a friend of mine was studying in the US and she came back to India during winter break and took some fries off my plate and started eating and almost started crying because she realised how much she missed sharing food in the US😂
Lol! My Pinoy husband and I have such different tastes in food! We both like to share, but I can't eat a lot of his things that contain pig. Once he put a spoon from his "infidel" dish in the halal dish by accident. He was very sorry but I just thought it was funny. In relationship you have to compromise, right?
My family is US American for many generations … we all share food at restaurants all the time. I only learned it’s not “normal” here when Beryl brought it up 😅
I'm not American but I only share food with my husband, and even that mostly not. Adventurous eater is absolutely on my list, but sharing is a no no lol. Well he often eats my leftovers since he's much bigger but nobody pokes around in my food while I'm eating ☠️
For me, a lot of this depends on the amount of thought put into a progression of courses or dishes. Even if later dishes will be exclusives, sharing starters/appetizers often works when they are ordered before everyone has studied the menu and decided what else they want. If, however, either the chef or the diner has carefully chosen a progression of dishes that are supposed to relate to each other and build a particular experience, then sharing or mixing in someone else’s experience can confuse or ruin things. All of that assumes a particular culture and attitude toward fine dining, and that’s sometimes a thing and sometimes not. So, I guess my answer is that sharing or not sharing dishes isn’t exclusively one way or the other for me, but depends on context.
"Get two and split" is a must for my spouse and I. If I don't want to do it, it's because I want something on the menu that I know is not their favorite. That's about the only time I go rogue; then we'll typically have bites of each other without committing to forfeiting half of our entree. I don't have many other people in my life who would be up for sharing, unfortunately.
For the temperature, depends on the dish. Also, since it is family style, each entree enters the table at the same time, and cools at the same time. Soups are almost ALWAYS meant to be scalding hot. There are definitely dishes you don't want to wait for it to cool (eg. claypot oysters)... that's my take!
As someone who cooks more Asian food than from my UK heritage, and who did restaurant reviews/cultural reporting, I fully support your position on shared foods. I also feel eating with your finger as is done from India thru the Middle East is the most authentic and sensual way to enjoy your meal.
I am new to your channel and am thoroughly enjoying you.
eating with fingers is so good. I genuinely lost my mind as a kid when I learned some cultures eat with their hands.
My mother brought me up with the lesson of... if you are trying foods from another culture then you eat them the way they do.. if they use hands, chopsticks whatever then you do too. It helps you learn more that way too.
Share the meal! hahahah I can’t with those who order the same dish as me 😆 I’m with you on that gf!
Thank you so much for letting me work with you on this video Beryl! I totally agree with everyone in the comments. It would be so fun to do video on regional Chinese foods as there is SO much to unpack there.
Yes, I agree the regional differences are like countries of their own. It's equivalent to the kind of diversity found in South Asia
Watching her eat the mini rice ball sake reminds me of me and my Mirin I always keep a bottle in the cabinet originally for cooking but I have to buy a new bottle every week because I keep drinking it as I cook.
watching this at 1am checking the menus of the chines restraunts in my city seeing if they have any of these (even if they are all closed right now )😂
A girl from a Cantonese family introduced spicy century egg instead 皮蛋瘦肉粥, that’s impressive 😂😂😂
I nearly screamed when you pulled out the herbal tea. I grew up drinking it every time I visited my grandparents as a child. They always stocked up too; I'd have a can a day. What a pleasant surprise!
I'd love to see you do this again with regional cuisines, or other cuisines that fall under the Chinese cultural "sphere" (such as Taiwanese)! Comparing northern Chinese food to Taiwanese is as different as comparing Tex-Mex to Southern Soul.
EDIT: THE ANTS CLIMBING UP A TREE! It's my dad's favorite dish, and my mom makes them for my dad every year for his birthday. I was NOT expecting to ever see it on TH-cam.
I clicked on the restaurant Beryl ordered from, and I was inspired to “order outside the box”, and got the Acid Beans and Ants on a Tree. On their own, I liked each dish but didn’t love them - combined, they formed a bite which I absolutely couldn’t stop eating. Thank you, Beryl, and your contributors for opening up my mind and palate!
Recently, I discovered a restaurant in a nearby town that specializes in Shanghainese cuisine. It completely changed my perception of Chinese food. They called their soup dumplings "juicy buns" -- and they were EXCELLENT! I have grown accustomed to Americanized Szechuan and Cantonese style food. I could tell this place was the real deal because they served WHOLE FISH with the head intact. It was an amazing experience and I will plan to visit again very soon.
As a Shanghainese, I'm delighted! It warms my heart when people enjoy my culture.
I am 100% team "family style" when dining out!!! As long as I'm out with people I know well and feel comfortable with, I want to share everything!
