Some of
the best places to grab something to eat in China are at the street
venders. They are a quick fix when you don't have time to stop for a
meal, and the best part is that it doesn't cost very much at all; even
for Chinese standards. Most of the verders that I have come across are
extremely friendly and helpful. They are always tolerant when I butcher
my Chinese. My conversations with the venders mostly consist of
pointing and the little Chinese that I learned. The food ranges from
meat on a stick, to fruit smothered in a sugary syrup. Regardless of
the vender, you can always find something appealing, and you never
spend more than 1 US dollar.
One of my favorite venders is
actually right outside the campus. He serves chicken on a stick, along
with just about every vegatable imaginable. He cooks them right there
on the spot, and he will add spices to your food if you want them. A
lot of Chinese enjoy grabbing a quick snack at these venders because
they are either on their way to work, or just because they prefer the
taste of them over that of a cafe or restaurant. Sometimes there are so
many people at these venders that they actually block the sidewalk.
Some people think that the venders are similar to the people in the
street markets who enjoy grabbing at you or shouting to get your
attention. This is false. Most of the time, the venders are busy
preparing their food for possible customers. I personally prefer these
street venders over a fancy sit down restaurant. This might sound
strange because people typically think that restaurants have superior
tasting food, but my experiences have proven otherwise. Some of food
that I got from the venders were at least just as good as restaurant
food, it not better. Not all venders have high quality food, but the
same can be said about restaurants.
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