Now that I’ve got your attention, this post is not really about gummi worms, but probably just as interesting.
Background
Our friends X and D, mentioned in a prior post, really try to take care of us when we visit. X likes to eat and will try to give us a different experience each time we visit. On a past trip, X ordered rattlesnake which included a shot of liquor with one of the snake’s organs and a salad made with the snake-skin. At the end of the meal, the restaurant offered the rattle which they boxed. On another trip, escargot was the trend in Shanghai. X made sure to order it when he and D took us out (X really likes escargot).
Sea Cucumbers
This time, sea cucumbers seem to be the big thing. The first time they took us to dinner, X ordered a single cucumber.
In person, the sea cucumber kind of looks like a giant gummi worm. Here’s the detailed picture.
The texture is like eating stiff Jello. The sea cucumber itself doesn’t have a lot of taste, the gravy was a variation of the Shanghai “brown sauce”. D said that there is an art in preparing the sea cucumber. She’s tried it at home with results that are less than when ordered at a restaurant. This sea cucumber was kind of smooth as far as sea cucumbers go (not much character).
About a week later, X and D took us out for dinner again. This time it was D’s birthday. In the middle of the dinner, the waitress added a fork and knife to each place setting. I had not seen a fork and knife since we got to China (duh). So this was curious. X ordered a sea cucumber for each of the guests.
This time, the gravy had more of a “western” taste like maybe beef or pork stock instead of the Shanghai “brown sauce”. X liked the gravy so much that he ordered rice to soak up the gravy. Compared with the first time, my sea cucumber had a little more “character” (more bumps and surface texture). If it were a different color, it would really look like a gummi worm. Here’s the picture of the sea cucumber sliced.
X and D have never failed to provide us with new and different eating experiences.
The Mouse battled a sea monster and won, yum. 🙂
Just want to say what a great blog you got here!
I’ve been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work!
Thumbs up, and keep it going!
Cheers
Christian, iwspo.net