Adventures in Guangzhou!

Anybody who has ever lived with me knows that pickles are a staple in the "Ari Diet." When I'm hungry for a snack, I tend to wander into the kitchen, open the fridge, grab a pickle, and munch down on it as I look for further nutrients. Even after I locate the snack of the moment, I tend to go back for another exit-pickle as I leave the kitchen. Pickles have almost always been a standard garnish in any of my meals. I'm not saying I have Penne Vodka topped with pickles, but they have been almost ubiquitous.

Naturally I looked for pickles when I first arrived and was disappointed by the offerings. There were various brands and denominations of gherkins and even a few jars of sweet pickles (gross) but not even a single normal-sized dill pickle to be found. My friends here quickly heard of my plight and did their best to appease this somewhat bizarre yearning. Diana brought me back a jar of pseudo baby dills from Vietnam but they were pickled with slightly different spices. Meggie offered to look up pickling recipes and help me do it from scratch. Anastasia, PiA Executive Director extraordinaire, heard of my lusting and spent an entire afternoon searching in Hong Kong but to no avail. Kelly did one better and brought back a genuine jar of baby dill pickles all the way from the states and it was all I could do to not eat the whole thing in one sitting. That jar became a treasure chest for me and each individual pickle was relished. Sadly, it was not a magical jar and it was gone all too soon.

One of my projects for the vacation a few weeks ago was to learn all the Chinese necessary to ask about special ordering pickles from one of the few western-import food stores here. While I never quite got around to it, a friend did inquire for me and they said that it was certainly possible. This news made my mind swirl. What brands were available? Could I special order a whole case or would they only procure a few jars? Would they be able to obtain those spicy dills I got addicted to last year? The possibilities were seemingly endless.

Two days ago Kelly and I decided to make dinner together and we put guacamole down as our appetizer. Guac' is another western "delicacy" that impossible to find in Guangzhou, but not all that difficult to make from scratch. There is one supermarket in the whole city that sells avocados at a reasonable price and it's not all that far away so they're easy to get. Obviously tomatoes are everywhere, along with onions and garlic, so the only things we had to buy special were the lime juice (limes are impossible to find), tobasco, and worcestershire sauce (Kelly's secret ingredient). We were all set to have guacamole and some curry Wednesday night until we realized that we had no chips. Tragic!

Now chips are a whole different ballgame over here. Pringles and lays are everywhere (though in somewhat bizarre flavors like "hokkaido crab" and "cucumber") but tortilla chips are sometimes tough to locate. They only seem to stock them at one or two of the western food stores and you never know what the availability will be. Anyhow, Kelly offered to trek out to Oliver's, one of the foodstores, and grab a bag.

As I walked into Kelly and Diana's apartment, I was made to close my eyes and informed that there was a surprise for me. I had my fingers crossed for the hint-of-lime tostitoes but I was definitely under-shooting this time 'round. I walked in, opened my eyes, and saw none other than NINE jars of baby dill pickles!! I was speechless. I almost shed a tear. I wish someone had captured the moment on film. And not only were they real American pickles, but they were straight-up Heinz kosher baby dills! Kosher dill pickles in Guangzhou, China? I guess stranger things have happened. It turns out that Oliver's was randomly stocking the item and Kelly seized the moment, buying their entire selection, sans three jars that she didn't have the hands for.

As I opened a jar and chowed down on the incredibly tasty treat, I began to wonder a bit about why it felt so special and why I missed them so much. I think the answer has a few different dimensions. First is obvious-- I like the taste. Pickles taste good so naturally I would want to have them. Along the same lines, I have a weird consistency-thing where I tend to like foods that are crunchy (nuts, pickles, etc.) and shy away from foods that are gooey (yogurt, bananas, etc.). But it has to be more than just that, right?

Second, is the concept of the familiar. Eating baby dill pickles has been a quotidian event for me and I certainly felt its absence. It is something I know well, used to depend on as a standard food item, and something that used to be a regular part of my day. Third, there's something of a cultural connection. Pickles are what I consider a kind of Jewish food along with things like bagels, kugel, and gefillte fish. Sure, others have taken pickles and modified them in various ways, but I think back to the histories I've read of the old New York Kosher delis and the large pickle barrel was always in the picture. Fourth, the human sense are extremely potent. It is well documented that music can elicit certain memories and feelings with people. I would argue that food is the same way and baby dills make me think of my apartment last year in Boston, of eating at various delis, of Jewish-holiday festival meals, and of Weshop, the Wesleyan campus market.

Whatever it is, I could not be happier. While it may only seem like a small detail to most, my quality of life here in Guangzhou just went up by leaps and bounds. That being said, I'm off to grab a pickle before hitting the soccer field.