My point of view of "Our National Eating Disorder"

    In the article, “Our National Eating Disorder”, Pollan talked about why the national eating disorder and how the national eating disorder using the causes and symptoms to illustrate his point of view.
     First, in the third paragraph, the author pointed out that the medical degree can make the national eating disordered. As long as the author pointed out the medical degree cause the disorder, he give us few examples that “But the basic pattern was fixed decades earlier: new scientific research comes along to challenge the prevailing nutritional orthodoxy; some nutrient that Americans have been happily chomping for years is suddenly found to be lethal; another nutrient is elevated to the status of health food; the industry throws its marketing weight behind it; and the American way of dietary life undergoes yet another revolution.” (1)
    Second, in the ninth paragraph, the author argued that “As a relatively new nation drawn from many different immigrant populations, each with its own culture of food, we Americans find ourselves without a strong, stable culinary tradition to guide us.” (3) As we all know, the United States is a immigration country. Because the immigrators have different kinds of food cultures, and different culture has different structure of taboos, rituals, manners and culinary traditions, etc, which can make us eating in order, America’s national eating becomes disordered.
    One part of the examples, which explain why medical degree can make the national eating disordered, is most interesting to me. I, like most people do, considered the nutrition of the food first, because having healthy food can keep me healthy. Nevertheless, because of doing like me, some people have had the food they thought healthy, which actually are lethal to themselves. It is ridiculous to some extent. As me, I am very strict to my diet habit. Because of the food traditions of China, I eat everything good (based on my mother’s words). The traditions are last for thousands of years, so they cannot be wrong!

EE1 about American food culture

Yuan Zhou

WRIT-1133

Dr. Eric Leake

April 26th, 2012

Research on how convenience affect Americans. 

In this essay, I am going to incorporate and expand upon my short essay 2 and short essay 3. In my short essay 2, according to my research of coffee advertisement, I found that the American culture is about convenient. Based on different classes, there are different kinds of advertisement. I used two different brands of coffee, Nestle Instant coffee and Blue Mountain coffee, to do my research. In this research, Nestle Instant coffee is not an expensive coffee and can afford by working class people. Blue Mountain coffee is aristocrat of coffee and expensive, which means the Blue Mountain is offered for the minority. 

Because of lacking time to brew coffee, the working class people would prefer to buy instant coffee instead of buying coffee beans brewing by themselves, which would take lots of time. Time is the thing they very needed. In order to earn more money, they have to spent more time on their work but when they spent more time on their work, they have to be awake. Fortunately, the instant coffee solve this problem for them. Therefore, the advertisement of Nestle Instant coffee is very concise, and powerful. 

Why the advertisement of Nestle Instant coffee is very simple?

In the article, “Authenticity in American, Class Distinctions in Potato Chip Advertising”, Freedman and Jurafsky argues that the education is strongly associated with differences social class. As them said, “In addition to having fewer and shorter words, the inexpensive chips use more common words. Using a standard measure of word commonality based on how frequently the words occur in standard reference texts, we assigned each word on all the packages a frequency score.” (48) Because the Nestle Instant coffee is primarily face to working class people, its advertisement would be short and easy to be remember. 

The advertisement of Nestle Instant coffee shows that Americans are pay attention to convenience. For example, there are two slogans, “On the Go” and “Push and Open”, which are very concise and powerful in the advertisement of Nestle Instant coffee. These slogan would give people the first impression that the coffee is very convenient to drink during the busy day, which are also reflect the “fast and convenient” idea of the working class people. This kind of coffee has 7 packets in one package. It is save time for the working class people, because people can buy one package and have it for a week long. Every time they want to have some coffee, they just need to open the packet, put the instant coffee into hot water, and wait for a while. Moreover, people can take the coffee wherever they want, such as office and home. By contrast, if the working class people buy coffee beans to brew coffee, they would not have enough time, which is very important to them. People just need to put the instant coffee in water and wait for a while, then people would have a cup of coffee. Although this kind of coffee does not have the original taste and the smell of coffee, the instant coffee still have caffeine which can keep people awake. Because usually working class people have busy schedule and have stressful work, the instant coffee is very suitable for them. It is reflect the American culture, convenient and productive. 

