U-Aubrey Gates King wase-USA ukhuluma ngeminyaka yakhe emibili ehlala endaweni yaseShayina nokuthi wakwazi kanjani ukunamathela ekudleni kwe-vegan ngaso sonke isikhathi ezweni lapho kubonakala kungenakwenzeka.
“IYunnan iyisifundazwe esiseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeChina, emngceleni weMyanmar, Laos kanye neVietnam. Ezweni, lesi sifundazwe saziwa njengepharadesi labathandi bobumnandi kanye nabapakishayo. Ecebile ngesiko labantu abambalwa bohlanga, edume ngamasimu elayisi, amahlathi amatshe nezintaba ezimbozwe yiqhwa, u-Yunnan wayeyisipho sangempela kimi.
Ngalethwa eShayina umphakathi wokufundisa ongenzi nzuzo obizwa ngokuthi Teach For China. Ngahlala esikoleni nabafundi abangu-500 nabanye othisha abangu-25. Emhlanganweni wokuqala nothishanhloko wesikole, ngamchazela ukuthi angiyidli inyama ngisho namaqanda. Alikho igama elithi "vegan" ngesiShayina, bawabiza ngokuthi ama-vegan. Ubisi nemikhiqizo yobisi ayivamisile ukusetshenziswa ekudleni kwaseShayina, kunalokho ubisi lwesoya lusetshenziselwa ukudla kwasekuseni. Umqondisi wangitshela ukuthi, ngeshwa, indawo yokudlela yesikole ipheka kakhulu ngesinqumelo esikhundleni samafutha emifino. “Kulungile, ngizoziphekela,” ngiphendula ngaleso sikhathi. Ngenxa yalokho, konke akuzange kube ngendlela engangicabanga ngayo ngaleso sikhathi. Nokho, othisha bavuma kalula ukusebenzisa amafutha e-canola ezitsheni zemifino. Ngezinye izikhathi umpheki wayengilungisela ingxenye ehlukene, eyimifino yonke. Wayevame ukungihlanganyela nengxenye yakhe yemifino eluhlaza ebilisiwe, ngoba wayazi ukuthi ngiyithanda ngempela.
I-Southern Chinese cuisine imuncu futhi inezinongo futhi ekuqaleni ngavele ngayizonda yonke le mifino efakwe emanzini anosawoti. Babethanda nokuphakela isitshalo seqanda esibabayo, engangingakuthandi ngempela. Okuxakayo ukuthi ekupheleni kwe-semester yokuqala, ngase ngivele ngicela eminye yaleyo mifino efakwe emanzini anosawoti. Ekupheleni kwe-internship, ipuleti lama-noodle lalibonakala lingenakucatshangwa ngaphandle kosizo oluhle lukaviniga. Manje njengoba ngibuyele e-US, imifino embalwa efakwe emanzini anosawoti ingezwa kukho konke ukudla kwami! Izitshalo zasendaweni e-Yunnan zazisukela ku-canola, irayisi ne-persimmon kuya kugwayi. Ngangikuthanda ukuhamba ngezinyawo ngiya emakethe, eyayitholakala eduze komgwaqo omkhulu njalo ezinsukwini ezi-5. Noma yini yayingatholakala lapho: izithelo ezintsha, imifino, itiye, nama-knick-knacks. Izintandokazi zami ikakhulukazi kwakuyi-pitahaya, itiye le-oolong, i-papaya eluhlaza okomisiwe, namakhowe endawo.
Ngaphandle kwesikole, ukukhetha izitsha zokudla kwasemini kwabangela ubunzima obuthile. Akufani nokuthi abakaze bezwe ngabantu abadla imifino: abantu babevame ukuthi kimi, “O, ugogo wenza kanjalo” noma “O, angiyidli inyama inyanga eyodwa onyakeni.” E-China, ingxenye enkulu yabantu ngamaBuddha, adla ikakhulukazi i-veganism. Nokho, ezindaweni zokudlela eziningi kunomqondo wokuthi izitsha ezimnandi kakhulu ziyinyama. Into enzima kakhulu kwakuwukuqinisekisa abapheki ukuthi ngangifuna imifino kuphela. Ngenhlanhla, lapho indawo yokudlela ishibhile, izinkinga zaba zincane. Kulezi zindawo ezincane eziyiqiniso, izitsha zami engangizikhonzile kwakungubhontshisi we-pinto othoswe ngemifino efakwe emanzini anosawoti, isitshalo seqanda, iklabishi elibhemayo, impande ye-lotus ebabayo futhi, njengoba ngishilo ngenhla, isitshalo seqanda esibabayo.
Ngangihlala edolobheni elaziwa nge-pea pudding ebizwa ngokuthi i-wang dou fen (), isidlo semifino. Yenziwa ngokuhlanganisa uphizi ohlutshiwe ku-puree bese ufaka amanzi kuze kube yilapho ubukhulu buba bukhulu. Ikhonzwa "kumabhulokhi" aqinile noma ngesimo sephalishi elishisayo. Ngikholelwa ukuthi ukudla okusekelwe ezitshalweni kungenzeka noma kuphi emhlabeni, ikakhulukazi eMpumalanga Nenkabazwe, ngoba akekho odla inyama noshizi kakhulu njengaseNtshonalanga. Futhi njengoba abangane bami be-omnivorous basho.