Appetite for Adventure
How two years in China changed my tastebuds and outlook on my hometown. K I R STE N H AR R I N GTO N
F
rom crunchy fried frog and lip-tingling mapo tofu to flakey donkey meat sandwiches and durian ice cream, living in China was a nonstop culinary adventure. For two years I challenged my stomach with spicy
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The Local
lamb skewers, roiling hot pot, and other dishes that remained a mystery. All because my husband was part of a team that built Universal Studios Beijing. Which is how my family and I found ourselves moving to China in June 2019.
WI N TE R G AR DE N
As a food writer and adventure seeker, I knew I had arrived in a country that held unlimited potential. Every meal was a challenge, a discovery, a disappointment, or nirvana. Meals cooked at home often required extensive sleuth-
ing to source ingredients; dining or ordering out presented language challenges and often stretched our comfort zone. I went to cooking classes to learn how to properly pleat dumplings, let a stranger feed me with
