Night at the BBQ

Street BBQs in Wuhan are one of the great things about the summer. Whilst many are open in the winter, it doesn’t quite have the same feel as sitting outside on a warm summer’s evening. BBQ is a slightly misleading term though – burgers, sausages and steak are not exactly on the menu. Most ‘BBQs’ are long narrow containers filled with hot coals over which they barbecue a variety of food. Most barbecues will have pork, beef, lamb, chicken feet (still don’t understand the attraction) as well as lotus root, sweetcorn, peppers, aubergine, potato, sweet bread, salted bread a variety of mushrooms, tofu and other assorted foods. Most food is thinly sliced and skewered on sticks, given a dose of spice mix (all BBQs seem to stock the same one) then cooked.

BBQ’s are typically open until very late, sometimes up to 2 and 3 in the morning which makes them a great place to grab a late dinner. This is also helped by the fact that food is brought to the table as and when it’s cooked, making sure you have a constant stream of food. This is particularly welcomed if you have taken the opportunity to have a few drinks which it really goes hand in hand with. All BBQ joints will stock bottled beer, typically around 3RMB/bottle (around 30p) and with the relaxed nature of eating you may find that you get through more beer than you realise. For those looking for harder stuff, Baijiu (Chinese rice wine) is also stocked everywhere and is as cheap as the beer. You may find that a number of things happen when you begin drinking Baijiu though, particularly on busy nights. It tends to go in roughly this order:

1.       Some local patrons (usually a group of guys) will notice you drinking Baijiu, upon which you will immediately earn their respect.

2.       In the spirit of friendship they will then drink several rounds of Baijiu with you throughout the evening (you will generally be expected to drink at least a shot’s worth)

3.       Upon them telling you that Chinese men can drink a lot, you feel a strange need to match them.

4.       The next morning you have a banging headache, the taste of Baijiu in your mouth and not much idea of how you got there.

Obviously you needn’t actually drink throughout the night, and whether or not this situation comes up, most people are very friendly. In fact that is one of the most enjoyable things about eating out, it is such a relaxed atmosphere that you can’t help but feel comfortable. Sadly this comfort rarely extends to the seating arrangements, which generally comprise of plastic stools of various colours. Most BBQ restaurants will have indoor seating (mostly used in the winter) but will also set up a number of tables and chairs outside. It is here that most people eat in the summer, and they are great places to eat, drink and watch the world go by. Then again you could down shot after shot of Baijiu with some locals, go adventuring around the city then remember none of it the next morning – it’s really up to you..

Transport in Wuhan

On my first day in Wuhan I decided that a little walk into the city centre was a good option. Only upon walking a mile or so down the road did it begin to dawn on me that my notion of being close to a nucleated centre might be a little off. Whilst at the time I felt like a bit of a let-down for giving up and retreating to my apartment, in retrospect it was a decision that saved me a lot of wasted effort. Due to the fact that Wuhan is an amalgamation of three older cities (Wuchang, Hanyang and Hankou) there is no one definitive centre, rather each district has its own downtown areas. Not only this, but the sprawling nature of the city would have meant that I would have been walking for hours before getting to the kind of area I was looking for. When getting around Wuhan you are reliant upon public transport, which is luckily quite good.

Buses are probably the easiest and cheapest way of getting around Wuhan. From wherever you are in the city you will never be far from a bus stop, with buses coming every few minutes. The bus network itself is also very extensive, making it that much easier to get around. For ticket fares they employ a flat rate for all journeys, thus long journeys across the city can cost as little as 2RMB. On the downside though, bus timetables are only written in Chinese characters so if you do plan on getting an unfamiliar route make sure you know the name of your destination in characters! At peak times buses can be somewhat overcrowded which on a hot summer day is not the most enjoyable experience.

Traffic in Wuhan can be particularly bad at rush hour, something made worse by the fact that drivers in Wuhan can be a law unto themselves at times. Lanes, signalling and even traffic lights are sometimes a hindrance that a number of drivers choose to ignore! Having said that, other than minor scrapes I have never seen a really serious accident much less been in one, so I guess they’re doing something right. On the plus side with the construction of more overpasses and particularly the subway, congestion has eased somewhat recently, and with more lines on the subway opening this year and next, I am hoping that this is a trend that will continue.

