The food culture of Guangdong “Zao Cha”

In Saturday morning, I went to a Chinese restaurant called “starkitchen”. it is the only restaurant that make southern China’s breakfast in Denver. It opens at 9 o’clock every day and the breakfast close at 2:00 pm. The food they make for breakfast is traditional Guangdong desert and it tastes really similar with the restaurant in our country. So, many students in DU and Chinese people who live in Denver really enjoy the food there. I can always see some students study in DU who does not have classes in the morning go there for breakfast.

I went to the starkitchen on Saturday afternoon at about 1:30 pm, because in this way I could see the difference between breakfast and dinner. The star kitchen was always full of people, so, I waited for about 10 minutes to get a sit. In the starkitchen, you could also share a table with others who was waiting for a sit; however, I did not like to sit with others. I came here with three of my friend, after the waiter lead us to the site; we began to watch the menu. All the food here for breakfast is traditional desert like Shrimp Dumpling, Steamed Beef Meat Ball and Baked BBQ Pork Bun. Most of Chinese people like to eat thing made of flour, so, the dishes we ordered were most like dumplings and bread. When we order the dishes, we do not need to tell the waiter that what we want and let them cook together. There was some food cars in the restaurant, and all the food they have were on the car. These dishes were really small, so, by this way, you could not only see what did the food look like and how large it was, but also you could get the fresh food whenever you want. This kind of breakfast is very popular in Guangdong; they liked to come with their friends on business together because Chinese people believe that having a meal with others was really a good way to communicate. So, people in Guangdong do not called this meal breakfast, they have their own name of this king of meal---“zao cha”. In Guangdong, most of people have a very open mind; there is the only place in China that people do not care about if you are graduated in a famous university. People in Guangdong believe that if you work hard and have a clever mind, you can be success. So, many young people in China like to go to Guangdong to start their own business. In this way, Guangdong becomes a really important city, and more and more people begin to have their friends on business. A talk of a business idea always need a lot of time, so, people in Guangdong like to find a quiet place and have a talk with their partners. The words “zao cha” is means drink tea with friends in the morning, and Chinese people think that a good environment can help them to have a clear mind. So, drinking tea and having some desert become very popular in Guangdong. So, the food car can help people to get some hot and fresh food whenever they want.

Most of the people in the restaurant are from the southern part of China, include the waiters. I could easily find that these people had a Guangdong accent when they are talking. Many of them came here with the whole family, for those Chinese people who lived in Denver; it was really hard to find a Chinese restaurant like this. Actually, you could find that more than 50 percent Chinese who lived in America were from the province like Guangdong or Fujian; this could also show that people from these places like to show their ability and make a living wandering from place to place.

After 2:00 pm, the dishes had totally changed. The food car stopped provide people more food and people begin to use the menu to order some local Guangdong food. At this time, people became much less than the morning because Guangdong do not really famous in its dinner, and only some real Guangdongers like these food. We also finished our meal and left the restaurant.

After I come to the USA, I feel people are so busy every day. When I saw Americans doing their work, they always finish it as soon as possible. Also, when they have a talk with someone, they always catch the point quickly and say something clearly and directly. This is not the life style I used to have in our country. I have read an article named “Some Thoughts on the Guangdong Breakfast Tea” which is written by MR.JI, and I really agree with his point that why can’t we sit in a tea house talk and laugh like with old friends.