In my short essay 3, according to my observation of customers behavior in Subway. I mentioned that convenience becomes the primary concern of Americans, because most of the customers are white-collar and blue-collar people, which means they are busy and on the go. Therefore, they prefer to go to Subway rather than other non fast food restaurant, because they can just wait for a minute and then take the food out of the Subway. Comparing with the food need long time to cook, the sandwich in Subway is very suitable for the working class people, because they are lacking time to wait for the food, which need long time to cook. In order to serve quickly, Subway had already cooked the food--- the meat ball, the beef and the chicken, and save them in a iron container heating them. 

Moreover, I observed that most costumer of Subway are likely to order a foot-long sandwich and then take out. I am very surprising at Americans can have a foot-long sandwich, because I and my friends usually only eat a 6-inch-long sandwich and would be full. Thus I asked 5 customers who order a foot-long sandwich and take the sandwich out of Subway. All of them said that they usually eat 6-inch-long sandwich, and the other 6-inch-long sandwich would be saved until next meal so that they can save time to work. They thought that when they got out of the office to buy food, they were wasting time. At this point, we can see Americans are weigh the convenience a lot, and they are hard-working people too. 

In addition, the costumers who prefer to take the sandwich out of Subway usually order the Lay’s potato chips, which are already be packaged. By contrast, the costumers who would like to stay in Subway did not like to order the Lay’s potato chips, maybe because the Lay’s potato chips are not fresh fried and are having higher price than other stores have. In other non fast food restaurants, such as Claim Jumper and Cheesecake Factory, the chips in there is fresh fried instead of already packaged. Because almost the customers in Subway were likely to take the food out of the restaurant, Subway offered the packaged chips instead of fresh fried chips, which would take a long time to make. In order to make customers feel convenient, Subway had a special way to attract customers. In Subway, when you order a sandwich, you should order the food from left to right, because the staff of Subway would make the sandwich while the customers are ordering the food. This kind of method cut down the prepare time of making sandwich. Most the customers like this method, because they can spent less time on food. 

Eating at the edge~

In “Eating at the edge”, Horwitz talked about the changes in the places, the time, the ways modern people have their meal. More and more modern people do not have meal with family and friends. Instead, they would like to eat on their own. Many people have their meal on their own space and on their own time, which is not the normal mealtime. In order to prove his point of view, he used a simple example, which is about the soup. The volume of the soup many years ago is much more than today’s soup and is hold by a bowl or pot. At that time, people are get together to have the soup. In her article, "Consider soup. What was once an archetype of the com- mensal is now widely available in a variety of single-serving packages"(42). "By contrast, people are more likely to have the soup when they playing computers or doing other thing, and the size of the soup have changed to single-serving package (42).
Nowadays, People’s attitude to the food changed a lot. In the past time, the food is a bridge connecting people to people. It is kind of social communicative tool. People mostly get together have meal in the past, because they can communicate with each other and share their own experiences. However, the situation has been changed from people-to-people to people-to-computer. People are free to have meal--- they do not have regular mealtime and eat whenever they want. People are isolated. For me, I do not like the changes in people’s attitude to food, because the society would become less warm and being cold-blooded, which is not good for people to live. 

            I think that most Chinese would get together to have meal. In my short essay 3, I observed that the Chinese restaurants are having waiters or waitresses, because the customers most likely stayed and talked and ate. I would like to eat with my friends. Not only eat in the dining hall in school, but also eat outside of the campus. Because of having meal together, I would feel that I am not alone and be happy. As my example in my short essay 1, I made shrimp dumpling with my friends in Chinese Spring Festival, and we were very happy, because of the process of making shrimp dumpling. We talked, we laughed, we sang songs! The best time I spent in Denver, is the time I spent with my friends. 

Subway Sandwiches Reveal American Food Value

Yuan Zhou

WRIT-1133-21

Dr. Eric Leake

April 18, 2012

Subway Sandwiches Reveal American Food Value

         I went to Subway on Saturday morning around 8:30 am, and stay for observing until 9:15am. During this one hour, I have found that American food culture is completely different from Chinese food culture, in the aspects of food nutrition, food collocation and dinning area.

         Around the University of Denver, there are lots of fast food restaurants rather than the restaurants have waiters or waitresses. Every Chinese restaurant must have waiters or waitresses, because Chinese like to get together to have meal and talk with friends. However, American more focus on quick and convenient, so restaurants, such as Subway, Jimmy Johns and Deli Zone, are more popular around the University of Denver.

