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While Jeff and I are having fun experiencing the world of China, the real reason we are here is to teach. We are teaching at an international school, meaning, we have students from all over the world, except uh, China. One of my classes, a computer class where students are creating mini-magazines about themselves, is a mini-united nations. The tweenagers are Danish, Aussies, Singaporean, Taiwanese, Korean, Swedish and English.
When writing a food review, we were discussing the weirdest food you have ever eaten. Now in Asia, that question takes on a whole new dimension. Live birds, fried caterpillars, bug larva, cow stomach and goose gut soup are just some of the foods kids eat without squirming. There are other food oddities on the infamous “if you don’t eat it, we’ll send it to starving kids in America” list. But strange enough, I found out that most of my students have never eaten an American Pickle. Sure, they might have nibbled slices on a McBurger, but most have never had the warty, deep green oddity straight from a pickle jar.
So I went on a scavenger hunt to the various stores in Kunming that catered to the American palate, searching for gherkins, dills, butter chips, or slippery slices. I found two jars and brought them to class.
I also found a set of twins husking corn. I wanted to bring them home with me, but their mother objected.
Come Monday, I brought the pickles to school. My students enjoyed the experience of trying American pickles, but didn’t necessarily enjoy the taste. Some likened the experience to licking a toad, eating dynamite or crunching green ketchup. Others thought that pickles tasted like pizza. Go figure.
One student wanted to drink the jar of pickle juice. I said no, even though this same student has eaten a live lizard and spiced baby bird.
The pickle tasting was a great experience.
I am sure that this local woman has never eaten an American pickle. I am as foreign to her eyes as the garlicky dill taste is to my students’ taste buds.
