Fly home from Beijing
Air movement life no struggle
But where is roast fish?
This haiku sponsored by kao yu. I’m finally returned to the US and am planning to stay for a good amount of time. My jetlag has receded. My brain is still subconsciously confused by the culture changes. And I’m starting up with the dreaded post-grad job hunt. I’ve been living quite a different lifestyle here – instead of jumping metros, running around the city all day, and constantly subjecting my stomach to Chinese food – it’s been nice to take advantage of the ice apocalypse to rest at home, make yummy healthy food, and practice my yoga poses. But there’s no doubt I miss parts of China. I miss the interesting people I met there. And I miss the fish.
Oh the fish. Kao yu is a Beijing specialty that I’ve finally decided is my absolute favorite Chinese food. Gui jie, or Ghost Street, in Beijing has rows of red-lantern-adorned 24-hour restaurants that all sell this delicious staple – a fish grilled and then broiled in a spicy ma la broth of peppers, bean sprouts, tofu skin, and other vegetables. It takes about 45 minutes to roast, but once you get it on the table, it’s all worth it. We order the black fish, which yields less bones than the other fish and is mindblowing tender and flavorful. Split it between 3 or 4 people and you’re good for the night.
While it’s nice to be home and away from the harsh Beijing winter, occasionally a flashback of roast fish dinners with good friends bring momentary thoughts of returning to China to mind. One day, China, one day. For now, I need some r&r.
Hopefully I’ll get around to sharing some of my recent China tales in my downtime.
