Foochow vs American : Cucumber Soup

We have different ways of preparing soups. The cucumber for example is quite a common vegetable. The Americans grow it and so do the Chinese. And there are hundreds of recipes available today.

But in the years when the Peace Corps came to Sibu, most Foochows would not have a recipe book in their homes. They definitely cooked very simple food.

Foochow shredded cucumber soup.

And American Peace Corps serving in Sibu definitely had their ideas about cucumber soup.One day 

I am relating a tale from a Peace Corps teacher here. Moreover each time I cook my Foochow style of shredded cucumber shop, I would be thinking of this story and smile. Remembering related stories like this makes my chore of cooking very interesting.

One day this Peace Corps teacherr and his friend wet to Sibu to have a restaurant lunch. They were told that a cucumber soup could be cooked for th em. They did not realise that what they ordered would not be the same as what they had at home.

So in order to have their own American cucumber soup, they saved enough money to buy a blender. One day he got his Foochow colleague to teach him to cook the shredded cucumber soup for him and h is housemate. It was well doe but they not get ready to eat.

Interestingly he told his Foochow friend to wait. He poured the soup into the blender, and added ice and evaporated him.

When done, the Peace Corps teacher asked the Foochow colleague to sit at the table and eat with them.

"Here, come and try our American chilled cucumber soup," the Peace Corps said happily.

The Foochow teacher was not able to hide her dismay because she was so worried that she would have a stomach ache.

To the Foochows, this was a cultural shock to say the least. The icy cold soup was a double YIN soup, Ice is cold and cucumber is cold.