Sweet Treats

For those of you that know me, it should come as no surprise that this entry is my second entry from China.  To most people, dessert is a treat.  Something that occasionally follows a meal, usually dinner or a special occasion.  For me, on the other hand, dessert is a ritual follows every single meal I eat...

Just ask my friends, this situation has played out in line-by-line in real life. 
My go to sweet treats are considered more westernized desserts (duh) since I am American.  Cake, cookies, ice cream, other baked goods are the usual.  While Western desserts are very heavy and sweet due to copious amounts of butter, cream, and sugar, Chinese desserts are on the whole are very refreshing, light, and centered around fruit.  The super authentic ones are usually loaded with health properties.  Dessert that helps me live longer?  I'm definitely in.  Here's a brief overview of what I've tried (or managed to snap a picture of) so far in Baoan, Shenzhen... TaiQing Desserts and Tea 
I am so lucky to have made a friend who shares my love of adventures and food.  One day during work, she told me that we were going to find this place that sells unreal durian cake. There are not many people who would take a 20 minute train ride and spend another 20 minutes wandering around all for the sake of cake.  Definitely made finding the place so much more rewarding! 

Found it! It is located in a very random residential area near the Bao'an Stadium

Durian Cake [$3USD]

Absolutely amazing. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even LIKE durian!  Layers of durian crepe between whipped cream and durian to form something that resembles a cake.  It's not really a "cake" in the typical sense of the word, since the layers of crepes make it much more delicate.  The durian actually is perfectly suited for this dessert, because it's custard-like consistency provides the much needed heaviness that would be missing from this cake.  

Mango Pancake [$3USD for 2]

Much like the durian "cake," I wouldn't really define this as a pancake in the literal sense of the word.  It is a crepe that is carefully wrapped around a filling of whipped cream and mango.  It is a much lighter dessert than the already very light durian cake, but equally delicious.  The only problem with this is I ate everything in 4 bites -_-.  I think I need another serving of these to fill me up.  

Fruit with Sweetened Milk Shaved Ice [<$2.00USD] 

I actually don't know the real translation of this but that is exactly what it was.  Some serious simplicity in a dessert, that puts all other desserts who try too hard (yeah you, macaroons) to shame.  Kiwi, Papaya, Mango, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe on a bed of milky shaved ice.   

Desserts in Pingzhou, Baoan, Shenzhen

My friend Mila took me to an area called Pingzhou, a neighborhood in Bao'an where many migrant workers live.  Migrant workers come from the countryside to take blue collar jobs in Shenzhen's factories.  Pingzhou is a place where many waves of new arrivals reside, making it is the perfect place to sample cheap and authentic food. 

A small street that weaves between the apartment buildings of Pingzhou. 

One of the first things we did was stop by a mango stall.  For about $1.25 USD, we had a giant mango sliced up in front of our eyes.  

Honestly, one of the things that has surprised me most about China is HOW GOOD THE FRUIT IS.   This mango seriously rivals the ones I get back in Hawaii off my Gma's tree.  

ShuangShuang {direct translation: Straighforward} Frozen Sweets

My friend was set on taking me to this dessert place.  Very simple, no frills local joint that served up all sorts of very traditional Chinese desserts.  

I have no idea what anything says, but luckily the walls were covered in pictures I could point at! 

Fruit served over Tapioca Pudding [$1.25USD]

 Amazingly refreshing after an afternoon of walking around outside in Shenzhen's hot hot hot weather.  I didn't snap a picture of my friend's dessert, but she got some sort of durian/gingko soup with mochi.  Every time she orders dessert, she explains the health properties to me.  Like for her choice, it was increased circulation and a memory boost.  Something tells me she chooses her desserts based on the health benefits, rather than the actual dessert.  Hm cultural differences I guess? 

Hoi Tin Tong

Source: http://www.foodspotting.com/

this is not my picture.  Unfortunately I forgot to snap a pic before I gobbled down the whole thing :(

Turtle Jelly [$3USD]

So..uhh...does it have turtles in it?  My friend insisted I try this very traditional dessert, which is actually a sort of traditional Chinese medicine.  This black jelly is made from several different herbs and traditionally...turtle shell, which is what gives it a gelatinous texture.  That answers my first question.  Although slightly bitter alone, it turns into a delightful dessert when honey is added and stirred into the jelly.  The resulting taste reminds me of black tea with a touch of honey.  My friend informed me it is good for my skin, kidneys, and circulation.  Nevermind the turtles harmed in the process...

