What Life Costs in China 🇨🇳 | Exploring the Most Authentic Wet Market & Making Handmade Wontons
About this video
Join Mei as she explores a lively local wet market in China, where fresh produce and authentic daily life come alive. She starts with a bowl of savory Pork Intestine Noodles, then shows how $20 can buy a week’s groceries. Back home, she turns the haul into handmade wontons from scratch, celebrating the simple philosophy that eating well is living well.
Video transcript
Hello everyone my name is Mei I'm 40 years old I live in Chengdu, China Let's visit a Chinese market together today A small bowl of pork intestine noodles:14 RMB ($1.93 ) Look at the floating pork intestines It looks so tempting It smells wonderful this is the go-to breakfast for locals One bite and it perks me right up The taste is full-bodied It's smooth and springy on the palate I added an extra small pork intestine for 3 RMB ($0.41 ) Lots of people in other countries don't eat organ meats Do you like eating them? It smells amazing The fat and carbs
really perk me up Time to start shopping Dumplings：17 RMB ($2.34 ) for 30 pieces I'll freeze them in the fridge when I get home Just boil some when hungry, super convenient Brown sugar for 3.2 RMB ($0.44) Cherries for 26.8 RMB ($3.68) It's a little pricey but cheaper than in supermarkets The owner let me try one. It's so sweet A bunch of grapes for 7.8 RMB ($1.07) Blueberries for 15.6 RMB ($2.14) I really love fruits These will keep me going for days Mushroom specialty store Green Sichuan peppercorns for 7.4 RMB ($1.02) Scallions ginger and garlic are
everyday flavoring ingredients These cost 15 RMB ($2.06) in total This big bag of vegetables is 15.5 RMB ($2.12) 40 wonton wrappers for 2 RMB ($0.27) I'll cook these as soon as I get home Watermelon for 6.6 RMB ($0.90) I tried these lychees, they taste really sweet Lychees for 17.5 RMB ($2.39) A pack of monosodium glutamate ： 2.5 RMB ($0.34) I'm heading home now I'll tally up my expenses for today These cost 150 RMB ($20.47) today I think this will last me five or six days The fridge is full of food I feel totally at peace I found a nice container for
dumplings I'll stir-fry some fresh sweet potato leaves later Simple yet tasty Sichuan peppercorns go into most of our dishes The greens are all prepared This is my new apron I bought yesterday（$4.1） I think it looks pretty good Do you like it I'm making meat filling now This mini meat grinder is also very handy Guess how much it cost This meat grinder only costs 29 RMB ($4.03) I wonder why it's so cheap Only add egg whites Make the meat filling tender and compact Salt and starch The key is to stir in one direction consistently This will create a
springier texture It's ready when it gets sticky like this You may have noticed They were sold at the market just now Why do I still make them myself I just enjoy the process of making it It's just like doing handcrafts It's really relaxing Do you feel the same way Look how beautiful they are I'm going to eat my creations soon 31 pieces I feel like I have another option I could work at a dumpling shop in the market someday 😊 Looks like a little boat Scoop some soup to dilute the seasonings Roast pork The wontons have clumped together Wow it's so
delicious The meat filling is chewy and fragrant I wish you could have a taste😂 Eating well is living well Homemade delicacies are filled with happiness in ordinary days Do you prefer ready-made ingredients or cooking from scratch?
