Culinary Calisthenics

Ever since arriving in Beijing I had heard whisperings of Ghost Street- famous for its diverse culinary offerings and endless strings of red lanterns. Offhandedly I glanced around for the telltale lanterns whenever I wandered new territory, getting excited if I encountered even a few clustered lanterns near any old eatery. When I finally stumbled onto Ghost Street I felt foolish that I had looked for it elsewhere; the never-ending sea of red lanterns was arresting and a dead give away. Not just a mere smattering for decoration- these red lanterns crowd the width of the sidewalk so closely that the sky appears red instead of blue or Beijing’s classic hazy. Under these lanterns restaurants line the street shoulder to shoulder- vying for hungry crowds and distinction along Beijing’s most delicious avenue. The afternoon that I emerged from tiny hutongs to find this wide avenue of culinary abundance and visual pleasure a satisfied smile spread across my face.

After realizing I had burst onto Ghost Street I idled down the road watching nondescript vans pull over and unceremoniously toss sacks of vegetables right onto the grungy sidewalk. Workers quickly lugged the produce inside, stocking the districts’ hundreds of kitchens for the evening’s ravenous crowds.

Further down the street I was surprised to come upon a public performance. After closer inspection I guessed it was a culinary graduation! As I approached I realized the sidewalk was filled with as many as 60 chefs all in matching black, yellow and red uniforms standing in neat rows. Each had a proud bright red graduation cap perched on his head. The head chefs stood facing the graduates- barking orders, calling names, and handing out certificates. I stopped to watch the proceedings, thrilled and amused to stumble upon such a special and seemingly random event. All of a sudden the mood changed and the chefs started doing bizarre things- as a group they kicked, squatted, clapped rhythmically and sang songs in unison. Ten minutes later they were still singing loudly, their voices echoing through the entire neighborhood. Finally I pried myself away from the baffling yet riveting scene and continued down the row of restaurants.

When I returned home later that evening I assailed Julia with tales of the exciting culinary graduation I had witnessed while wandering Ghost Street. She laughed at me, amused at how new I still was to China. She informed me that the graduation hats were just a part of the normal kitchen uniform- a popular aesthetic touch in China. Additionally the ‘ceremony’ I had witnessed was actually a daily calisthenics routine! The chefs were getting pumped up to hit the kitchen and turn out the evening’s meal. Apparently it is not uncommon for larger restaurants to assemble their kitchen staff outside the entrance for daily pre-shift warm ups, team building routines, and professions of spirit- loudly, proudly and publically. Their routine seemed exhilarating and bizarre to me as an outsider, but here it is completely normal and represents one of the many quirks that make life in Beijing unique and easy to love!