Wayne Chen
Northwest Asia Weekly
Last week, my wife Maya and I went to our neighbor’s house for a “happy hour”.
Yappy Hour is a community gathering twice a month. Everyone brings their dog and some drinks and snacks (for people, not dogs) to socialize. We used to have “children’s time” where we would take children instead of dogs, but we found that it was easier to ignore barking than screaming.
Anyway, for our hospitality, we decided to bring onion pancakes, or “from pancakes”. For those who don’t know, Congyoubing is a small flour pancake with scallion slices on it, fried until crispy and perfect.
Sometimes, I add a little egg to wrap it, just to change the rhythm a bit.
When I put down Congyoubing’s plate and sat down next to one of my neighbors, she asked me what I had brought, and I explained it to her. She seemed very interested, picked up one, took a bite, and said, “Delicious! These are great! They are so unusual!”
I know what she meant to be a compliment, but it surprised me a bit because I have lived in the United States all my life, and when I grow up I eat these at home and many Chinese restaurants, usually on Sunday mornings when they often eat them. I should probably be clearer, because we are one of the few Asian (or ethnic minority) families nearby.
However, I think it might be interesting to reverse the situation a little bit.
“Well, Mary, I’m glad you like them. But you know, even if I grew up in America, some of the things you eat are still a bit strange if you think about it.”
I don’t know why I always feel a little uncomfortable to say that someone is white or white. I think it’s easier for me to call them “Guys”. Come on-they know what they are.
Mary was very curious, and said with a smile: “Really? Like what?”
“Well, let’s see…,” I said, “Let’s start with the meatloaf. What is the purpose of this?
It is not grilled meat or a loaf of bread, but a piece of meat that you roast/roast in the oven and then slice it into thin slices, like a loaf of bread.
What is the point of combining them? I mean, if you serve me a steak with garlic bread, I think it will eventually become a meatloaf when it reaches my stomach, but what’s the point of combining the two before you eat it? Is this designed for lazy chewers? Isn’t it just a pre-digested meal? “
I’m very busy right now.
“One more thing-what happened to the roast turkey?” I asked. “I mean, I actually like roast turkey and gravy… but what about that cranberry sauce? What’s the point of eating roast turkey that is basically jam? It’s perfectly normal to eat turkey with cranberry sauce. Then why can’t you see this combination elsewhere? Why have you never seen someone eat a hot dog and put orange marmalade on it?”
“When we discussed this topic, what’s the hot dog? First of all, this is a misnomer-thank goodness, it has nothing to do with the same name. My golden retriever breathed a sigh of relief. But other than that, who thought of taking one? The stomach wall of the cow, and then fill it with different parts grated from the cow, and then make its meat remain red anyway. How long have you cooked it? I have never eaten meat, even though the outside is burnt, the inside is still all red What the hell is going on?”
We were all amused by my little scolding. To be honest, I actually like meatloaf, turkey and hot dogs.
After all, this is really a blessing and a curse for being an Asian American. We can adapt while being rejected. I am a critic of equal opportunities culture.
I think the key is to always look for the common ground that binds us together.
At the end of my conversation with Mary, I have one last example.
“When I go to some of my friends in the morning, many of them scrambled eggs and add ketchup. This seems strange-why do you add ketchup to scrambled eggs?”
Mary looked at me and said, “Remember that you invited us to your house last month and you made this special dish-basically scrambled eggs with fried tomatoes and large pieces of chicken on the rice. It’s delicious! You said Your dad made this dish when you were growing up. It’s tomatoes and eggs, Wayne!”
what can I say? When you are right, you are right, Mary.
Even so, at least you didn’t see me putting everything into small tubes and making them into small sausages.
Wayne can be at info@nwasianweekly.com.