Regarding the question about sharing, I love family style meals and believe that food SHOULD be shared. However, it is dependant on the type of restaurant. For example, there is a French restaurant where the duck is sublime 🤤. After going a few times and trying several items, that is all I order when I go there. I crave it and really look forward to it when we go there. If my dining companion wants the duck too, they can order it. We can both have the duck! There is no problem that we both have the same thing. If they want to order something else they can, but don't expect me to share my duck. That's all I want, and I want to eat it all 😥.
I hate it when someone eats off of my plate. If I want to share, I will put a piece of food on your plate.
Just tell them to duck off
This!
I love these restaurants where you order a lot of different dishes and share with everybody, but if I want to eat a specific dish this is all mine!
My boyfriend and me tend to pick the same without sharing our thoughts so we almost everything have no chance to share. Sometimes we share an entree or two different ones. But if we want the same food, why should one of us order something else (and maybe is not that satisfied as both were with eating what weaver craving for)?
You’ll get your knuckles “quacked” if you try to touch my duck! 😂
I think beryl should also make a video teaching us how she does the plating. What's the thought process because however the dish is, plating is always on point
Chinese food like mentioned so many times before is so diverse depending on the individual climates of the region they came from. My family originated from Canton, the southern part of China and close to the sea/ocean. There is a lot of seafood in our cuisine and the food tends to have more natural flavours or will have seasoning that brings out the natural taste of the food you are eating. I have always been told to eat my food hot since according to my parents, you lose nutrients when food gets cold. I recommend trying different foods from different regions. So much good food in Chinese cuisine in real Chinese restaurants. Also recommend trying dim sum. Very yummy experience too.
i’m so glad they recommended snow pea shoots! it’s my favorite vegetable ever, and i’ve always said if more people ate it, the world would be a better place!! i just had them this morning actually, lol. i’d be happy if my last meal was snow pea shoots, salt and pepper squid, and e-fu noodles
What would be an alternative for the shoots? The recipe sounds great, but I live in an area with a small population and no way will there be pea shoots at the supermarket. There is only 1 in this town.
@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059you can try to stir fry spinach, broccoli or Brussels sprouts with just salt and garlic and a little bit of msg.
No the more people eat it the more it costs... keep it secret
I can grow my own thanks.@@appa609
@@appa609 okay true it’s already a little pricey where i am
Regarding sharing (I'm from SEA), it's more about what dishes and what place we're having. Stir-fries are generally for sharing and you can order them by number of people sharing, so it's generally understood that you're planning to share. For foods that generally come in one-person portions, depends on your friends but within my circles we default to not sharing unless we ask beforehand.
And about hot foods, if you're talking dimsum and stir-fries, they're never really going to be too hot temperature-wise, cos the way they're eaten is to sit there on the table while you pick away at it and move among different dishes. But anything that's soup or congee-based is going to be scalding :) And I take it you haven't tried too many claypot or hotplate-based dishes? They come to the table sizzling hot, those are actual hazards.
P.S. if you ever come across that acid word again, don't worry! The word "suan" 酸 just means refers to sour stuff in general, so it applies to the non-food acids, but also vinegars, pickled/preserved stuff, fruits....
I would love seeing people trying to recreate commune food (like LiZiQi or Country Life Vlog) in US cities. It would probably be a tall order but worthwhile. In Germany we still have an allotment culture where people who live in city apartments rent garden space to grow food. In New York City it would be a great idea to create such garden spaces on roof tops. Imagine every apartment building in NYC having a garden and communal kitchen on the roof where people come together to grow, cook, and eat their food. This is also a great teaching tool for children. That's where the word Kindergarten (children's garden) comes from.
There are many community gardens in NYC! I wouldn't say it's extremely popular, but they do exist (at least in Brooklyn). Would love to see more.
I'm not Chinese, but I live in the Bay Area in NorCal. One of my favorite breakfasts is Jian Bing, which is like a large crepe, filled with egg, fried dough, and any number of other ingredients or sauces, depending on what region of China the person making it is from. It's a street food, but here in NorCal, you can get it from certain shops, usually ones that also sell dumplings, or buy the ingredients to make at home. Highly recommend, it's the perfect breakfast!!😋💜
Oh man, I haven't had one of those in like 12 years. There used to be this one stand on the campus at Peking University (didn't go there, just visiting friend) that had so many types of crepe mixture. Not just millet or wheat, but like 5 grain, purple corn, all kinds. So. Good.
I’m in the East Bay (but lived overseas in Beijing for 11 years in the past), where oh where can you get Jian Bing in NorCal?!? I did not think that could be found here….
@AN-jw2oe I usually get it from Tian Jin Dumplings, because it's the place I've been going to for forever 😂, and it's comfy for me. Hu Tong Jian Bing has outlets all over the Bay Area, and they're good, too, depending on who's making them. Hu Tong is more "modern", I guess you could say. And then there's places in Chinatown (SF), and a place called Elite Dumplings in Hayward.
