568 Disastrous Food

Maybe British cuisine was only loved by people with special taste.

The restaurant Qin Guan chose was a simple street shop. Two employees were busy behind the counter. One was the cashier, and the other was the cook.

The ingredients were quite simple, and so was the cooking method. It was actually even easier than cooking bean jelly back in China.

There were more than 10 kinds of potatoes in Britain, but the one with the highest percentage of starch was the most suitable for the dish.

The chips looked like sticks as thick as two human fingers.

The cook dealt with the fish roughly. He got rid of the bones and covered the fish in flour without peeling its skin. Then he fried it in oil. Unlike in China, in Britain they didn't pickle the fish to remove its strong flavor. They just added some eggs and salt to the flour, sometimes even some milk or black beer.

The employees were busy working. There was a long queue in front of the shop. Some natives had seen Qin Guan and kindly recommended the restaurant to him.

"Are you a tourist?"

"Sort of..."

"You seem like you have a sweet tooth."

The old man gave Qin Guan a thumbs-up. "I’m a regular here. This shop is wonderful!"

He smiled proudly. Qin Guan felt like he had just won the lottery.

The cook put the fish and chips for two on the counter. Then he tore a piece of newspaper into two and spread the hot chips on it, putting the fish in the middle. The paper roll looked like an ice-cream cone.

Qin Guan was shocked. Bro, this is newspaper!

The old man behind him explained kindly, "It's a tradition to wrap fish and chips in a newspaper. Some arrogant experts say that it’s not healthy and we should be using food containers, but that’s nonsense! Fish and chips have to be served in a newspaper! Otherwise, it’s not the real thing!"

Qin Guan was speechless. He was surprised to discover that this was actually a traditional shop. The older men behind him all agreed with the man.

"That’s right! That way, when we finish the food, we can read the newspaper. Young guys are so thriftless!"

So you are only here for the free newspapers?

Qin Guan picked up the second portion speechlessly and added some vinegar to the fish.

Then he walked over to Julia with the food.

"It smells good. My keen nose finds it wonderful! Any food is better when fried!"

Julia took the food with a soft smile. She didn't have the heart to reject his kindness .

"My treat. You are welcome! The prices here are very reasonable."

Qin Guan took a bite of the fish.

The crust was quite thick, but flavorless. Then his tongue touched the fish and tasted its terrible flavor. The British didn’t use the same process as the Chinese when dealing with raw fish, so the fish had kept its pure taste.

The floury crust was also unsalted, so it felt like the small fish had been taken directly out of the oil before it was served to the customers.

A foodie would never waste food though. Fighting back tears, Qin Guan swallowed the whole fish up. Then he stretched his hand out to Julia.

"Give it to me. Don't eat it, it’s a disaster! This is all my fault..."

Julia was happy to see Qin Guan's regret. "I thought the Chinese could stomach anything. I feel so relieved now!"

She opened her big mouth to swallow half of the fish. Her action shocked Qin Guan.

"I always eat like this in London..."

This was racial discrimination. Qin Guan couldn't stand this.

Angrily, he swallowed his food up as if it was wax. Julia had already finished her food and wiped her lips.

There was still a long queue in front of the shop. Suddenly, Qin Guan felt sympathy for the British.

Do they even know how terrible their cuisine is? Actually, according to an international poll, the thing most people remembered about the UK was not the Buckingham Palace, the Queen, the Beatles or Shakespeare, but fish and chips.

Julia laughed happily. The sparrows looking for food beside them got scared. Abandoning their food, they flew up to the grey sky above the Thames.