Jiajia

My craving for rice noodles can only be satisfied in 同仁, Tong Ren, a city in the remote mountainous southwest region of 贵州，Guizhou, China. Curiously, I only lived there as a toddler up until the age of three and a half years old. How can I have a craving for a food from a place that I only lived in for just a bit over three years? Did I even eat it? I mean, it’s supposed to be spicy and as I understand, even kids in Guizhou aren’t eating spicy foods until they are children at least.

When I went back home during the spring – early summer of 2024, my cousin opined that our palates are formed as a child, and basically by adulthood, it’s permanently fixed. From a purely testimonial perspective, I am inclined to agree. For example, her kid is eating American inspired Chinese snacks where most of the population in Southwest China would not find appetizing. Sliced yellow cheese on sandwiches for adults? “Sounds overly greasy, that’s probably why they are fat.” Including raw lettuce in the sandwich? “Was it even washed, what a great way to get sick!” It’s not like we are in Hong Kong where Western influences are more prevalent.

To put things in perspective, my auntie spent about sixth months in North America in 2023, and the only raw food she came to tolerate and learn to enjoy was avocado. No to sashimi. No to salad. No to cold food in general.

Similarly, kids in America can now tolerate and enjoy Asian foods whereas their adult counterparts are less likely to appreciate these new flavors. Seaweed chips? Sichuan hotpot? Korean bbq? Kimchi stew? Asian pickles? As the world became more and more global than my childhood growing up in Regina, SK, Canada, I too also came to enjoy cuisines from different cultures I would have never had the chance to try.

Imagine my satisfaction when I had the first bite of rice noodles upon my second day in 贵阳。More than 6,965 miles later from San Francisco to Tong Ren, I finally ate my first bowl with my beef rice noodles in a family operated joint outside her local condominium community.