Ughhh I just moved back from Shenzhen I miss it so much
When I went to Taiwan, I was blown away by the kinds of foods they had. I distinctly remember one person telling me, "Don't ask, just eat." Not exactly the thing you usually want to hear about food but sometimes that's what you have to do! I also have a friend from China that introduced me to some more authentic mainland dishes that blew my mind! I still like a good general tsos or sesame chicken, but there are definitely much better options out there!
that's basically every asian way about food, being picky about food is not that tolerable here, especially within household provinces.
we eat veg because its not about "vegan movement", its about what can we cook today.
@@BenRover2961 I’m not a picky eater at all. I asked what it was because I was curious & that was the response I got. I’ll try pretty much anything once but I still want to know what it is.
@@emmalarsonJust to answer your curiosity- it was probably becuz of their limitations in English as well. And Asians tend to not “question too much” if that makes sense, becuz it might imply you aren’t happy, satisfied, judging/comes across as disrespectful, or just a bad vibe. But glad that you had an enjoyable experience though!
@@schatz_burg that’s totally fair!! His English wasn’t the best, but he was super kind & I got to try something I wouldn’t have ever ordered otherwise. 😊
Randomly saw your video, and I'm glad you enjoyed the dishes. I grew up in Beijing, but my parents are from southern part of China (Fujian province), so I got to try a lot of different Chinese cuisines (yea, plural because they are so different from each other haha). I'd say depending on the food, serving temperature differs. Most dishes served at restaurants will be hot to show you that they are freshly made. However, since they are served on plates, the heat dissipates fast and you will usually eat them at room temperature served over warm rice, congee or buns. One exception is soup, and you always want it served hot. Also rice, noodles, congee and buns are usually considered "entrées" (主食) in China because carbs fill your stomach, and the side dishes are supposed to add flavor to them. That's why people usually share a lot of different dishes at the table, so you can help yourself and DIY your own flavor to your bowl. And I love sharing food
I think if people want to share dishes when out to dinner and everyone agrees, that's a great way to try new things. If two people are out to dinner and want to order the exact same thing, that's ok too. As long as everyone at the table is comfortable, that's the main thing.
I agree, love sharing. Beware -- the restaurant may not be ok with it. My sister was very embarrassed when their dinner was interrupted by the waiter telling them to stop sharing. They were disturbing other diners.
Her story struck me as very funny, since she is a military wife and generally the most well behaved of my family. I think you need to read the room.
Since post covid I think it is better for each person to have their own dishes as it prevents disease transmission. However, if it is an Asian restaurant, dishes are meant to be complementary with each other and helps to make a whole meal. So sharing different dishes would enhance the experience; one gets to taste more interesting textures and flavours. You could have still share just ask for common utensils to get the food if hygiene is a concern.
Was hoping spicy jellyfish salad would be featured as an appetizer. Seems underrated and I've never seen jellyfish on a menu before in other cuisines.
I frickin love jellyfish, but everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I mention it. People really need to try it! It's not weird at all, and the texture is soooo good. That spicy salad is such a great dish...
It's not supercommon, but there are some jellyfish dishes in southern Spain as well :)
Ohh I love both the fragrance from the sesame oil in Japanese jellyfish (Chuka Kurage), as well as the in the more spicy kick from the Chinese version.
@@BigBadWolframio That sounds interesting, could you give me the name of the dishes?
@@wxlurker thanks for the recommendation! Definitely something to check out
The best days are when Beryl uploads a new video. I can't explain how youve helped me during lockdown and still do every single time. My mental health can be a challenge, but ik literally smiling throughout every video. The wooden cutlery, the "bloopers", the inspiration, your vibe is just the best on youtube. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart, you're this ray of sun when my shadows want to argue with me. Thank you for all you do Beryl!! 💜
Me and my husband ALWAYS make sure we order different things even if we both feel like having the same dish, just because we love trying a variety of things when we eat out :) that’s also why we both love the meze/tapas culture, which as you said allows you to try so many different things.
For a long time, I was possessive of food like that because I 1: grew up pretty poor and had food resource insecurities and 2: had an abusive marriage that had weird food issues too. Once I got out of that relationship and slowly started getting at least a bit more financially stable, I became more open to sharing food, but only after I had built trust with that particular person or people over time. I think that's when my current boyfriend really started realizing how much safer I felt with him, when I started willingly sharing food and even handing him my dish to share. He knew how big of a step that was for me
I want to give you a big virtual hug.
Yes. This. Not everyone grew up in a situation where sharing food was a thing. If money was short, you wanted to be sure everyone has an equal share, and going to a restaurant or adventurous eating was unlikely. Food isn’t available as entertainment to everyone.
Your reaction to mung bean noodle was exactly how I reacted when I first tried it. It’s very filling so it’s good for sharing. And Chinese food should be hot, not room temp. I think the Chinese places that serve not-hot food do it on purpose so people don’t complain about not being able to eat immediately. Or maybe you eat banquet food a lot, because those aren’t hot. Can’t keep that many servings hot. But if you go to a regular Chinese restaurant, food should be hot.
I love these order series. I get to know so much about different cultures and their food habits by watching your videos.
