An ode to China

I really miss it

Nuance is dead. Because I am Taiwanese writer who specializes in the culture and food of Taiwan, a lot of people think I hate China. Because for some reason, there’s this assumption that one cannot celebrate both Taiwanese and Chinese culture.

Of course, that is not true. Of all countries I’ve been to, China is one of my favorites. If it weren’t for its politics (acknowledging Taiwanese sovereignty can warrant legal consequences…), I’d love to spend more time there. In an ideal fantasy world, I’d have a nice vacation home in the jungles of Yunnan and head there every year for wild mushroom season. Or I’d fly to my friends’ hostel in the mountains of Anhui regularly to pick wild tea.

When I was in my early 20s, I had this dream of backpacking through all of the Chinese provinces. I never did, but I did eat my way through about 17 of them. When I think back to my 20s, I think back fondly to China. My last full-time job was at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where I was literally paid to eat and film the food of China.

Here’s a round-up of some of my favorite places and the videos I made about them (in no particular order):

Jingdezhen: The land of giant pots and the pottery capital of China. A quick high speed rail away from Shanghai. Accessible and stunning. I loved meeting these guys. I regret not hauling back more pottery.

Chengdu: One of the first videos I produced. I miss great Sichuanese food. Taipei sadly does not have great options.

All of Yunnan: My last story for the South China Morning Post was this one. I spent a week at Chinese influencer Dianxi Xiaoge’s house in the countryside and it was glorious. Shortly after we shot this, the pandemic hit and well, the rest is history.

Lanzhou: I might get canceled for this, but IMO, Lanzhou beef noodles taste better than Taiwanese beef noodles. It's a matter of personal preference, of course, but I prefer the savory spiciness of Lanzhou beef noodles to the savory sweetness of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. We went to beef noodle soup school in Lanzhou.

Huangshan: I once spent a couple of weeks volunteering at this couple’s hostel in the mountains of Huangshai. They became really good friends of mine. Since COVID, I’ve lost touch with them (and most of my friends on the Chinese mainland), but here’s a video I made of them making hairy tofu.

Qingdao: Okay, I didn’t love the food of northern China, but I had so much fun making this video, I had to link it here:

Tibetan Plateau: I adored touring through the Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Qinghai. See this article: “Why More Tibetan Nomads Are Going Vegetarian” (VICE)

If you want go through memory lane with me, my full list of videos is here. I often find myself looking back at these clips because my life is so different now. Now that I have my own family, I can’t travel as much. And with the state of media these days, these type of jobs (travel, eat, get paid a full-time salary!?) don’t exist anymore. I really feel like I lived life to its fullest in my second decade of life and am so grateful for these sweet memories.

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A recent piece of mine:

Opinion: Right now, I’d rather raise my child in Taiwan than America. I’m not the only one (CNN)

Threats from China have not abated. In fact, tensions have reached such historic highs that Taiwan is often dubbed “the world’s most dangerous place” by international analysts. This perception is so pervasive that every time my husband and I leave Taiwan, we are greeted with wide-eyed concern by friends and family. Are we safe in Taiwan? Do we think China will attack?

Though my perspective may be myopic (given the very real possibility of conflict and a military blockade) and comes from a place of privilege (I am a dual citizen of both Taiwan and the United States), there’s currently nowhere else I’d rather be.

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Signed copies of my cookbook Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation are available on Now Serving LA, Omnivore Books, Book Larder, and Kitchen Arts.