Travel Journal, 52
The best mushrooms I have ever eaten are found in the town of Mae Sai, Thailand. Specifically, at a Chinese restaurant that specializes in Yunnan food. Yunnan province in China lies a mere five-hour drive from this place.
Turn right out of the restaurant and go to the border—about a quarter mile.
Cross the Myanmar border, pending any security problems, and continue onto Myanmar National Highway 4 until you get to Mong Lah Rd and turn right. This will in turn take you to the province of Yunnan in southernmost China.
The food there is spicy and very good.
But, truthfully, I’ve never been to China.
So when a friend told us that a family member owned a Yunnan restaurant, we jumped at the opportunity to meet up.
We were met by people we did not know, to eat food we’d never eaten, in a place we’d never been, to experience things we’d never experienced. But the company of strangers quickly shifted to friendship. I sat next to a cousin of a friend. His English faltered and crumbled at every attempt, which is more than I can say about my Chinese. Somehow, I found out that he likes to run (as do I), orders his running shoes from Japan, and owns a tire company nearby. But as the food hit the table and the chopsticks began to fly, language skills didn’t seem to matter so much.
The giant marble table had a type of “lazy Susan” that covered most of its surface. Each person got an empty plate set before them. And all the food was shared as the lazy Susan was wheeled about. A tray of mushrooms appeared and I took several and placed them on my plate. The mushrooms were quartered and had been soaked in a brine of soy sauce and some other spices, then baked. It gave the mushrooms a dense, almost crunchy texture.
If there is one thing that me and the Chinese man communicated clearly that night it was that these mushrooms blew us away. Food crosses far more borders that any ambassador.
The reason TV food shows attract people is that food unites us. Eating ties us together. Whether black, white, Chinese, or Jewish, you have to eat. And it’s not something reserved for only a select people. Perhaps that’s why poverty and starvation give us so much sorrow.
I recently heard former astronaut Garrett Reisman say that, “the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us.” Not only does this saying make me feel good, but I think I actually believe it. Sure, it’s cliched and a little derivative. But the dividing aspects of humanity never last. Sure, they might lead to disputes and wars, but those end and peace eventually prevails. And though the dividing factors of life tend to get a lot of attention, the factors that unite us are far more important.
anthony forrest