So I used to date someone who was very much like “this plate is mine, that plate is yours” but was always glad to share a bite with each other so it wasn’t a big deal. I definitely had to change my expectation of “sharing”. It didn’t bother me though and it made eating with my mom equally special because my mom and I coordinate what we’ll order and share all the dishes.
Here in America, the concept of sharing food dishes while dining out, for the most part, is simply not done, especially among total strangers, of whom you're not likely to meet up with again.
As habitues to a restaurant with known friends however and in so doing, if the gathered company indeed is used to that familiar sort of personal gesture, there's no law that states that it is verboten.
Supposing however that someone in the party, (decidedly a mischievous bete noire!), suggests sharing and sampling of all his neighbors' ordered dishes, well into the meal, in the general tone of voice that smacks more of a royal mandate, than merely a harmless and friendly gesture?
Now, half the assembled company, sensing an element of instant trouble brewing and personally not wishing to be voted outside the majority in the eyes of the others and based on the capricious whims of this unknown and presumptuous newcomer, readily announce their intention to allow his thoughtless, onerous and in a word, risky, absurdity.
In such situations, as in so many of its kind nowadays, we have to take a courageous stand, based on a firm belief that wherever one goes today, there will be others present on the sidelines, strangers, watching, taking notes and testing the mettle under fire, of all those present, and reporting their findings...
Be warned!
Also the Wang Lao Ji drink can come in a big bottle size too. You can find them in a lot of Chinese super markets. I recommend you visit Flushing, New York City. Flushing is like the lesser known Chinatown since the actual one is being gentrified more and there were a lot of authentic places offering real Chinese food that are closing down. However, in Chinatown, NYC, there is also a Wang Lao Ji store, and it's pretty cool! You should definitely try that out too because they make combinations of other types of drinks like boba with the original wang lao ji drink or using some aspect of it!
Huangs World on Vice showed me just how incredibly regional and adaptive Chinese cuisine is. Jamaican Chinese food will be so different from American Chinese food. Chifa cuisine in Peru seems so fascinating, and I don't even know what I could expect in Mauritius. This episode is so exciting because NYC probably offers such a broader coverage of pan Chinese cuisine.
I love and appreciate how nearly alchemical Chinese cuisine is. So much of each dish feels so intentional and balanced (shout out to Chinese medicine!) I feel like this is defined a common trait of Pan Asian cuisines have and I absolutely love it.
Chinese mauritian food have normally the same base as Jamaican chinese as both originally from the same region even town! Same for the chinese from Calcutta, India!
One of the excellent things about living in a city (NYC, LA, Philly) is having a Chinatown. You go in, throw the English menu away, and order off the illegible boards on the wall by pointing (and then usually assuring the wait staff that you'll eat whatever it is you just requested). You get such WONDERFUL things.
"In some cuisines where vegetarian foods are not vegetarian..." Bengali cuisine is a brilliant example of the same, both from Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The cuisine is so versatile and elaborate and yummy and so so much more than just Dal-Chawal, Rajma/Chholey, Alu-Gobi or random Paneer dishes! The use of local and seasonal veggies is mind boggling and literally nothing goes to waste in a Bengali household! You should definitely explore the cuisine and make a video on it!
Snow pea shoots/tendrils are my absolute favorite vegetable but are so hyper seasonal it breaks my heart. So excited it made it into the episode. Also our foods are meant to be eaten hot. Our parents usually tell you "eat your food while it's hot" because certain textures and flavors change/disappear as it cools.
The snow pea shoots here looked a little overcooked or have turned that way from being in the container too long because they're not as vibrant as when they're served fresh
Hi beryl, love this episode!! Chinese food is very diverse indeed. I am a chinese from Malaysia..and the only familiar dish was your 1st..the soup dumpling.. the rest is new to me too! I will be googling those recipes to add to my repertoire.
Usually we eat food hot, it is quite a skill to stirfry green vege, steam fish and deepfry wontons all at the same time to ensure all are just hot from the stove for a wholesome meal.
Regarding your dessert, our staple is rice...and rice can be use diversely . The indescribable texture you mentioned in your dessert is achieved with rice flour and glutinous rice flour. If you can find Malaysian restaurant in your area, try the Kuih/ Kueh....mostly made with rice products...be adventurous😊..love your reactions to new flavors and textures...
感谢你马来西亚人👍👍👍
I agree that people should order different entrees. Sharing food is one of the things that makes eating out so much fun
I think if everybody is okay with it, then totally. If both people like the same dish, or if there are food sensitivities at play, or if one person just didn't grow up that way and having a secure plate of food is important to them, so be it. No one should have to order something that they don't want/know they won't eat to satisfy the cravings of their partner. Sometimes, you order the same dish because you know how it's prepared and it's a "safe" food for you, and the idea of switching things up or having to part with some of that food for a different dish that might not be safe is daunting. Not to mention, in the US where communal eating isn't as common and there are a number of people (especially here in the South) who grow up with food insecurity, I think it would be disrespectful to assume that everyone is psychologically comfortable with sharing their food.
