Elyse Sewell ([info]elysesewell) wrote,
2006-08-19 12:42:00
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snacks o'er the border

I spent my freaky Friday working and grocery shopping in Shenzhen, China.

In the Americas, corn is a staple grain; in Asia, it is a stand-alone taste sensation. Examples: corn-flavored caramel candy, the Corn Cup side-dish at McDonald's, and this delicious, unnaturally corn-pungent corn-flavored corn-shaped ice cream bar. Price: RMB1 = US$.13




As with corn, dairy products aren't a dietary staple in much of Asia, and cheese is a commonly-cited Chinese Horror Food. But for every Chinese person shrieking, "Eww, cheese! It's just rotten milk!" there's a Frenchman muttering, "Uggh, la sensation de plastique!" as he elaborately pretends to choke to death on the cubes of tofu in his Japanese miso soup.

But one thing the whole world can agree upon is that nobody wants the chilli-flavored jellyfish.




We are truly lucky to live in this century, my friends. In the past, our ancestors had to scrabble to bung together four crappy kernels of teosinte, and in the future, there will be no culinary variety beyond Regular or Cool Ranch Soylent Green. As a celebration of having been born into the Golden Age of Snacks, waiter, I shall have the Assorted Stuff.


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Anonymous

August 19 2006, 04:45:37 UTC 5 years ago

I was the first to post on this message!!!!!!

Nice job Elyse.

[info]athenaworth

August 19 2006, 04:47:37 UTC 5 years ago

Re: I was the first to post on this message!!!!!!

You'd SO get banned from [info]ohnotheydidnt for that. :-P

[info]ill_kick_you

5 years ago

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[info]bratzworld

5 years ago

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[info]baba_0riley

August 19 2006, 04:46:13 UTC 5 years ago

that assorted stuff looks good
looks like veggie chips or something

[info]athenaworth

August 19 2006, 04:47:01 UTC 5 years ago

Good lord. That Jellyfish stuff looks like something they'd have on fear factor. And yet, for some strange reason I really want to roll it around on my tongue. Maybe I was a cannible in another life and really went for the small intestines?

[info]georgi

August 19 2006, 05:07:42 UTC 5 years ago

I like the jellyfish stuff! They have it in sushi... or I'd eat it on its own. :)

[info]athenaworth

5 years ago

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Anonymous

5 years ago

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[info]athenaworth

5 years ago

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[info]rinoawannabe

August 19 2006, 04:48:43 UTC 5 years ago

That fake corn-on-a-stick looks kind of... tasty?

[info]likearaindrop

August 19 2006, 04:49:18 UTC 5 years ago

So late last night I was in a cab in a backlane somewhere between causeway bay and wanchai and I could have sworn I saw you! You were in gray and stuffing your face, and you still looked hot. It was strange. and may have not actually happened if you were in China :-[

and please tell me you bought these things just to photograph them, you don't actually eat it :-/

[info]elysesewell

August 19 2006, 04:59:46 UTC 5 years ago

I was DEFINITELY on the sidewalk in Causeway Bay, in gray, cramming a bun and a juice box of chrysanthemum tea into my mouf late last night. Ha!

[info]53th

5 years ago

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[info]bratzworld

5 years ago

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[info]syn_abounds

5 years ago

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Anonymous

August 19 2006, 04:50:10 UTC 5 years ago

Mmmmmm...

... assorted stuff.

;->

K in SF

[info]number25

August 19 2006, 04:50:14 UTC 5 years ago

god, when i was in japan cheese was nowhere to be found. i wonder why, because the japanese aren't without food that looks disgusting (i am calling you, natto) that is loved by everyone.

well, no americans like natto, but still

[info]georgi

August 19 2006, 05:09:08 UTC 5 years ago

I love love love nattou! Nattou looks repulsive- like yesterday's puke, but tastes yummy!

Anonymous

5 years ago

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...and 2 more comments... from [info]vulgar_shudder, [info]enikodawon Expand

[info]jasonbeast

August 19 2006, 04:52:15 UTC 5 years ago

Chili-flavored jellyfish? Hell no!

... but the chili-flavored eel is actualy pretty tasty. Just be careful of the bones.

[info]heterodox_crab

August 19 2006, 04:53:58 UTC 5 years ago

So did you actually taste the jellyfish? I'd be curious to know if unflavored jellyfish even has a taste. Does it taste...fishy? Salty? Or like those cubes of gelatin served as a side dish with hot-paste and scallion in Korean restaurants--that is to say, like tasteless squish?

That corn ice cream looks yummy.

