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Cantonese Spicy Food?
Shenzhen’s not the most scenic of Chinese cities. It has a bit of a “Wild West” reputation, mainly because it was built so quickly. In 1979, it was a small, unknown fishing village, like many others in the Pearl River delta. Its location caught the eye of the Chinese government, however, as it would provide easy access to Hong Kong and, from there, the rest of the world. So, Shenzhen was named one of five Special Economic Zones. Growth began immediately. Shenzhen is now over fifteen million people, with thousands of factories, and all that goes with a growth rate of over 25% each year. Some good things, some not-so-good.
The food is one of the good parts.
I didn’t find much spicy stuff at dinner. The buffet here at the Holiday Inn is international in offerings, because is one of the “Western” hotels. It’s not your usual Holiday Inn! Much more like a Hyatt than a Motel 6. Anyways, there were some nice things to graze on, including a potato salad that had some red and yellow spicy bits. Otherwise, it was pretty “ordinary” if well-prepared and flavorful. There’s always about 40 items on the buffet; no Westerner need ever claim he can’t find something to eat here, even if he doesn’t trust the local fare! (Yes, I’ve met some folks like that. Even traveled with a few. Unadventuresome diners! They’ll never know what they’re missing.)
The lunch today, however, had much more in the way of zesty offerings. There was a beef with “wild peppers” that was particularly intense, reminding me of some Malaysian offerings I’ve tasted. One of the noodle bowls was loaded with peppers too, but these were a bit milder. Seems the local chefs just can’t quite bring themselves to make a fiery noodle soup, given their tradition of mild broths. But they’re getting there! Sure made the afternoon pleasant.
The chiles in the Wild Pepper dish were small, about three inches long overall. And narrow, with pointed tips. I knew they’d be hot. Green ones and red ones, it didn’t matter; they were all quite zesty. The beef was in thin strips, and there was a light sauce over everything. Nothing else; a very simple dish. Tasty Heat!
I told the day chef I enjoyed his spicy dishes, and he seemed pleased. He said he had some ideas for a chicken dish too. Unfortunately, given his broken English and my nearly non-existent Mandarin, the conversation ground to a halt before I could determine when he would try to make the dish in question.
I wonder what they’ll have tomorrow…
Enjoy the Heat!
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