Interesting Foods You MUST Know About:

Sweet Potato Leaves.

Along with the regular fare of Chinese dumplings, noodles, and fried rice, of which we have had our fair share of, we have discovered a new vegetable dish we like.  It is sweet potato leaves stir-fried with garlic and salt.  Who knew? Bonus – it is super high in anti-oxidents.

Bubble Tea or Pearl Milk Tea:

This is a particularly fun drink… There are drink stands all around that specialize in various flavored tea with round tapioca balls that rest at the bottom of the cup.  You are given an extra wide straw that accommodates the size of the balls and you drink and eat the gummy textured balls at the same time.  (This is a terrible description – can someone else do it justice?)  Anyway, it is crazy fun!  Olivianna chose passion fruit juice instead of green tea.

 Ah…. Fried Pig Skin? 

The English translation of my menu read,  Sweet and Sour Pork, but when the dish came it was not that.  It was a plate full of pork skin with accompanying underlying layer of fat.  Now that could be good in theory but the smell was a turn off.  It smelled like we were right in the pig pen with the whole lot of pigs.  Point: I need to learn to read the Chinese menus….

Salt and Pepper Combo:

Today my kids requested real American food, so I went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients for a delicious creamy alfredo with chicken and brocolli.  I bought a combination bottle of salt and pepper mixed together so as not to waste money.  The kids were excited to eat an absolutely non-Asian meal – just needed a break, you know?  The kitchen smelled great as the kids set the table.  Then at last I added the salt and pepper combo and stir it up.  The next thing you know our kitchen started smelling like FISH!  I tasted the salt and pepper combo in my hand, and sure enough, the Chinese gave it their own Asian kick!  I wondered if the kids would notice.  As Levi ate he remarked, “This is….different!.  I told them about the Chinese flavored infused salt and pepper and they all laughed.  I haven’t had the heart to throw it out, so we have had Chinese flavored tuna salad casserole, and Chinese flavored eggs, and Chinese flavored veggies. Not too bad!

Rotisseri Chicken:

Just like in the US grocery stores – but with the head and feet still on. ;)