Learn Chinese Conversation: Food and Memories

Li Ming, I smell something delicious coming from your office! Did you go eat something good for lunch? Come on, tell me, what did you have?

Haha, you have a great nose. I did go out for lunch with a friend. We tried a new noodle shop.

A noodle shop? What kind of noodles? Was it something special?

Beef noodles. But their beef is prepared so well—it's cut in huge chunks and delicious. The broth was also amazing; I drank a lot of it.

Wow, hearing you talk about it is making me hungry. Even though I love noodles too, I don't think my favorite dish is noodles.

Oh? Then what's your favorite food? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever asked you that.

Hmm... let me think about that.

Thinking about my absolute favorite... I think my favorite dish has to be something my mom cooks.

Your mom's cooking? That's a really heartwarming answer. Which dish in particular? Your mom must be a great cook and make a lot of delicious dishes, right?

Yes, she makes so many things. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be tomato scrambled eggs.

Tomato scrambled eggs? That's a very common, home-style dish. Almost every Chinese household makes it. Why is it your favorite?

Right, it's very simple and ordinary. But every time I eat it, I feel incredibly happy.

What about you, Li Ming? Don't just ask me—what is your favorite dish?

Me? I think my favorite dish might be the Beijing roast duck from a certain restaurant.

Beijing roast duck! Wow, that's an incredibly famous Chinese dish!

Look at that, we are so different. I like the simplest home-cooked food, while you like a famous restaurant feast.

Haha, yeah. One is eaten at home, the other is eaten out. One is very simple, and the other is quite elaborate.

Why don't we chat today about our favorite foods and the stories behind them? What do you think?

That's a fantastic idea! I'm already set to hear your Beijing roast duck story.

Great. Let's start with why we love these two very different dishes.

Wang Yu, do you want to go first? Why tomato scrambled eggs?

Sure, okay. I like tomato scrambled eggs not just because of how it tastes.

It does taste wonderful—a little sour, a little sweet, and it goes perfectly with rice. I can eat so much rice with it.

I agree, tomato scrambled eggs over rice is indeed delicious.

But more importantly, this dish holds memories from my childhood.

I remember when I was little, if I did poorly on an exam or had a fight with a friend,

and was in a terrible mood, my mom would make tomato scrambled eggs for me.

Oh? Really?

Yeah. She wouldn't say much; she would just walk into the kitchen, and soon, I'd smell that wonderful aroma.

Then she would place a hot, colorful plate of tomato scrambled eggs in front of me and say, 'Eat up, you'll feel better once you eat.'

Wow, what a wonderful mother.

Yes. So to me, the taste of tomato scrambled eggs is the taste of my mother's love. It's so warm.

Whenever I'm exhausted from work or going through a tough time, I always crave this dish.

Eating it makes me feel as if my mom is right there beside me.

That's why it's the most delicious dish in the world to me. No one can make it better than my mom.

I see. For you, this dish isn't just food; it's a feeling—a feeling of love and home.

Exactly! You summarized it so well. That's exactly how it feels.

What about your Beijing roast duck? Is there a story behind it, or do you just simply love the taste?

Of course there's a story. And I do love the taste. The skin is roasted to a perfect crisp and has a beautiful, reddish-brown color.

And the meat is so savory and fragrant.

You take a very thin pancake, put some duck meat on it, add a little cucumber and green onion, and some sweet sauce, then wrap it up to eat.

Wow, the flavors are so rich and layered.

Stop talking about it, you're making me hungrier by the second.

Haha. But I don't just love the taste. I also love the whole 'process' of eating Beijing roast duck.

Unlike home-cooked meals where you just eat as soon as it's done, eating Beijing roast duck feels like quite a ritual.

A ritual? How so?

Well, we usually only go to a specialized roast duck restaurant with family or friends to celebrate a happy occasion.

Like a birthday or Chinese New Year.

Then, the chef wheels a whole roasted duck to your table and carves it right in front of you.

The whole display makes you feel like it's a very special moment.

Ah, I see. You love that special, grand atmosphere.

Yes. The first time I had authentic Beijing roast duck was for my tenth birthday.

My parents took me to a very famous, historic restaurant in Beijing.

I still remember seeing that glossy, golden-brown roast duck, and the chef skillfully carving the skin and meat,

arranging them neatly on the plate. I thought it was magical.

That was the first time I realized that cooking and eating could actually be like an art form.

So, tomato scrambled eggs represents 'home' and 'love' for me, while Beijing roast duck represents 'celebration' and 'art' for you.

You could say that. The roles that food plays in our lives are truly fascinating.

Yeah. But Li Ming, surely you can't go to a restaurant to eat Beijing roast duck every day?

So what do you usually like to eat, say, for breakfast and lunch?

Of course not. Beijing roast duck is too expensive and too formal. I only eat it on very special occasions.

Normally, I eat very simply. For breakfast, I like to have a glass of milk and two slices of toast. Simple and quick. What about you?

I prefer a Chinese-style breakfast. I like to have a hot bowl of congee or eat a steamed bun.

I feel like having something warm in the morning is really comforting for the stomach.