The Taco Bell of China!

Whenever talk among our American friends here delves into the topic of most-missed Western foods, it's only a matter of time before one or many in our group utters the two magical words: Taco Bell. Our longing for Taco Bell while in the Chalupa-deprived land of China has become, admittedly, a bit obsessive. We all take turns fantasizing about our favorite items there, what we will order first, and how delightful it is to drive-through for a late-night "fourth meal" of cheesy, fake-Mexican goodness. Thankfully, I've found something here in Wuhan that I believe rivals Taco Bell in convenience and deliciousness: shao kao (Chinese barbeque).

Here our favorite bbq lady slathers oil and spices onto our bread and veggies, roasting over the barbeque coals.

It's hard to beat the convenience of Taco Bell...a quick stop at the Drive-Thru on your way home, a short drive away for a college study-break...5 minutes and your snack is served! Quite similar to our experience with Chinese bbq. The pictures in this post are all from our local shao kao stand, right outside our apartment complex. The lady sets up shop after dark each night, and passerby can sit on stools or order their meal "da bao" (to go), pick out which meats and veggies they want, and wait a few short minutes until it's grilled to perfection and ready to eat.

Mantou (bread) and niurou (beef). Two of my faves.

My go-to items at Taco Bell are the chicken quesadilla and the cheesy double-beef burrito. At Chinese bbq? Mantou, beef, jing jeng gu (mushrooms), jiu cai (a long, grasslike vegetable), and potato. All are roasted on skewers for about five minutes, juicy, seasoned with some amazing & slightly spicy Chinese concoction that I really wish I could replicate. While Taco Bell offers additional items such as soft shell tacos and cheesy potatoes, Chinese bbq offers whole fish, questionable-looking sausage, and chicken feet.

Cucumber, lotus, and mushrooms.

As far as the overall experience, China definitely wins over America in this category. At Taco Bell you drive through and are usually half-heartedly handed a bag full of food, but at our local bbq place, our sweet lady is all smiles, very helpful as we fumble through our Chinese, and lets us walk back behind the grill, to survey all our dining options and point at which delicacies we want to try. If we're wanting a night out, our group can gather around the small tables and stools set up outside and maybe sip on a cheap beer...or we can take everything "to go" and enjoy the wonder of air-conditioning :)

Sarah Sternaman, Sarah Zietlow, Kelsey, Nicole, and Brian getting excited for shao kao.

Health-wise, again, China takes the cake on this one. We all know Taco Bell won't be winning many prizes for its organic, 100% natural food anytime soon...and while Chinese bbq does douse on quite a bit of oil, the majority of food we eat here is vegetables--potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, lotus, greens, cucumbers, etc.

Fam enjoying the night out.

As a college student on a budget (or at least, trying not to spend all her limited money), I appreciated the cheap price of Taco Bell. But, shao kao rivals this as well. A couple nights back, Kelsey and I split some beef, mushrooms, potatoes, bread, and greens. Total price? 10 RMB (about $1.50).

Grilling up one of my favorite Chinese foods--jing jeng gu...long, skinny, squeaky mushrooms that soak in tons of flavor.

 Many nights in Wuhan, after a long day of teaching or trying to figure out local culture, I wish I could just sit back and bite into a Taco Bell quesadilla, but I'm sure once I'm back in America, I will also yearn for the equally scrumptious and cheap Chinese treat--shao kao! Maybe I'll try to start one up in Wisconsin ;)

The feast, ready to be enjoyed back at our apartment.