126 CultureShock! China
up a vegetable bun, a meat dumpling or a steaming cup of
soya milk and a long doughnut stick to dip into it. The same
stalls also serve lunchtime noodles, and will provide a small
stool so customers can sit and quickly slurp down a bowl of
noodles. The meal will end with a grand finale of tipping back
the bowl and shovelling the last juice and noodle remnants
into the mouth.
Chinese are punctual about eating. At noon, chopsticks
invade lunch boxes and restaurants are crowded and noisy.
Tea is a constant throughout the day. A steaming cup is sitting
on most desks, stashed away between seats in taxis, or tucked
in a corner of the floor next to a chair. The afternoon is for
snacks, savoury or sweet depending upon the person. At
6:00 pm sharp, an exodus begins toward home or restaurant
in pursuit of dinner.BEVERAGES
Te a
Tea has played a vital role in China throughout recorded
history. It is an industry which generates jobs, has
distinguished scholars, has been used as currency and cash,
and is an important component of any meal or meeting.
Through its gentle fragrant steam, many important decisions
have been made in China; whether between Mao and Nixon
or husband and wife, a cup of tea is always within reach.
Although there are thousands of varieties of tea grown in
China, there are three main types which stand out: green,
red and black. One of the most famous teas in China comes
from the eastern city of Hangzhou, a place called Dragon
Well that sits in the hills.
If you visit Dragon Well, you can experience the making
of tea firsthand. Farmers roam the steep hills terraced with
tea bushes carefully picking delicate buds, placing them in
a big woven basket. Once the basket is full of tea leaves, the
farmer carries it down the mountain and begins the drying
process. As you stroll through the small villages, you will see
large heated shallow cone-shaped vats that the tea leaves
are hand dried in to make tea. Rough hands swirl the leaves
around and around the rim, releasing a musty fragrance as