Having said all that, I also like getting to try different things and my partner and I are perfectly happy to order different fun and safe foods that we'll both eat and enjoy!
7:05 The word you're looking for, as we like to say in Taiwan, is not that it's chewy, but that it's very "Q"! The slang "Q" evokes a sense of bounciness, toothiness, almost like al dente pasta, but with more springiness. The way Wan Na described it as elastic I think is a good way of thinking about it - not that it's rubbery necessarily, but that there's also a mild stretch to it.
When I was living in Shanghai, I heard there was an American Chinese restaurant that opened, but it was supposed to always be super busy with both Chinese and foreign customers, haha. Chinese cuisine is just great no matter what it touches, much love to all the regions and variations! ❤
I would recommend Chin Jao Ro Su (A stir fry with beef, bell peppers and bamboo shoots) and the classic Szechuan Mapo Tofu for main courses. For snacks, I'd recommend pork and shrimp siu mai and not to mention scallop dumplings.
The glass/cellophane noodles featured in the ants climbing a tree can also be found in Cantonese or Thai cuisine as well. And, despite being noodles, they typically are eaten with rice. It sounds counterintuitive; but, that's usually how noodles like these are eaten. I grew up eating these noodles in the Cantonese/Toisanese tradition. I loved them and still do. But, I always eat the noodles with rice.
We also have glass noodle in Indonesian cuisine, but of course it was introduced by Southern Chinese merchants hundreds years ago.
I absolutely agree with you about family style dinners! I want a little of everything and i love sharing food! What's better!? ❤
OMG! I believe in that too. I feel, you mostly go out and eat in new restaurants with someone who you're comfortable with. And if that's the case, of course sharing is what I believe in. That way we can taste more food and even if we don't like one dish, the other person may like it (or vice versa) and it can save the both of us from embarrassment.
Tofu skin is interesting and for those looking for pasta alternatives it's a solid choice especially if you're wanting to go low carb.
The difference in Beryl's energy when she REALLY loves something vs. when she appreciates it and enjoys the process.... girl, don't ever play poker. But, if you ever do, I'll spot you. You are a delight in this world. 💞
As a Malaysian Chinese , we can discuss if we want sharing meals or individual meals . If we feel like bigger meals we can go for sharing options , or if other day if we prefer simple meals like fried rice / noodles dish we can go individually.
However if we invite someone who aren’t very close , we will always ask for “common utensil” to be placed one on each dish - so we use that common utensil to pick them into our own bowls
I'm with you, Beryl. It is a given that when I go out with friends, we will order different dishes so we can share. No same-same, here!
This makes me want to see Beryl collab with June (junelikethemonth) who previously worked at Delish but now has her own youtube channel where she also cooks a lot of Chinese-American food. They both live in New York as well.
It would be interesting to see how their personalities mesh.
I'm all for ordering family style dishes, and I always have been. Doing that allows you and the other diners to try multiple items, which can be very helpful if you haven't tried a certain restaurant or cuisine before. If you have tried the restaurant before, on the other hand, it can help solve the problem of not being able to decide what to get; if you both like two or three dishes, get all of them and share.
Sharing also helps mitigate the negative consequences in case one dish isn't good; you'll have other things to eat and you'll also know not to order the offending dish again.
I love that you featured "Ants Climbing a Tree". I stumbled across a recipe ages ago. I thought the name was funny, so I gave it a try. I still make it at least once a year. I didn't know it was an authentic dish. I love it.
Wow ants climbing a tree is whatw w called celery with peanut butter and rasions lol😂
Not only It's a authentic dish, it's a old school classic
I absolutely love sharing food. There's something so wonderfully fun about it. My husband and I will often choose the same dish we want so we try to order something we've never had as our second dish. If we don't like it there's no harm because we can usually eat from one dish and be satisfied, but we've discovered so many amazing dishes by doing this. We absolutely love love love food and the shared memories and experiences we have from going outside of our comfort zone and discovering new flavor/flavor combinations.
The XLB (soup dumpling) is meant to be eaten soon after it is steamed; XLB does not travel well. Great episode!
For me, Chinese food means Yangzhou fried rice or what we usually call "Yang Chow" in the Philippines. The joy of this recipe is that any Chinese restaurant I go the taste is atleast 90% the same. It is such a comfort food for me It is perfect with saucy dishes or anything fried.
Had to google it, looks yummy! 🤤
I am sooo excited for this video! Absolutely love LOVE chinese food! Sichuan, Chengdu, Hunan, etc. It would be great to showcase how diversified (as also with Mexican, Indian and Italian to name a few) the gastronomy really is!
Post-scriptum: Also, sichuan cuisine has many “cold” dishes which I love, Koushui-ji, (although, I don’t know too many Westerners that would be keen on cold boiled chicken with the skin on and bones, just saying) Bamboo shoots salad, Funky cold noodles, etc. I love the combination of spicy, cold dishes! Hot & Cold together.
