Sunday, June 23, 2013

The great halal of China

Bismillah.

I know I owe you another three postings on China: that is on Linxia, Zhaotong and Sister Mariah Mah. But before that, let's just talk about food for a change.  

So I learned, the Chinese will serve at least 8 to 10 dishes in a meal. But a truly grand dinner/lunch would have 8 hot dishes, 8 cold dishes, and some bread, noodles or rice and soup of course. Yo Siang (literally means delicious oil/fry) is a type of traditional bread that is often served on a religious occasion. There are 8 types of Chinese cuisines altogether. I don't know their names, but I could taste the different styles of cooking between Lanzhou and Kunming. A must-have dish for a special guest is boiled mutton. Simple. No need to do much to impress your guests.

Ultra sweet melons of Lanzhou and dried fruits and nuts hosted by the leader of Ling Ming Tang Gong Bei in Lanzhou. 
Dico's is the only halal fast-food franchise we came across in Lanzhou downtown and also at the airport. I honestly think they have got a better menu than the two global fast-food franchise "K" and "M". And tastier too!
Strict signage at Dico's in Lanzhou, addressed to non-Muslims.
Halal bakery in Lanzhou
One of the food vendors in Lanzhou downtown
Home cooked food in Linxia. Notice the boiled mutton?
Simply supreme. I voted this the best dish of all the great dishes we had in China. Cooked by Sister Oumda of the Mu Cha orphanage in Linxia. She is the wife of the center's principal. 
This was at Kunming. More spicy and hot than what we had in Lanzhou.
Chicken's head on the plate!
Sweet delicious desserts served at a restaurant on Muslim Street in Kunming. It's definitely a restaurant I want to go back to.
One of the many halal food stores along Muslim Street in Kunming
This was at Geder in Lanzhou. Geder is a variation of Kadir/Qadir. I truly enjoyed the corn pancakes.

Yo Siang (on the left) is a traditional cake often served on religious occasions. The beef dish on the right was also very delicious. This was in Lanzhou.
Steamed cakes with vege filling.
The potato dish was spicy and yummy. And of course, you recognize that vege dish.

That's it - the great halal of China for you! 
Go visit China y'all!



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