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I think anyone who loves Chinese food must have had some chow mein at some point. The way "chow mein" is spelled actually came from the Taishan dialect. Even though the name does look different from the way I learned it, I am simply happy that at least it sounds the same as the standard Madarin dialect that I understand. In Taishan dialect, "chow" stands for stir-fryed, and "mein" for noodles. But today I am not going to talk about the noodle part. In fact, I am replacing the word "noodle" with "potatoes." Yes, chow potatoes.

My mom taught me how to make chow potatoes when I was in the third grade. I loved chow potatoes so much that after I learned how to make it, I wrote at least two essays about it for my literature class. Now as I enter college, I cannot help but amazed at the fact that I am writing my first short essay about it again.

I like chow potatoes not only because it tastes good, but also because it takes a lot of learning during the cooking process. Chinese cuisines consider color, smell and taste the three most important elements in cooking. Most importantly, the color. Potatoes have to be cut quickly or else the earlier cut ones would have gone brown by the time one finishes cutting all of them up. Cutting potatoes into same sized strips is no easy task. One has to be careful using a knife, cut the slices into the same thickness, and use the right amount of force so that the knife does not get stuck in the potato nor crush the potato too quickly that the sound it makes scares people. Then you cook them, with pepper and or meat. I prefer overcooked fries-sized potatoes, but some people prefer slim and crisp ones.

Now that I am on a diet, I cannot have any more potatoes, nor can I buy some and cook it in college. But I do miss making the dish, and serving it to my family. Lastly, I welcome anyone who is willing to come over to my house in Beijing sometime and try a mouth full. Trust me, it is worth the trip!

Chloe