         During my observation, I mentioned that the customers were more likely to take out the food out of restaurant than stay at restaurant to finish the food. In addition, they were come to Subway on their own instead of coming with their friends.

         Because the people usually stay at Chinese restaurant to finish their food, Chinese restaurant have more dinning chair and dinning table. Subway is much smaller than other restaurant, such as Jason’s Thai and Star Kitchen, which are Chinese restaurants. Subway has normal standard of fast food restaurant, such as McDonald and KFC, where have 2-people-desk more than 4-people-desk and the decorations are simple and contemporary.

         Moreover, I found that people usually come to Subway alone or with his or her friend. People seldom come to fast food restaurant with two or more friends. That’s why Subway has 2-people-desk more than 4-people-desk. The desk configuration in Subway is very suitable for people who come to fast food restaurant and save money, because 4-people-desk is more expensive than 2-people-desk.

         In the aspect of food collocation, I observed that most costumer of Subway are likely to order a foot-long sandwich and then take out. There was few costumer stayed in Subway and finished the sandwich they ordered. In addition, the costumers who prefer to take the sandwich out of Subway usually order the Lay’s potato chips, which are already be packaged. By contrast, the costumers who would like to stay in Subway did not like to order the Lay’s potato chips, maybe because the Lay’s potato chips are not fresh fried and are having higher price than other stores have.

         Maybe because Subway used “Five dollars a foot” for advertising, American usually order a-foot-long sandwich in Subway instead of ordering 6-inch-long sandwich as I usually do. When I went to Subway with my friends, my friends also were tend to have a 6-inch-long sandwich, because we thought 6-inch-long sandwich is enough to fulfill our stomach. However, Americans are usually can consume a whole a-foot-long sandwich. Chinese likely to eat vegetable oil, while American usually made food with animal oil with high cholesterol, because animal oil tastes better than vegetable oil. Maybe it is the reason why American restaurant would offer such large size food.

         In the aspect of food nutrition, the Menu of Subway is very representative of American food culture. Even though Subway is using “healthy” for advertising, it is not that healthy than Subway’s advertisement said. There is few option of green vegetable in the menu, and most of food has very high protein. Furthermore, there are many choices of cheese, such as American cheese (white cheese), provolone, pepper jack, swiss, mozzarella and cheddar. All of them are not good for health! Because of lacking cellulose, it is very common to see a person having the digestive system diseases.

         Additionally, most of the customers in Subway do not heat their sandwiches and just have them with cold temperature. It is very different from what Chinese would do when have meal. The food in China is more focus on “Guoqi”, which means the food should be cooked in big fire. If the food cooked in big fire, the food would be more delicious and make people have appetite. Therefore, usually Chinese food is hotter than American food.

The last detail I have observed is that a number of customers came in Subway with coffee. Maybe Starbucks is right next to Subway. It reflects the American culture--- Productive, because coffee may increase blood lipids and stimulate the heart so that people can be awake during all day. It is efficient to work drinking a cup of coffee.

After I went to Subway for my research paper, I knew the differences between American food culture and Chinese food culture. 

Subway sandwiches outgrow McDonalds

Bates, D. (2011, Mar 09). Subway sandwiches outgrow McDonalds. Daily Mail, pp. 11. http://search.proquest.com/docview/855888428?accountid=14608

SANDWICH chain Subway has knocked McDonald's from its perch as the fast-food king, by having more restaurants in Britain and around the world.

By the end of last year Subway had 33,749 outlets globally compared with the burger giant's 33,737, according to industry figures.

The sandwich chain has just opened its first store in Vietnam. Its other outlets include one on a riverboat in Germany, at bowling alleys and even at a church in Buffalo in the U.S. Britain is following the trend. Subway has become a feature of the high street, and has more than 1,500 outlets across the country compared with 1,197 forMcDonald's.

Subway's success is attributed to its willingness to open stores in unusual places and its late opening hours, turning the restaurants into what experts say are basically kebab shop-style outlets for drunken pubgoers.

It is thought consumers are also turning away from junk food and towards what they perceive to be a healthier alternative.

Unlike McDonald's, whose Big Mac contains 30g of fat, Subway boasts a range of 6in made-to-order filled rolls containing as much as five times less.

Although none of these contain the cheese and sauces which are routinely added by customers, the chain's reputation as health food has stuck.