To those who pay not know, when sharing family style in Chinese culture(speaking as a Han Chinese). You should use the "shared utensils" to grab/scoop food. This is the utensils that should never touch someone's mouth or bowl, and putting it back in the shared foods. Plus, using your own utensils to grab food is seen as poor mannered. Usually with couples, very close friends ,and close family, this isn't a rule. This usually applies to friends+acquaintances, business related meals, and extended families.
I spent some time in Beijing, and all I can say is other than "Peking Duck", nothing I ate reminded me of what I grew up thinking of as Chinese food. It was interesting.
I have Indian friends who told me it's the same with Indian food -- what we think of as Indian food, is basically what British people decided they liked of Indian food, and that slid over into America.
可以尝试一下宫保鸡丁
I am 100% with you on the family style dining. It's so much more socially oriented and way more fun. And you can discuss intelligently about the food all of you just enjoyed! Love all of your videos, they always inspire me to try new things and keep an open mind. I also love how you bring the universal aspect of food to the forefront, showing us that we are not that different. Thank you Beryl, you're the best!
Most Chinese dishes are meant to be hot in temperature. If you get your dishes lukewarm it's because your restaurant server is slow :-) One extreme example is hot-pot where you're cooking raw stuff in a boiling soup. There are some summer foods which are meant to be colder - various veggie appetizers (sometimes pickled), cold noodles, etc.
Off topic but I must say CONGRATULATIONS on Pan Pals! What a beautiful show with such ❤️ and amazing attention to detail with the postcards and video. Loved the sweet ending!
Ahhh thank you!!!!
@BerylShereshewsky Mexicans food??next time ❤
@@BerylShereshewsky Just from your description of the Tofu Skin I would say the texture sounds like squid
i love love LOVE chinese food.
I love discovering new dishes from different provinces in china because the flavors are soooo different depending on the region ♥
I thought the hot food question was weird AF but then started reflecting that when meals are cooked at home and are extravagant many of the dishes are prepared one at a time and even if meant to be hot they stand on the table for some time while the guests are mingling and the rest of dishes get prepared then everything is eaten together and it makes most of the dishes quite room temp by then
Hey Beryl! Out of ALL of those yummy dishes you made, there's gotta be a few that stuck and that you now eat on a regular basis because they're really good and/or very easy and cheap to make! Can you make a video of a collection of these? I'd love to add more interesting dishes to my weekly meal plan! Lots of love from the Netherlands
I’m not Chinese, but I lived in Northern China for three years. I have never been exposed to any of these dishes, (except the soup dumplings in the US.) When I lived in China, people would often ask what my favorite Chinese food was, so I tried many different types. I found that my personal favorite was the Xinjiang (Uighur) food. Delicious! I wish I could get it here in the US. Ding Ding Chao Mian, Yang rou chuan, da pan ji, and nang.
I lived in Beijing for two years and the Uighur food was definitely one of my favorites! 🙂
There used to be a Uighur restaurant in Cupertino California...but they had a fire and went out for business. Look for a place with halal meat or one that doesn't serve pork.
There are a handful of restaurants that serve Xinjang/Uighur food in NY… not sure where you’re at!
First I only found a couple and then a couple more and then a couple more! So I’m hoping it will grow in the following years!
@@urbanequinox I’m in the Seattle area. I don’t think the Chinese allow the Uighurs to emigrate.
@@ChaiMeiLan I don't know about Seattle, but definitely in NYC, Cali, and DC.
In Peru we have a large Chinese population and the fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine is called “chifa” which is also what we call Chinese restaurants
I'm absolutely all about sharing food! I'm with you, share it all! I LOVE trying everything, and all kinds of new stuff, too. Bring on the fun dining companions who are like us!
Absolutely disgusting and unhygienic … will never do it!! 😱🤮
@@sher64ct45 Not to mention food sensitivities, people with poor immune systems, eating disorders and stomach/gi problems. Expecting to share food is where I find the red-flag. Ask, and don't get panties in a knot if they don't want to. Doesn't mean they're not 'fun'
I was totally thinking 'I love Ants Climbing a Tree', that's what I'd suggest. Lo and behold 😊👌
Just come to say the ants on a tree dish is traditionally made with sweet potato noodles rather than mung bean. Sweet potato noodles can keep its shape and chewy consistency better than mung bean noodles in a stir fried dish. Overall great recs on this episode. Sichuan food is really dominating the New York Chinese food scene. I wish there would be more Cantonese or northeast (dongbei) restaurant options.
Cantonese is a LOT more common in the 'burbs. They usually have a few "classic" Sichuan-Amer dishes on the menu, but most of the places around me are Cantonese, and I've only ever seen one of the dishes Beryl highlighted here on a menu.
Cantonese cuisine has dominated the US and Canada for the longest time lol there are so many others out there that haven't even gotten popular yet. 10-15 years ago I couldn't even get Sichuan cuisine
I definitely prefer the family style of serving. This is why I most prefer eating at Korean restaurants because the banchan (side dishes) all arrive on the table with the entrees and then you have your individual plate you serve to. Love it!
