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.