The company was founded with $1,000 in 1965 by teenage American entrepreneur Fred DeLuca in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

It launched in the UK in Brighton in 1996 and grew slowly at first, as its concept took time to catch on. But by 2005 Subway's franchisees had a total of 300 British stores, partly thanks to clever financing plans which enable them to sign up and fit out their stores relatively cheaply.

It has faced criticism however for allowing its restaurants to open until late at night and for offering caloriepacked sandwiches and fattier snacks such as cheese toasties.

The turnaround will be a blow to McDonald's, which opened its first U.S. store in 1940. In recent years it has introduced 'healthier' options such as salads to the menu in an attempt to lure new customers.

While the figures show that Subway has more stores, it is still nowhere near as profitable as McDonald's, which generated Pounds 15billion revenue last year, compared with Subway's Pounds 9billion.

In a statement the sandwich chain said its success was down to it being 'on a great run'. Spokesman Les Winograd said: 'It's a feeling of accomplishment, for sure, but we didn't set out to surpass anyone in particular.'

Food played a very important and different role in the two different communities, which Sandra cate and Mary O’Donnell were studied. 

After I read the article “ ‘Breaking Bread with a Spread’ in a San Francisco County Jail”, written by Sandra Cate, I found a interesting thing that the author talked about a new definition “spread”, which is a kind of food cooked by the prisoners for themselves and shared with others. In a prison, the food always made by potatoes, so the food was very simple and has a bad taste. Moreover, the dinner time for prisoners is at about 4:00 P.M, so they would feel hungry at night, which is very uncomfortable for a human being. In order to keep themselves from hungry, they used some sources, which they saved from their meals, to cook for themselves. After they cooked the “Spread” by using microwave oven, they were likely to share the food with other inmates. 

In Cate’’s article, I know that the “Spread” not only mean a food cooked by prisoners, but also stand for the friendships between inmates.

After I read the article “The Cultural Politics of Eating in Shenzhen”, written by Mary O’Donnell, I know that Shenzhen is a special city comparing with other cities in China. Because I am a Shenzhener, I can obviously feel the differences between Shenzhen and other Chinese cities. The author discussed about Shenzhen’s eating cultural politics in her writing. The northern plains, people are easily to kill a cow for their meal, because cows are stupid. In contrast, Southerners eat fish and seafood, which are the most common types of protein in the region. Fish and seafood are smarter and more agile than cows, so Guangdong people had to be sneaky to catch the fish. That’s why Guangdong people had to have quick hands and eyes. Because the old Shenzheners constructing Shenzhen all their lives, they preferred to eat in alfresco restaurants, which could represents the spirit of Shenzhen appropriately in Shenzheners’ minds. However, the people come to Shenzhen later did not prefer to eat like old Shenzheners in alfresco restaurants but to eat in the restaurants with better environment. They were more focused on the tastes and vanity than the spirit of Shenzhen. 

In Cate’s article, I am very surprised by the the children, who like to eat spread, which was made by the second-hand sources, and could not accepted by me. I realized how wonderful life I have right now! In O’Donnell’s article, I find the article is very warm for me, because I am very like to eat in alfresco restaurant, which is the habits the old Shenzheners have. Eat in alfresco restaurant just a habit for me, not because the tastes in the restaurants. 

Difei's Blog

Difei's blog

I have read the Difei's blog, which talked about the difference between two different kinds of coffee advertisement. We are the same group in WRIT class, so we have the same topic. We are both find that American culture is about convenient and productive. However, he discovered another culture that the coffee is a symbol of relaxation and other high quality food shows their passion of lives too. I think that his discovery is very creative and more wider than mine. In other side, I have discovered that the American marketing people are likely used the negative mentality of human being to sale products, and the marketing positioning is very important to a company to succeed. 

Coffee research

Yuan Zhou

WRIT-1133-21

Dr. Eric Leake

April 8th, 2012

            Coffee research

            According to my research of coffee advertisement, I found that the American culture is about convenient. Base on different classes, there are different kinds of advertisement, but the topics of these advertisements are about convenient. I used two different brands of coffee, Nestle Instant coffee and Blue Mountain coffee, to do my research.

