Thursday, 27 September 2012

From Xinjiang to Iran Silk Road memory of the taste buds

For me, the taste food really not in the tip of the tongue, but eating together with what person, at what time, what place, and collision of culture exchange spark. I used to walk along the Silk Road track Central Asian countries, repeatedly with three kinds of representative diet affinity -- tea, hand-pulled noodle, the hand pilaf. Various winding is not clear the flavor of life, and the most common eating together locked into my memory.

Wine and dine is not purely a sensory experience, through one of the most basic human needs, can see a piece of land and housing in the national soul. Eating habits also recording structure and cultural changes in a society, with the mark of history. Follow the Silk Road track walk in Central Asia, will find a lot of places is very similar to the diet, and some do not belong to the native things, such as the tea and rice, now has become a part of the local diet is indispensable, it is not only the result of product circulation, but also the embodiment of cultural interchange.

The Silk RoadThe Silk Road

TravelingI like to mix, the local people's table, in the local ordinary people out of the restaurant and the market stalls, chat with the table of local people while eating, listening to their stories; there is a chance that I will go directly to local families to diners, close contact with them life. For me, the taste food really not in the tip of the tongue, but eating together with what person, at what time, what place, and collision of culture exchange spark. I'm in Central Asia (mainly China along the Silk Road CorridorXinjiangArea, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran) walk days, repeated with three kinds of representative diet affinity -- tea, hand-pulled noodle, the hand pilaf. I regard tea as a kind of social activities, to tea interaction, can enter the local people living circle; hand-pulled noodle always reminds me of the Central Asian bazaar culture, taste the noodles and reflects the local people economic work perseverance; and their hands let me miss various festivals in Central Asia, a good dish it is to maintain family and the neighborhood relationship. Along the way, my day in and day out drinking tea, eating, chewing hand-pulled noodle to pilaf, through which to understand the local life. In the development of waves, people longing, struggle, struggle, optimism, pessimism, hesitation...... Various winding is not clear the flavor of life, and the most common eating together locked into my memory.

Tea is a kind of social activityTea is a kind of social activity

Teahouse of the country

A lot is located in the ancient Silk Road Town, between the maintenance of tradition and innovation seesaw swings. Historical and cultural heritage is like a big background, and like the mysterious seasoning, add a unique color, taste the ancient city; but more afford much food for thought is all social forms and contradictions in the development tide. In Central Asia the teahouse, can hear the footsteps of history and reality, at the same time.

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