Today I did something I've never done before in my 21 years in China. Come to think of it, I only ever did so very rarely anywhere in the world - and then only reluctantly.
I ate in a university canteen.
I studied and worked in universities nearly all my life but avoided the canteen totally. I was fortunate enough to have a small apartment near the university (thank you, parents for your generosity), so even as an otherwise impoverished bachelor degree student, I could go home and cook. It wasn't exactly lobster and caviare every night, but I did OK.
Today, I was visiting a Chinese university on some business and lunchtime was looming. It was suggested that, as we had a tight schedule, we partook of the canteen offerings rather than go off-campus. I took one for the team and went along so see what was on offer.
I should have taken more photos of the place. It was crammed with students and the occasional faculty member. Basically, there are dozens of windows all serving something slightly different.You wait in line at your window of choice and when you get to the front, you find trays of cooked food on hotplates, make your choice and hey ho!, the server spreads a plate with rice, lobs your choice on top, sprinkles with chilli oil and hands you your plate. You place this on a tray from the pile to your right. Add a bowl of "soup", then try to find a seat among the heaving mob. More about the soup coming up.
This university has 10,000 students who all descend on the two canteens at the same time - three times a day. It is an amazing operation.
So, I got to the front of my line and somehow ended up with a tray of grub. As did my companion (who eats there almost every day).
My lunch:
I seem to have picked up roast duck and I do remember requesting the green veg. No idea what it was though. My companion claimed it to be water spinach, but it was like no water spinach I ever saw before. But it was very pleasant and very well cooked. Not overcooked in other words. It still had bite. The duck was fabulous. Crisp skin and juicy meat. There were also some noodly looking things (top right of my image). Not noodles but very finely sliced daikon radish. These were unrequested - apparently everyone gets those.
My companion went for this:
Char siu instead of my duck and lotus root instead of my unidentified frying objects. She also got the radish strips. She said it was very enjoyable.
The soup, which again is served to everyone was really just a bowl of hot water with some chicken powder, I think. It was OK and wet. I couldn't find a wine list!
To my astonishment, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, although neither of us were able to finish the huge pile of rice. I noticed that most of the students didn't either.
After lunch, you tip your uneaten food into huge bins (happy, well fed pigs round here), deposit the crockery in huge containers and go off for a good sleep. Siesta culture here - I love it!
I have to go back to the university in a couple of weeks as a follow-up to what we were working on, so, if I can, I'll go back to the canteen and take more photographs.
Oh. One more thing. Our lunches cost ¥5 each - (73 cents - US; 57 pence - UK; €0.68). For teachers, it's free.