            Nestle Instant coffee is not an expensive coffee and can afford by working class people. Blue Mountain coffee is aristocrat of coffee and expensive, which means the Blue Mountain is offered for the minority. We can see the advertisement of Nestle Instant coffee is very concise, and powerful. Because of education, there are differences between upper classes and working classes. Thus the inexpensive coffee advertising should be designed in some way appeal to consumers of lower status. Because the consumers of lower statues would have less education, the advertising of inexpensive coffee usually uses shorter and less complex sentences and words. However, there is not complex word in the expensive coffee advertisement, such as that of Blue Mountain coffee. The advertisement is very special.

            In the Nestle Instant coffee advertisement, there are two slogans, “On the Go” and “Push and Open”, which are very concise and powerful. These slogan would give people the first impression that the coffee is very convenient to drink during the busy day, which are also reflect the “fast and convenient” idea of the working class people. People just need to put the instant coffee in water and wait for a while, then people would have a cup of coffee. Although this kind of coffee does not have the original taste and the smell of coffee, the instant coffee still have caffeine which can keep people awake. Because usually working class people have busy schedule and have stressful work, the instant coffee is very suitable for them. It is reflect the American culture, convenient and productive.

            “Taster’s choice”, is also a slogan of the advertisement. It is very concise and clear and do not have any connection with the style and production area, which are the elements deciding whether the coffee is good or not. Moreover, there is “100% pure instant coffee” in the advertisement. These three words told people that this coffee is not tasty as the fresh brewed coffee, but works with no difference---keep people awake.

            By contrast, the upper class people, the wealthy people, who have more leisure time, are more prefer the original coffee--- fresh brewed by coffee beans, such as Blue Mountain coffee. Because they have more leisure time, they can brewed the coffee at home for a long time so that the coffee is more tasty.

            David Ogilvy’s notes that, “Don't use high-falutin words for the non-falutin audience,” which means upper class people do not like high-faultin words. Blue Mountain coffee is also famous all around the world, so Blue Mountain coffee need not to propagandize how tasty it is. Thus the Blue mountain coffee is designed very simple, and the package of coffee has good quality, in order to give people the first impression that the Blue mountain coffee is elegant. There are only the logo of the brand and some important descriptions of the coffee (what kind of coffee and the date of production) in the Blue Mountain coffee advertisement.

            For example, the iPhone, the product of Apple.int, renews only once a year instead of renewing every three month like the other usual cellphone. However, the iPhone appeals more customer and makes huge profits for Apple.int, because it can make people believe that the iPhone is rare and precious. The advertisement is used the negative mentality of human beings. Thus more and more people want to get it. Upper class people want to be distinguish from the working class people. The Blue Mountain coffee advertisement appropriately uses this human nature.

            Nestle Instant coffee is inexpensive and uses simple and concise advertisement. Blue Mountain coffee does not have high-faultin words and is very special that do not have any advertising. However, they are both reach the same purpose--- appealing customers, because they are advertisement are appropriate for their customers.

       Therefore, the most difference between expensive coffee advertising and inexpensive coffee advertising is marketing position. Due to different marketing position, the advertising should be appeal to their appropriate audiences.
       In conclusion, I think that it is significant to find an appropriate marketing position, because if a company found an appropriate marketing position, it would find appropriate audiences. Therefore, they can adjust their advertising by different audiences, in order to sell more products. 

Potato chips advertising research

At the beginning of Read Freedman and Jurafsky’s research, they quoted David Ogilvy’s notes, “Don't use high-falutin words for the non-falutin audience,” which means the upper classes do not like high-falutin words.

            In the Read Freedman and Jurafsky’s research, I find a very interesting thing about potato chips’ advertising. There are lots of negations in expensive chip advertising, which is very extraordinary in our lives. For example, there are some expensive chip advertising, “no wiping your greasy chip hands on your jeans”, “never fried, never baked”, and “we don’t wash out the natural potato flavor.” In the expensive potato chips, there are full of comparison(less fat, finest potatoes) and negation(not, no, never, don't, won’t), because using the comparison and negation can distinguish the upper classes and working classes.

            Because of education and health, there are differences between upper classes and working classes. Thus the expensive chips advertising should be designed in some way appeal to consumers of higher status. Because the consumers of higher statues would have more education, the advertising of expensive chips usually uses longer and more complex sentences and words. By contrast, in order to having fewer and shorter words, the inexpensive chips use more common words.

            Usually the upper classes are more concern about health, so the expensive chips use the negation to the unhealthy words, and make comparison to inexpensive chips. Therefore, the most difference between expensive chips advertising and inexpensive chips advertising is marketing position. Due to different marketing position, the advertising should be appeal to their appropriate audiences.

