Small Talk and Similar Tastes

There's a reason why people choose dinner as a first date. You want the evening to go well, and you never know how either of you will act if things get awkward. So what's the easiest thing to do? Talk about the food. It's something that you're both experiencing at the moment and sure to have opinions about. In short, it's a topic that can bridge gaps regardless of cultural differences, language barriers, social or economic class. No matter who you are, you've got a favorite food.

Living in China I can't count the number of times I've had what would have been awkward meals with locals whom I literally couldn't find a single thing to talk about, except food.

Locals here love talking about food, from different regional cuisines to what the food is like back home. In my case, it's the US.

Since many people around the world still hold on to the notion that American food is only hamburgers and hotdogs, it's always been fun for me to educate others on the kind of American food that I grew up with and just how similar it is to Chinese cuisine.

If you think of hamburgers when you think of American food, well, the classic American hamburger literally has a cousin here: the roujiamo. Originating in Xi'an, roujiamo is seasoned, slow-cooked pork served shredded and mixed with fresh veggies inside a flaky, hamburger-sized bun. OK, it's more Sloppy Joe, but basically the same idea.

American cuisine, much like the country, is a delicious blend of cultures. True American food reflects the best of the immigrants who brought them there.

Let's take fajitas for examples. Yes, in the US it's Mexican food, but like the fortune cookie, it was invented in the US – West Texas back in the 1930s to be exact. They were created by Mexican ranch workers and they're basically DIY burritos. You stuff your delicious tortillas with all sorts of tasty fillings and sauces at the table, and you roll them up before devouring the tasty goodness. Here in China, spring pancakes are the exact same thing. Freshly made pancakes ( bing) are served with a variety of veggie and meat dishes and sauces to be rolled up at the table. While the fillings and wrappers are different, the style of eating is the same. Best of all, I've never met a single person who said they didn't like either.

Drive down to Louisiana and you'll find the land of crawfish boils. In the American South, we love parties and there's something about peeling apart crawfish with your friends that brings people together. For anyone who's spent time in Beijing, I dare you to go out to Guijie and not find a restaurant that sells crawfish.

While not considered authentic Chinese cuisine, love for crawfish has skyrocketed in China in recent decades to become one of the most popular dinner party foods. Leave it to this unpretentious little mudbug to bring a bit of Southern comfort to Chinese cuisine.

Food gets people talking, no matter where they're from. And just when you feel you can't relate to your dinner companion about anything, you can always rely on food. Even a question as simple as “what's your favorite meal?” can open countless doors to where your conversation can go.