[info]elysesewell

August 19 2006, 05:03:44 UTC 5 years ago

I was surprised; the jellyfish had no meaty or fishy taste, but the rubbery crystalline crunch was unmistakably animal in origin.

[info]heterodox_crab

5 years ago

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[info]foureyedcrab

5 years ago

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Anonymous

5 years ago

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[info]oshunanat

August 19 2006, 04:59:43 UTC 5 years ago

Oooh, assorted stuff!

How was the ice cream?

[info]and_you_do

August 19 2006, 05:00:21 UTC 5 years ago

Completely random, but I saw a cardboard you in the window of a store at the mall today and got excited.

[info]shakeyourwaist

August 19 2006, 05:08:39 UTC 5 years ago

wtf at corn ice cream. we would love that here (indiana). anything to do with corn is like, heavenly.

[info]superflippy

August 19 2006, 15:26:51 UTC 5 years ago

Great username! I'm guessing you're a fan of Azrael's life in Japan blog?

[info]aucuneraison

August 19 2006, 05:09:14 UTC 5 years ago

I love my ancestors for deciding jellyfish was okay to eat.

On another note, have you had the milk? It is so fucking rich. It makes me gag a bit actually. But the yogurt drink (literally, "sour milk") is awesome.

[info]elysesewell

August 19 2006, 05:14:04 UTC 5 years ago

Do you mean Yakult? At some of those on-street fresh juice stands in Hong Kong you can get Yakult mixed with fresh watermelon juice in a blender...I drank that all the time when I was here last year!

[info]aucuneraison

5 years ago

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[info]aucuneraison

5 years ago

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[info]elysesewell

5 years ago

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Anonymous

5 years ago

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[info]dearfanka

5 years ago

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[info]applegreenzest

5 years ago

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[info]pinkspider_x

August 19 2006, 05:09:22 UTC 5 years ago

...Is the ice cream good?

[info]10zlaine

August 19 2006, 05:09:52 UTC 5 years ago

you rock beyond the telling of it...soylent green is having a run on cable right now!

[info]chanelsunglasse

January 26 2011, 13:18:02 UTC 1 year ago

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[info]my_funny_cousin

August 19 2006, 05:11:43 UTC 5 years ago

I'm not entirely certain I posted this, but I was in Hong Kong a month ago and was pleasantly surprised to see your mug in the windows of various jewelers. My parents recognize you, as they are big big ANTM fans too.

[info]limegreencrow

August 19 2006, 05:12:04 UTC 5 years ago

My day brightens up when I see that you update. Even if the certain update makes my stomach turn. ;)

[info]noromdiam

August 19 2006, 05:14:39 UTC 5 years ago

I like spicy jerryfish and assorted stuff.

[info]hippiepippin

August 19 2006, 05:20:34 UTC 5 years ago

Those Jellyfish look more appetizing than the corn ice cream. Assorted stuff looks the best though.

My father calls tofu soylent green.

[info]angellam

August 19 2006, 05:20:54 UTC 5 years ago

I'd hate to know what the jellyfish smells like... *shudder*

[info]sailormoonie

August 19 2006, 05:28:22 UTC 5 years ago

That jellyfish looks delicious.

[info]rabbit_fur_coat

August 19 2006, 05:32:16 UTC 5 years ago

would you please explain to me how the jellyfish does not sting your mouth? or does the chili flava mask it? i could have sworn my 6th grade science teach told us that jelly fish tentacles could even sting post-death.

[info]hippiepippin

August 19 2006, 20:59:07 UTC 5 years ago

They could take off the stingy part or they could be the not stingy variety.

[info]applegreenzest

5 years ago

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Anonymous

5 years ago

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[info]thegeneralx

August 19 2006, 05:38:58 UTC 5 years ago

Is that a dehyrated bean I see in the Assorted Stuff?

[info]airheaven9

August 19 2006, 05:41:52 UTC 5 years ago

assorted stuff

assorted stuff doesn't look that bad. looks like dried vegetables and some chips.
I can't imagine a corn flavored popsicle/ice cream bar. I still can't even imagine banana popsicles, which are nasty. How was the corn ice cream bar?
what is your favorite of these chinese snacks? what do you find yourself buying most often, or do you like to get a different thing each time??

Anonymous

August 19 2006, 09:47:38 UTC 5 years ago

Re: assorted stuff

Maybe it's like a frozen version of the milk from Corn Flakes :-).

[info]plaiddanube

August 19 2006, 05:41:56 UTC 5 years ago

my mom is chinese and she hates cheese. the way she says it implies disgust. and she tells me it makes me fat whenever i eat it.
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