Sticky Rice Eaters

I often think that as different as I am from the people here in HK, it still must be easier for me to adapt to life here because, having been born Korean, I too am a rice eater.

Truth is, as much as I miss NYC pizza and don't really like the Chinese pastries here in HK, I also really like to eat rice.

That said, for the first 8 months or so, my wife and I made do with the local Thai rice bought from the nearby Wellcome. This rice was okay, but not the rice that we were used to.

Anyway, about two months ago, we finally got fed up and I schlepped to Taikoo (via minibus and MTR) to the Jusco there to buy Japanese rice. What's all this fuss about rice? Well, Koreans and Japanese eat sticky rice. Chinese, for the most part, eat rice that's not sticky.

I know it sounds silly, like splitting hairs or something like that, but I can honestly say that life is better now that we've switched rice. Sure, it's a pain in the neck to schlepp all that way just for a 5kg bag of rice, but it's worth it and I kick myself in the head for not doing so earlier.

Our meals--we usually eat dinner at home (Korean food that I make)--are so much better. The rice is so much tastier and filling. In fact, we still have a bag of Thai-Chinese rice that I'd bought prior to our going-to-Jusco days, and that rice hasn't been touched since.

By the way, I think that a major part of why I don't really like eating Chinese food at local restaurants for lunch is just this. Their rice doesn't suit me.

Anyway, those who have no idea what I'm talking about, probably won't ever understand this.

But to all those sticky-rice-eaters here in HK, I'm sure you get me.