A local taste of Beijing
One of the favorite parts of my visit to Beijing as part of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus historic outreach trip to China was touring and having lunch in a Chinese family home in the old hutong lined neighborhood of the city. We had probably the best food of the entire trip there (with perhaps the exception of the dumplings. More on those later.)
After a parade of rickshaws that took us down the narrow and congested streets and alleys of the hutong, we arrived at a modest home that has few modern facilities. Families who live here have to use public toilets and bathing facilities, as their homes lack them.
We assembled at the familiar round, family style tables for a lunchtime meal of tasty Chinese dishes, including the national dish of eggs and tomatoes (that are red and yellow, two of the luckiest colors to the Chinese).
We got to meet the proprietress, a retired woman who answered our questions about life in the hutong neighborhoods and whose husband cooked the delicious meal. A wedding photo of them in earlier years hung on the wall nearby.
When traveling I always enjoy these more authentic glimpses into everyday life at my destination. This one was no exception.