Snappin’

February 4, 2009 dinglesp 11 comments

Well, I keep meaning to blog about my week in Jiepai (yes, I finally found out what it was called) but I’ve just not had time, I’ve been rushed off my feet. I thought I’d write something tonight but instead I’m going out to meet Woai and “John” for a few Pimm’s cups at Windows Scoreboard. For the uneducated Windows Scoreboard is one of those hidden away type places where literary giants, philosophers and poets gather to smoke pipes, drink heavily and ponder the armpit and whatnot, oh, they have beer pong too and beers are only 10rmb.

Anyway, to tide things over, let’s have a look at what Dingle has for breakfast every morning. I’ll stop you there, I know what you’re thinking, you’re imagining a tap at my bedroom door at around 7:30 in the morning and in rushes a white gloved tuxedoed butler carrying a tray with a large silver dome in the centre and a rack of toast on the side for breakfast in bed, well let me tell you, nothing could be further from the truth, in fact I buy my breakfast from the street, amongst the common-folk.

Close to our office there’s a supermarket, and this supermarket has a stand outside serving breakfast. Every morning I have my chauffeur pull up alongside the supermarket and I pop out and queue up in the local fashion (clamour around the stand thrusting my 2kuai 2jiao over people’s shoulders at the guy in the filthy apron while screaming my order) and buy myself a slice of Cong You Bing (Onion Oil Cake) and a Nan Gua Bing (pumpkin cake, literally south melon cake).

They’re really delicious, a little on the oily side though. The Cong You Bing has sesame seeds sprinkled on the surface and is basically a bit like pizza base but with bits of chopped up spring onion inside.

As for the Nan Gua Bing, well, the concept of pumpkin cake was very odd to me when I first tried it but they’re delicious, I’d never have guessed in a million years they were made from pumpkin, they’re filled with red bean paste (sweet).