US Vice President Joe Biden took time out from official talks in China last Thursday to have lunch at a local restaurant, but his courage failed when it came to the house specialty — pig intestines in soup.
The 68-year-old opted instead for pork buns, noodles and cucumbers when he stopped off at the small, family-run eatery in downtown Beijing with his granddaughter, daughter-in-law and the traveling press.
“The meetings were great. But it’s harder to order,” Biden joked to reporters when asked about his talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, widely expected to be the next president of the Asian power.
Photo: EPA
照片:歐新社
The restaurant was full of Beijingers when Biden arrived, and the US number two apologized for the commotion.
“You came in for a quiet lunch and I show up,” he said.
The dish — known as chaogan in Chinese — consists of pork liver, lungs and intestines served in a broth, and is particularly popular in Beijing, where it is served without chopsticks and slurped from the bowl.
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
(AFP)
美國副總統喬‧拜登上週四在中國進行官方會談之餘,撥空到當地一間餐廳用餐,但是對於店內招牌菜「炒肝」,則是敬謝不敏。
這位六十八歲的美國副手與其孫女、女婿,以及隨行媒體一行人,光顧這間位於北京市的家庭式小吃店時,選擇豬肉包、醡醬麵,以及拌黃瓜。
被問及與中國國家副主席習近平的會晤內容,拜登開玩笑地對記者說:「會議進行極好。但是點餐就難了。」人們普遍認為習近平可能接班成為亞洲強國的領導人。
拜登抵達該餐廳時,店內坐滿了北京民眾,這位美國副元首對於給店家帶來騷動致歉。
他說:「你們為了吃一頓平靜的午餐而進到店裡,但我出現了。」
這道中文名為「炒肝」的料理,是由豬肝、肺,以及腸子熬煮而成的濃湯,也是北京特有的道地美食,該道菜不用筷子,拿碗直接喝即可。
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
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