The abundance and relatively low cost of taxis also makes them a convenient way of getting around the city. A journey of 30-40 minutes would cost around 30RMB, which while expensive compared to catching the bus, is certainly cheaper than taxis in most other countries. Again though, it is a rare taxi driver that speaks any English so make sure you learn the Chinese for wherever it is you want to go. Taxi drivers are usually quite patient and friendly though, and I have found that they are some of the best people to practise Chinese with. What I would say though is be prepared for more probing questions than you might be asked at home – the details of my monthly salary being something that most taxi drivers are very interested in!

Luckily for those coming to Wuhan now there is now a metro system which is both cheap and (more importantly) in English. Presently only two lines are open, one going across the city horizontally, while the other stretches the length of Hankou. Many of the more visited areas in the city are accessible from the existing lines and with more lines planned to open in the coming years, the city will soon be fully connected. For now though, crowded buses will have to do.

Breakfast in Wuhan

I’m sure this will be the first of many blogs we do talking about a topic that the Chinese as a nation are immensely proud of, that topic being food. Now whilst the large majority of the Chinese population are completely oblivious to what is eaten in other countries and many seem to be under the impression that a westerners diets consists solely of pizzas and burgers, there is certainly no mistake when they talk about their own food. It is undeniable that Chinese cuisine offers both variety and fantastic flavour at an affordable price. Where it is common in England to make a comment with an acquaintance about the weather or something currently in the news, in China people ask each other if "they’ve eaten?" to make small talk. If I ever run into any of my neighbours in my apartment complex it is always the first question they ask me.  

Each time I’ve been invited for dinner to one of my Chinese friends's home I’ve had such delicious food which unfortunately I’m still yet to replicate in my own kitchen. Walking the streets of Wuhan you really get a good idea of how important flavour is as even the cheapest seemingly simple dishes use a large variety of spices and sauces. Street food markets offer endless delicious, affordable snacks and play host to some exceptionally skilled cooks, it’s always a real pleasure watching fresh noodles being produced from scratch within a matter of minutes right out on the street.

Because there is so much to talk about regarding food in China today I’m just going to talk a little bit about breakfast. Noodles are very common for breakfast and there is one dish in particular which is synonymous with Wuhan “Re Gan Mian”  热干面 the translation being “Hot dry noodles”. It has a flavour not too dissimilar to a satay sauce and has a nice spicy kick to it. If you travel to other parts of China you simply cannot find it which bemuses me as it is so delicious and eaten by many people. However I can’t say I took to eating it when I first arrived as the thought of spicy noodles for breakfast wasn’t particularly appetizing to me, but now I am without a doubt a convert. I probably eat a bowl for breakfast about 4 or 5 times a week, my local breakfast place always start preparing me a bowl when the see me walking down the street.

Another common breakfast snack commonly eaten is steamed buns referred to as “Bao zi” 包子 . There are many varieties containing different fillings with both meat and vegetarian options. A lot of the bread you'll find in China can be quite sweet tasting but not in the case of Bao zi so they’re often very popular with the foreigners that come to China. It is easy to recognize places which sell Bao zi as you can see them steaming on huge steam barrels at the shop fronts which is very common sight throughout China’s towns and cities.

One dish I eat regularly is “Dou Pi” 豆皮 it’s traditionally a breakfast dish but I usually have it as a snack later in the day as its quite a heavy dish. It consists of sticky rice, eggs, beef, mushrooms and beans which is stir-fried and wrapped in a soy skin. I would say it’s not the healthiest of dishes as there is a lot of oil in but it I really recommend it for anyone who spends time in Wuhan. It is cooked in huge woks and if you ask for a portion they’ll usually cut off a couple of squared segments for you a place them in a small bowl for you.

Breakfast is very affordable here, wherever you are in the city these dishes will be readily available nearby and the Chinese are always so happy when you embrace their food.