Harbin sausages

Silk worms

Grasshoppers

Cucumber soup

eggplant

Sweet pork

Corn meal dumplings, corn bread, and tofu

luncheon chef

Our first lunch

And our last

When foreigners talk about “Chinese food,” as if it is the same across all of China, it is, understandably, confusing to locals.  After all, each province – or sometimes even city – has its own unique eating culture.  And when I tell my Chinese friends that I’m visiting a new city, their first recommendations are always focused first on what food I should try, rather than what sights I should see.   Such was the case with Harbin, where I was told to try the local sausages and dumplings.

True to my friends’ words, we ate well in Harbin.  Our first lunch, comprised of cucumber soup, breaded pork in a sweet sauce (Erik called it sweet and sour without the sour), tofu with pork, stir fried eggplant, corn bread, and dumplings (with corn meal wrappers and stuffed with pickled cabbage), was delicious.  We passed on the crickets, cicadas and silk worms.

And it’s not just the city’s architecture that has Russian influence. Our guide pointed out that the syrupy pork was a variation on an old Chinese dish that had been adapted – 100 years ago or so – to accommodate the Russian sweet tooth.  The cabbage served at each meal – though distinctly Chinese in its preparation – brought back memories of time I spent in Russia.     

Each morning, we enjoyed the breakfast at our hotel, the Shangri La.  Usually, when it comes to a morning buffet, I opt for the western offerings; however, the hotel’s dumpling bar was simply too good to pass up.  Both mornings I gorged on these tasty little meat pies.  Elisa questioned my breakfast choice – until I gave her a bite.  After that, she joined me in my gluttonous feast. 

Our last lunch was perhaps our best meal.  Our guide took us to a local dumpling restaurant where we dined on potato noodles, pork chops, tomato cabbage soup, and a variety of dumplings stuffed with pork, shrimp, and cabbage.  At the airport, we finally had the opportunity purchase a local sausage, which was more western in taste than others I’ve tried in China.  While I generally prefer China’s spicier food options – Hunan and Sichuan come to mind – Harbin’s northern cuisine was delicious – and a welcome retreat from city’s sub zero temperatures.

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