            After I read the research, I think that it is significant to find an appropriate marketing position, because if a company found an appropriate marketing position, it would find appropriate audiences. Therefore, they can adjust their advertising by different audiences, in order to sell more products. 

Xiajiao---Shrimp dumpling

Yuan Zhou

WRIT-1133

Dr. Eric Leake

March 30th, 2012

         Describe the significance that food has in your life. That significance might be, but is not limited to, the personal, cultural, social, familial, or geographical. You could focus on a particular meal or type of food, or your relation with food in a particular place, with particular people, or across a particular time. The best essays will be specific in details, reflective in considering food in one’s life, and more concerned with inquiry than with easy answers.

Short Essay

         After I came to the United States, once I ate something new, I would like to compare the new food with the food in Shenzhen. There are thousands kinds of food in Shenzhen, the city near Hongkong. Shenzhen is an immigration city, in where people come from all places of China, so there are all styles of cooking in Shenzhen. I love the food in Shenzhen very much and I cannot adapt the food in America, so comparing food is the only way to complain. There are lots of differences between Chinese and American diet cultures.

         Firstly, Chinese daily consumption of vegetables is much more than American, and American have much more protein than Chinese do. Because of having little cellulose, American would more likely having the digestive system diseases.

         Secondly, Chinese like eating whole grains, while American like having fine white flour. In fact, whole grains contained more nutrients than refined grains.

         Thirdly, Chinese love to eat vegetable oil, while American usually cooking with animal oils with high cholesterol. In addition, Americans have butter and cheese everyday, which may cause cardiovascular disease.

         Fourthly, Chinese like soy milk, tofu, bean sprouts, and soy products, but American are often keep them “at arm’s length.”

         Lastly, Chinese like drinking tea after having meal, because drinking tea can reduce blood cholesterol levels. By contrast, American love coffee very much, which may increase blood lipids and stimulate the heart. American diet culture is less healthy than Chinese diet culture.

         Taste of American food is completely different from the taste of Chinese food. The food in China is more focus on “Guoqi”, which means the food should be cooked in big fire. If the food cooked in big fire, the food would be more delicious. Thus, usually Chinese food is more hotter than American food.

         If there are these two kinds of food on the desk, it is very easy to recognize which one is American food or Chinese food. Chinese food is always mixed many kinds of raw material together. “Scrambled egg with tomato” is an example. It is made of green onions, egg and tomatoes. American food, such as beefsteak, usually has only one raw material. Therefore, you can easily to distinguish these two kinds of food.

         I love Xiajiao very much! Xiajiao is the most famous food in China. The reason I love Xiajiao is that I come from the South of China, Guangdong Province, where is famous for its food. I like Guangzhou, a city in China, so I love Xiajiao very much, special local product in Guangzhou. There is only reason why I love Xiajiao, because Xiajiao is only offered in Guangzhou, where is my hometown.

         Xiajiao actually is shrimp dumpling. Usually Xiajiao is made of fine ground flour, shrimps, carrots and corns. It seems so simple that shrimp dumpling is made of. Maybe you would be curious about why I would love this kind of simple food. As the saying goes, “the simple, the best.”

         The first step to make Xiajiao is taking some shrimp and mincing fine in a food processor and taking the some shrimp and dice small. Then, combine rest of ingredients. The most important step is coming! Moistening outside edge and folding corner to corner, and the top should look like cross. In order to make the dumplings, we should coat a paper towel with vegetable oil and use it to oil your cutting board or work surface and the broad side of a cutting knife or cleaver (a cleaver works best). Keep the dough covered to prevent it drying out while preparing the dumplings. After that, we should combine sauce ingredients and mix very well. It is the hardest step, because combining sauce costs much time. The last step is placing dumplings in steamer---covering and steaming 7-10 minutes---serving in steamer or on plate!!!

         After these complicated preparation, Xiajiao is tastes smooth and tasty. Xiajiao looks absolutely inviting and yummy because it has transparent skin and orange inside.

         Every time we had made shrimp dumplings, we have the sense of achievement, because the preparation of making Xiajiao is very complicated for us. Xiajiao still is a part of my life. I had Spring Festival in the United States this year, and I also made it with my Chinese friends in my dorm. Every time I ate Xiajiao, I recall my childhood spent in China.