Strawberry Fields Forever

Lights, Camera, Action!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the ancient Chinese method of making noodles. I had seen pictures of this process before online, but I had scarcely believed it. How could one possibly stretch noodles that thin out that far? The distance between the racks was about fifteen feet, mind you. These must be some incredibly durable noodles. After they are dried, they are carried inside, and cut in half. They are then bundled up into smaller amounts and sold to customers. We did not, however, buy any of these noodles, because we saw the inside of the building where the dry noodles were being laid on the floor. We also saw all of the flies inside the store. With the noodles, or rather, on top of the noodles. Sights like these tend to damper the appetite. It is like the saying goes: "men should not see the making of laws or sausages." Nevertheless, it was still a fascinating process to watch. 

I had a request the other day to talk about the fruit here in Taipei. Because Taiwan is a tropical island, the fruit here is sweet and delicious. It is also fresh. In any night market, or day market for that matter, you can find a fruit stand selling a variety of fresh produce. They sell a lot of things that would be familiar to the typical American, but they also have a few unusual things as well. For instance, there is a kind of fruit here called a lian wu. This name is translated into English as "wax apple", which is a terrible name for the fruit. It does looks a bit like an apple, but it is somewhat conical in shape. The flavor is akin to an apple's as well, but the texture is more sponge-like and juicy, and nothing at all like wax. Here is a picture of a bunch on a tree:

                                                     

 There is also a kind of melon here that is rather famous. It is called a Bitter Melon. This name is not a misnomer. When they say bitter, they mean bitter. It is treated more like a vegetable than a fruit here, so it is usually stir fried with some kind of meat. Personally, I do not like to eat things that make me wish that I didn't have taste buds, so it is not listed as one of my favorite foods. Here is what it looks like:

                                               

The other fruits and vegetables that I have tried here have all been incredible. The tomatoes here are so sweet, that they are often served as a fruit. There is a saying that says that they are "too sweet to die." I had them a few days ago sliced, and served with this:

This is a powder that is made of soy sauce, sugar, and ginger. When you put it on fruit, it enhances the flavor of the fruit and also gives it a little bit of a zing. These are given out at fruit markets with the fruit, kind of like condiment packets at restaurants. Here are some pictures of the typical fruit stands that you might see in Taipei:

 Good night folks, I will see you all tomorrow!