I'm sure I'll find manyyyyyy more places worth sharing, but until next time! 

Phoenix Mountain, Shenzhen

Hello!  So a lot has happened over the past two months...too much to even begin writing about. butttt on the bright side, I'm back in Shenzhen! and for good too!  Somehow I secured a job that landed me a work visa.  I have to admit, moving to a city where I had never lived, knew nobody, and barely spoke the language was a little nerve-racking.  Quite a few doubts crossed my mind, but this is what I wanted all along, right? Well everything has been working out at the moment. I made some great friends from work, my living situation is excellent, and it's only been a week but I've already been very busy working AND playing.  Shenzhen is an amazing city, and I can't wait to explore more of it.

My first real Sunday in Shenzhen, I spent hiking Phoenix Mountain with a few work colleagues.  We began the journey at 7:00am by a bus that would bring us to the outskirts of Baoan, a neighborhood of Shenzhen.  I'm not quite sure what happened, but I think we took the bus to the very last stop...we hopped off here about 45 minutes after we first boarded.  

None of us knew the area very well, so we were a little lost.  There were no hikers to be seen in this part of town, so we asked a series of shopkeepers who pointed us in the right direction.  

Eventually we made it to this dirt path, which looked promising...

and after about 10 minutes of following the dirt path, we were exactly where we wanted to be! 

The hike starts from pretty much the second you cross this bridge.  Hello Stairmaster. 

We took the long route...which was actually the wisest decision we could have possibly made.  There was hardly anyone on this trail, and I recommend this path to anyone who doesn't mind doing a little extra work to avoid China-type crowds.  I don't remember the name of the trail that we took, but one of the first forks in the walkway will either lead you straight up the mountain or across a bridge to the left.  Go across the bridge. 

There are plenty of rest stops along the way that offer some amazing views of Baoan, a neighborhood of Shenzhen.

Look at how green! I love it 

 oh hey don't mind me 

Made it to the top! Once the scenic trail joins up with the main trail, it turns into a mess of people.  

Cheesy pagodas dot the ridgeline, and they're all totally packed!  There is a bathroom and a few shops that sell drinks and snacks.  

This it the view looking down on the other side of the mountain.  You can see the temple is at the base of this side of the mountain, and if you can see where the city kind of ends, that is the ocean.

From the top of the mountain, you can climb down the other side, where you will end at a Buddhist Temple.  

All those little dots in the water are turtles.  People were throwing money in the pond, and when I say money, I mean like literally 1CNY paper money. You can definitely see some bills in the picture.  

We followed the arrows to a vegetarian buffet that the temple runs.  For 38CNY (~$6USD), you can grab a plate and load up on vegetarian food!  Exactly what I wanted after a hike. 

This is my plate.  Note the french fries, haha. But most of it was actually pretty healthy!  I had eggplant, vinegar cucumber salad, chinese yam, wintermelon, mushrooms, noodles, brown rice, and so much more.  The *only* catch is that you can only take what you finish.  The people working there told us that if you have leftovers, you will be charged for every gram there is.  Don't worry, I finished everything on my plate.  

Sweet tofu desert.  So yummy and refreshing after a long hike!  anddd much healthier than ice cream

We were out of the restaurant by 12:30 and back in a taxi home by 1.  Overall this was an amazing hike, but only because we took the scenic route.  The scenic route seemed to have more pitstops with generous seating and amazing photo ops.  It is also much more rewarding if you came for a hike to work up a sweat and get your heart rate going.  Best of all...there were hardly any people on that trail!  Once we got to the top, it was definitely people mountain, people sea; a direct translation of a Chinese saying that basically means it's really effing crowded.   busiest times of the week.  If you are looking to go to Phoenix Hill or Phoenix Temple as a tourist, weekdays are probably much better.  

I'll update again soon.  Life in Shenzhen is just beginning, and I'm already backed up on posts.  Until next time!