Rice with a bang

炸米花 (puffed rice) made on the street in Chuansha (川沙). Bring your own oil, sesame, and rice or corn, and put your bag in the queue.

Great taste, especially when still warm. Crunchy and a tiny bit sweet.

When the rice is almost ready, the pot-thingy opens with a big bang.

Eva: “When we were young and you heard that bang, everybody yelled ‘Quick, get in the queue! Get oil, get rice!'”

For a whopping 35 RMB fee btw (preparation fee). I overheard someone say “It used to be 2 RMB.” So maybe some will a sign about the Chinese economy in there — but I think it’s another reason why it’s so nice to live in Chuansha, on the edge of Shanghai.

In 2025 (November) in Tangzhen (唐镇):

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