I have food aversions and trauma with food so I have to feel comfortable having my own dishes and having enough. I personally am happy if someone wants to order the same thing as me and not share, so that I feel comfortable having enough for leftovers and being full.
Love to share food especially Indian and Chinese food. One of my favorites is going for dim sum. The entire idea behind that is a lot of little dishes that are shared.
The biggest challenge I have is that I am half Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish (mom's side), and while I ate a lot of traditional Chinese food as a kid, I keep kosher today. So if I want good Chinese food, I always have to adapt it and sometimes make ingredients from scratch because they are too hard or impossible to get kosher certification, or doing entirely without (RIP black vinegar and shaoxing wine). A lot of work before I even start and that's before adapting pork dishes to other meats or vegetarian versions--which is usually the easy part.
Ants climbing trees is one of my favorites to make at home. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Whenever I make it for friends they are surprised and want the recipe ❤️
When I went to Peru I was surprised to see how many Peruvian-Chinese restaurants there were. And like you said, it reflected both cultures and had very different menu items than American Chinese food! Great episode, I love the take out series 😁
Yep, Chinese people have a long history of migrating to and living in Peru! The Chinatown in Lima is one of the oldest in the western hemisphere.
@@prettyprettysmartDo you mean oldest in South America? Or both North and South America?
@@vanessafrey886 sorry misspoke there, it’s one of the oldest in the western hemisphere
Chifa!
Especially when coming to a new restaurant, sharing is almost a must to me.
When I was at a mexican restaurant for the 1st time, I was pretty clueless. So we asked our waiter to name his favourites.
They where fantastic! And though my wife was american, she had never ordered these before. I sometimes do this here in Germany now, even at restaurants I was often before. It can be an eye-opener!
When restaurants offer seasonal meals, not on their standart menue: take a close look! They are very likely to be great. Sometimes carry ingredients, that are simply not always available.
Hey, regarding your question about sharing the food at the table. I live in France, and it's not a thing to eat from the same dish, at the restaurant, it's possible but very uncommon to ask for one plate of food to share (It's considered cheap.). One can have a taste of the other person meal, but even for long-time lovers, that's it. Family style meal in one big pot at the center of the table is a thing (like a stew, a salad or a big piece of meat) but every person as it's own plate and the food is usually divided at the beginning of the meal by one person serving the others. Hope that answers your question!
Same in Denmark
Pleeeease make an episode like this with Italian food. I feel it's a type of food that "everyone can make" and/or "you can find anywhere" ...and that inevitably leaves room to A LOT of food nightmares vaguely named "Italian". Come on Beryl, let's do it!
I think it’s OK for you and your date/partner to order the same item if you both happen to like the same item.
If the intent is share, then sharing is always better or ideal but if you both want the same thing that night, that should be OK.
There’s a tricky situation, because some restaurants will have only one fish option or one vegetarian option so it might limit mattresses for someone who might have more restrictions or allergies.
At the end of the day, you should order what you want, and have your friend/date to order whatever they want.
And the intent should not be that you don’t want to share. I think that’s what makes it wrong. Other than that, you both should do what you like. It’s just food after all.
You can also tell your date or friend that you want to try a couple of different items and you’re hoping that you both can share each others meal and that could definitely clear up any resentment.
Another wonderful advantage you have that you didn’t used to have is that you can look up a restaurant menu online and decide what you want long before you go into the restaurant.
Agreed. Food is meant to be shared! As a first generation Italian, I could not imagine a life without family style meals. Even now when I’m out for dinner with my family and friends we all pass dishes around!
For me sharing is a no no 😅 I can imagine it being a thing in an Italian family tho.
it really depends. I'm all in for the dim sum vibe where we just order a bunch of dishes and share. But sometimes the company or the type of restaurant makes it hard to share food because it's not meant for sharing (like going to an italian restaurant and ordering a pasta dish)
1 dish to share between 2 people for sure, and if hygiene is an issue you can use sharing utensils and take what you need and put it on your own plate.
And with regards to chinese food, there are 8 styles within chinese cuisine (and many other sub styles that branches of the main ones), hence chinese food is really a general term that covers a really wide variety of cooking styles and dishes that exist
"This noodle is noodling so hard" is my new fave expression!!!
And I agre with Beryl; I tend to order different meals, than the person I'm with to get to taste somthing diferent!
For cold appetiser one of my favourites is silken tofu with pork floss, pickles and century egg. The whole thing is also drizzled all over with soy sauce. The mouthfeel of this dish is amazing. It's so silky smooth and creamy, with the occasional crunch from the pickles. The flavours also work well together. I feel like you could add all these ingredients into a congee and it would work well.
Is gongee the risotto stuff?
Oooo what kind of pickles do you use? Pickled mustard greens?
@@Padraigp Kind of? Risotto's texture is firmer, I'd say it's just a rice porridge, usually savory.
