What is the worst thing in the world? There was a time when, for Britons, it was strange Chinese delicacies such as sea slugs.
The converse was also true, and while Chinese food is now universally accepted in the West, the British packed lunch with its essential ingredient, the sandwich, still provokes horror from Beijing to Hong Kong.
So much so that when a Chinese woman began to post videos online of her British husband carefully preparing his daily ham and tomato sandwich, they attracted millions of horrified viewers.
….After its years of explosive growth, the Chinese economy has hit a wall in the past two years, which along with the pandemic and lockdowns has given rise to an internet vogue for a sort of amused acceptance of a fate beyond our control.
Old Dry Keith’s struggles with his sandwich became an ideal topic, as Zhou observed when — to general shock — Brown was unable to find avocados to go with his smoked salmon.
Zhou wrote: “We watch him struggling to saw apart two slices of dry bread, as hard as weapons-grade steel, slicing off a few thin streaks of yellow from a block of hardened butter that has not yet completely thawed, and then placing two slices of pre-smoked salmon on top.
“This vision is enough to make ordinary people think of the lunch they just hurriedly swallowed, and feel empathy and sadness.
“He is just like all those of us who have to pay our credit card bill but our salary hasn’t arrived, or have to go to a meeting but find that their mobile phone battery is at 10 per cent. He bravely faces all of life’s blows.”
Those who know, know….
Marmite is what you should put on sandwiches – cheap, tasty and healthy
The Japanese have cottoned on to the joys of a ham sandwich, China might get there eventually.
the sandwich, still provokes horror from Beijing to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is full of sandwich shops. I’m sure more Hongkongers eat sandwiches than sea cucumbers, which is what you’d expect really, as sea cucumbers are fucking horrible.
As was said about George Takei (not actually Chinese but close enough) before competing in “I’m a Celebrity” :-
Should do well as he will happily eat anything that comes out of the ocean. Particularly if it’s wrapped in a pair of Speedos.
The bit with Arthur making sandwiches just so was a lovely piece of writing. Occasionally it springs to mind when I’m making a sandwich, so it must have something about it to make it so memorable.
“Zhou wrote: “We watch him struggling to saw apart two slices of dry bread, as hard as weapons-grade steel, slicing off a few thin streaks of yellow from a block of hardened butter that has not yet completely thawed, and then placing two slices of pre-smoked salmon on top.”
It sounds like the problem is crap Chinese ingredients. And… “pre-smoked salmon” – is there post-smoked salmon? What is it?
>Zhou wrote: “We watch him struggling to saw apart two slices of dry bread, as hard as weapons-grade steel,
Maybe the reason the Chinese are horrified by sandwiches is their bread sucks and they haven’t invented bread slicers yet?
I don’t know about gluten, but many Orientals are lactose-intolerant, which is why you don’t find much dairy produce in China. (Or maybe the causation runs the other way.)
Ah, no, this is the Chinese second wife filming her husband in England making his sandwiches – then showing the video in China.
The only thing about this that will trigger a Hong Konger is the use of “ham” that faintly resembles a piece of a pig, rather than the still almost universal breakfast, luncheon, and even noodle soup staple of spam.
Journalist, tell us you know nothing about Hong Kong without telling us you know nothing about Hong Kong.
Marius, thank you very much, I really need a CitySuper butty now. Gonna have to wait a while.
The only reason the Chinese eat sea cucumbers is because food is medicine and sea cucumbers look a bit like willies so per TCM logic they are good willy medicine.