FROMTOP: CHRISMELLOR/LONELYPLANET IMAGES;NATALIETEPPER/CORBIS
CHINA
fist-size greenpods, eachwith adozenor
soseeds.
TherearetwothingsyouhearinNanjing
about the lotus. First, they say that it is a
verycleanplant, unmarredbypollutionor
sediment. Thismuchhas beenproved by
science. Nanotechnologists in theUnited
States and elsewhere actually study lotus
leaves for theiruniqueability to repel dirt
thatthenwashesoentirelyinanyrain.The
second thing youhear is that eating lotus
seeds cools the body. This ismore impor-
tantthanyoumightthink:Nanjingisknown
as one of the “three ovens” of China, one
of theplaceswhere theheat andhumidity
eat-sometime-todaybusy.Aftersomestand-
ingaroundandafewfailedattemptstosnag
a table,wewalkout, defeatedby the sheer
hustleofmodernChina.
And then, suddenly, serendipity. A lotus
vendor had brought her bike to the near
cornerand isunhurriedlysellingseedpods,
threeforabout$0.75.Webuyaclutchofthe
storefront that looks about as old as your
averageKrispyKremeoutlet. It turns out
theshop, calledLiuChangxing, isnowpart
of a chain of shops sprinkled throughout
Nanjing. This location is rather charmless
andbathed in a grindingfluorescent light,
but it ispacked.Beyondmust-be-good-food
busy and straight to oh-God-we-need-to-
FROMTOP:
Chinese street vendorsmaking
breakfast; the serenityof aBuddhistmonastery
locatednearNanjing
32
DECEMBER 01, 2011
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