@@schnozz4301 ah ok i thought it was actually a sweet thing like rice pudding. Thanks. It seems really common but ive never seen it in a chinese menu.
@@Padraigp It's pretty common, though the plain version is more of a home dish than something you'd go to a restaurant to get. If a restaurant serves it, it'll be more dressed up with vegetables and meats and cooked in broth rather than plain water, etc. On menus, keep an eye out for the word porridge as well as congee. Not all Chinese restaurants have it, but you'll have better chances looking at a Cantonese or dim sum restaurant.
It's also really simple to make! Made With Lau has a recipe for a Cantonese chicken porridge. The plain version requires nothing but water (sub for broth if desired) and rice and you can cook it to any consistency you'd like, but you should eat it with toppings and/or side dishes.
When I spent a month in China, I was blown away by how incredible the food is there. NOTHING like what people will find in a Chinese restaurant here (I live in Australia). Then we found a place in our regional town that you could order totally different dishes off a secret menu. I thought people were joking about this being a thing but it is a thing!
I am not dissing what people ordinarily eat in restaurants in western countries but there is a whole world of deliciousness out there!
The Chinese food in Australia can be authentic, however what most westerners are familiar with is Cantonese food and not food from other provinces in China unless you specifically look for them - which do exist in large metropolitan cities in Australia.
I agree, im aussie too and i travelled to china and found out food pretty authentic! But most aussies wont try different dishes!
I'm going to talk about sharing meals with my sister and say: it depends. There are meals where yes, we will order the same thing. Lasagna was like that growing up; we would both order it and eat it completely, never wanting to share. Other foods... we were more open to sharing. I was and am far more adventurous and open to trying new things. I'll get the thing we've never had before, and my sister - who got something that's tried and true - will trade bites off her plate to try mine. Sushi was one of those dishes twenty years ago lol. I eat mushrooms; she doesn't. I'm willing to have a no-meat meal; that's a little weird for her.
It's a family culture that leads to that kind of openness to sharing food like that, and it's not always based on food (in)security though that can have a large effect. Growing up, my first bites of some new food were always eaten off my parents' plates as they expanded my palate. I have positive memories with food and sharing, especially with introducing people to new foods.
Your comment about food insecurity made me realize that’s probably why my mom’s family shares food all the time at restaurants - my mom, her oldest sister, & I regularly split 1.5-2 meals because it’s wasteful to order more than you can eat.
Loved this Episode! The vareity of the many dishes is just mouth watering. Regarding your question: the absolute best, most wholesome and fun experience at a Restaurant I had together with my 3 teammates from work at the vietnamese teahouse of one of our students' dad. We just oredered all the apetizers , a different main dish for every one and dad put out Desserts for us to try as well. We shared and tasted the whole evening. I absolutely loved it, not only for the chance to taste so many different dishes, but also for our shared experience and our bond as a team and friends being strenghtened by it.
Hi Beryl! Thank you for doing this video! If no one else has suggested it look up the word "Q" as a food texture. It's probably the word you are looking for for tofu skin. The Times has done an article about it. Would love to see you do a video just for a region of China (there's great Sichuan in midtown and Cantonese in Chinatown)
I agree! Eating with other people should be about sharing! I would say if there's only two people you should def get something different!
Also there's still so much Chinese food to explore!!
But what if you're really hungry and sharing means you won't be full after eating?
The snow pea shoots are basically impossible to find in any restaurant, the fact that you were able to find them for delivery is some sort of miracle. They are a seasonal dish, kind of like fiddlehead ferns. They are available for a very limited amount of time and once they’re gone, they’re gone till next year. Toronto, where I’m from, has one of the largest Chinese populations of any city in North America, and I have never ever seen this dish even in the most authentic, no white people, restaurant in the deepest darkest corners of Chinatown. You can find the snow pea shoots for a couple of weeks in good Asian market though.
I grew up in Vancouver, moved to Montréal, and now live in Québec City, and my oh my do I miss access to authentic Chinese food. I'm actually tickled pink that there are so many Chinese-Canadian restaurants here, and it's a cuisine I also like and one that is getting harder to find in the larger cities. And I also miss access to ingredients -- there are a few small Asian grocery stores that do their best to cover the basics, but the choice remains limited and pricey, and there are definitely no extras like dim sum or Chinese pastries or won-ton noodle houses. Sigh. On the plus side, it means I've learned to make many things myself, such as almost perfecting home-made char siu after many sad attempts.
Can relate, Asian grocery stores here in Europe are very small with a very limited selection 😞 Mostly just pantry staples, little to no fresh stuff...
With most Asian cuisines, or some more family style Mexican restaurants, food sharing would be expected. A bit of whatever with the rice or noodles, or something on a tortilla.
As a Chinese person, I find this so fascinating, seeing what other Chinese people order inspires me to try new things :) great video!!!
We always look at the menu with an eye toward sharing each other's dishes. Even hamburgers have been known to get cut up to share. I'm with you Beryl!