Three years ago, I studied abroad in Shanghai with the University of Washington business school. This was my first adventure in China, and it proved to be an incredible, formative experience. We stayed in East China Normal University’s (华东师范大学) dorms, and while our classes were taught by UW professors, living in the dorms gave us some vital exposure to real Chinese student life.
Unexpectedly, one of my most salient memories was eating at the student cafeteria. Their plethora of options – I would guess around 50+ menu items to choose from daily – meant that we never got bored eating the same thing (I’m looking at you, UW student dorms with your overpriced, undercooked corporate sellout “food” offerings). The prices were also fantastic. You never needed to spend more than 20 yuan ($2.75) to get a nutritious, diverse meal (UW on the other hand had four greasy pizza places serving $6 a slice. Healthy and affordable!)
In the mornings, the cafeteria also served up traditional Chinese breakfast and local Shanghai snacks. It was there I discovered the elusive Three-Cornered Bread (三角并). A huge triangle of flat bread fried in oil, with egg and green onion fused into the crust, lightly salted… all for 3 yuan ($0.50). I must have eaten this bread every day we had class, but if I had known how rare this treat was, I would have stocked up!
I have since been to Shanghai several more times, as I fell in love with the city after my first stay. This is my fourth time, and yet, I have never found Three-Cornered Bread again. I’ve asked literally dozens of people if they know this food, and while they might point me in the direction of Scallion Oil Pancakes (葱油饼), they are mistaken.
Tomorrow morning I will return to the East China Normal University campus and try to find this stealthy delight, and I’ll share my findings here!
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