Minute snails, stinky water melon, and "ghost buns," are just some of the tasty treats in this seaside Chinese city
Olympic shooter Yang Qian and swimmer Wang Shun might have wowed the world with their gold medals in Tokyo this year, but for viewers back in China, they are almost as famous for their remarks about Chinese cuisine on the world stage—specifically, the cuisine of their shared hometown, Ningbo.
“I want to eat my mother’s cooking…especially braised prawns (油焖大虾),” Yang said at the press conference after winning the Games’ first gold medal in the 10-meter rifle competition (a video showed her mother shouting at the TV “I’ll make all the braised prawns you want!” after Yang won her second gold days later). Wang’s favorite is his grandmother’s ribbon fish braised in soy sauce (红烧带鱼), his mother revealed after Wang broke the Asia record in the 200 meter medley. Even Hong Kong director Stephen Chow, the king of Chinese comedy films, has Ningbo heritage and is known for his love of yellowtail fish noodles (黄鱼面).
Wang Lin is a contributing writer at The World of Chinese who aspires to tell fresh stories about life, arts and culture in China—no prejudice, no clichés. Her writing has appeared on Nikkei Asia, the South China Morning Post, RADII, and elsewhere. She was born in Ningbo, a bustling port known for its dumplings and seafood.
