Traditional food is painted as backward and dirty—except for tourists.

Instruction began early on a November 2018 morning. This lesson was not taught in a classroom, but in a makeshift kitchen as part of Xinjiang’s “household school” program. There, a teacher stood before her class of adult women and asked: “What do you like to eat for breakfast?”

The students responded in unison, “nan and milk” or “nan and tea.”

“You don’t eat a bowl of hot congee?” the teacher interjected. This question sparked additional discussion and “even more curiosity” among the women in attendance.

  • @ozymandias117
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    27 months ago

    Do you know what the link to Uyghur is?

    The Han Chinese people I know from Shaanxi still seem to eat congee regularly

    Is there something lost in translation that the Uyghur style congee is different than the Han style or something?

      • @ozymandias117
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        27 months ago

        Not exactly - I’m wondering if 酸粥 is being discouraged, while the Han are still eating 稀飯

        • @[email protected]
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          7 months ago

          Not 酸粥, the connection to uyghurs is the gov. discouraging Uyghur students from eating their traditional breakfasts, flatbread and milk/tea, in favor of more traditionally han Chinese breakfast, congee or 煎饼.

          This ties into the other cultural erasures going on.