#07 What Chinese Locals Really Eat Every Day

Today, we're going to spend the day exploring some local food here in rural China. Whenever people think about Chinese food, they often think about dishes that are famous But everyday food in small town can be very different. So today, let's take a walk and see what local people are eating. The first thing that caught my attention was this tin bun shop. One thing I really like is that they make the buns right in front of the customers. You can watch the whole process, from preparing the dough to shaping the buns and placing them into the steamers. Everything is done right here at the shop. There is something satisfying about watching food being made by hand. The smell coming from the steamers is also hard to ignore. Fresh, warm and comforting. Not far from there, we found a small shop selling tofu soup. According to the owner, this shop has been operating for more than 25 years. 25 years is a long time. When a small food business can survive for that many years, it usually means that local people keep coming back. I always find places like this interesting because they are often family businesses that have been serving the same community for many years. Next, we came across a dish that some people might find unusual. It's a soft-boiled pork blood soup. Do you have more soup? I want more soup. Can I have more soup? Soup? One bowl of soup. The texture is very tender and smooth. This is common food in some parts of China, especially in the smaller towns and rural areas. Different countries have different food traditions, and that's one of the things I enjoy about living in China. There is always something new to see and learn. Even after living here for a while, I still come across foods that surprise me. After walking around for a while, it was time for a haircut. At first, I thought getting a haircut here would be cheaper than in the city. But after the haircut was finished, I realized the price was actually higher than what we usually pay. The reason is quite simple. This pop-up shop is located inside the tourist area. And when a business is local near the tourist attractions, prices are often a little higher. Well, now we know for next time. Later, we continued exploring and found a cold spicy noodle dish from Sichuan. And this is one of those simple foods that many local people enjoy. The noodles are soft, cold with a spicy and slightly sour sauce. Sichuan food is famous for being spicy, but it also has a lot of different layers of flavor. Sometimes spicy, sometimes sour, sometimes slightly sweet. It's one of my favorite regional cuisines in China. The flavor is refreshing, especially during hot weather. One thing about living near a tourist area is that there are food shops everywhere. You can find restaurants, snack stands, noodle shops, and all kinds of street food. The restaurant itself is very simple. Nothing fancy, no luxury decorations, no big size. Just a family running a small business. Honestly, these are often my favorite kind of restaurant. Sometimes the best food comes from the simple places. As we sat down and looked at the menu, I felt a little curious. Would the food be as good as expected? Would this become one of our regular places in the future? There's only one way to find out. After the food arrived, we started tasting each dish. The flavors felt more like home-style cooking. Not overly salty. Not overly oily. I could understand why local residents like coming here. The atmosphere also felt relaxed. People were chatting with family members, eating dinner after work, and enjoying a normal evening. Today wasn't a day filled with major attractions or exciting adventure. It was simply a day of exploring ordinary food in a small town in rural China. But honestly, those are often the days I enjoyed the most. Thank you for joining us today. And before I go, I'm curious. When you travel, do you prefer eating at a popular tourist restaurant? Or do you prefer finding places where local people eat? Let me know in the comments. Thank you so much for watching. And I'll see you in the next video. Bye.