Traditional Chinese Weddings?

[*NikkiBell*]

Has anyone gone to a traditional Chinese wedding before? What can I expect from the reception in terms of food? I've heard a few horror stories and am concerned as I tend to get food poisoning easier than most.

 

[Gigi22]

NikkiBell--my DSis was a bridesmaid at a Chinese wedding a number of years ago. I think what left a lasting impressing on her, more than the menu, was the fact that the bride had two wedding dresses! One was the traditional Chinese red dress, the other was a western style white dress. For her the oddest part of the menu was either chicken or duck webs. Other than that, I believe she managed just fine. You can always tuck some granola bars in your purse for discrete snacking if you are anxious about the menu.

 

[sshaw10060]

We went to a traditional Chinese wedding a few years ago. We were the only English speaking table. Everyone else spoke Chinese. I am happy to eat almost anything and tried a lot of different food. Can't say I liked all of it, but it was a culinary adventure. We stopped at McDonalds on the way home since Pam and some of our friends were still hungry.

Prepare yourself for a 10+ course meal. Ours was punctuated with Karaoke. Not sure if that is normal or not. The most "different" courses included braised duck tongue and duck feet, stewed jelly fish, A not half bad chicken dish topped with the head of the aforementioned chicken, and soup dotted with fish eyes. There were also several courses that were quite good and appreciated by all including a ginger stir-fried lobster and steamed fish.

Go with an open mind and have fun. Everyone else at the wedding appreciated our being there and understood some of the items are an acquired taste. Suffice it to say the food is pretty different than what you might find at your corner Chinese restaurant.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Is now the right time to also mention that I'm a picky eater? Rofl

 

[DisneyKevin]

Most Chinese weddings only serve lox.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Then I ain't eating, Kevin!!!

I dont eat pig, duck, quail, pigeon, ostrich, shark, buffalo, LOX, or anything else weird. I stick with pasta, chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, some beans, and veggies. Something tells me this wedding on Saturday is going to be rough foodwise.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I tthink the food at a Chinese wedding is just called.....food.

I'm guessing the Chinese dont refer to it as Chinese food.

 

[catycatcat4]

Then I ain't eating, Kevin!!!

I dont eat pig, duck, quail, pigeon, ostrich, shark, buffalo, LOX, or anything else weird. I stick with pasta, chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, some beans, and veggies. Something tells me this wedding on Saturday is going to be rough foodwise.

Then no desert for you nikki!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Lol my stomach is already gurgling from the thought of Scotts post above. Ewwwww.

 

[ratherbeatdisney]

Then I ain't eating, Kevin!!!

I dont eat pig, duck, quail, pigeon, ostrich, shark, buffalo, LOX, or anything else weird. I stick with pasta, chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, some beans, and veggies. Something tells me this wedding on Saturday is going to be rough foodwise.

open your mind and try something new. They are not eating it because it tastes like Krud. they are eating it because it tastes good, its your mind that is having the problems with it. You think its gross and weird before you ever try it. they have what like a Billion people in china? a billion people cant be wrong ! give it a shot, if you try it and dont like it, then at least you can say you tried. and for the record Buffalo is almost exactly like beef. Even milder flavored in a lot of cases. i guarantee if someone made you a buffalo burger and didnt tell you it wasnt hamburger you wouldnt even know that difference. At least that has been my experience with it. Be adventurous !!

 

[mainegal]

and for the record Buffalo is almost exactly like beef.

I bought locally raised and butchered ground buffalo (bison) at the farmer's market Saturday and made bugers.
They were delicious! If you did not know it was buffalo, you would have said it was the best hamburger you had ever eaten. Better than Fuddrucker's or Five Guys.

Enjoy the Chinese wedding.

 

[TeriofTerror]

No pig? The thought of no bacon, ham, sausage, pork chops, or pork ribs just makes me sad. "Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry; they'll end up in my pot in a hurry..."

 

[sshaw10060]

Nikki,

We want pictures and a narrative of every course.

 

[thatslygirl]

I am not Chinese but it seems that every Vietnamese wedding reception has theirs in a Chinese restaurant. Typically they serve 7-10 courses and it is a set menu.

Common foods include:
- crab asparagus soup
- a huge fried lobster claw that is breaded on the outside--this is popular with kids
- shrimp papaya salad served with a vinaigrette. We call it "goi" in Vietnamese and comes with the shrimp chips that Kevin likes
- house fried rice
- either fish, peking duck, or lobster

All come with white rice, of course.

In the middle of the lazy Susan there is usually a 2 liter bottle of Sprite and Coke. They do serve champagne.

Asian wedding cakes tend to be really light compared to Western wedding cakes. Think sponge cake with a fresh fruit filling... it's very yummy but after eating the same cakes all my life I am tired of them and crave "American" cakes for special occasions.

It's typical for the bride to have 2-3 wedding dresses. She may start out with the Western wedding dress then later change into others. Also another popular thing to do is when the bride and groom make their rounds, you can bang your chopsticks on your glasses to see them kiss

Additionally, Asian people generally prefer to give cash/check as gifts. They will usually give this to the bride and groom as they go from table to table. Not unusual to spend x amount on money on the reception and get most of it back or even make a little "profit"... I think my parents usually gave $50 if they knew the bride/groom or their family well but I imagine others give more.

 

[kaligal]

My only piece of advice regarding foreign food is this:

Beware foreigners who say, "It isn't spicy."

 

[Launchpad11B]

Order a #38. I'm pretty sure that's the general tso's chicken!

 

[k5jm]

Then no desert for you nikki!

That would be the Chilled Monkey Brain.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

I've been to many different weddings, and all my advice is to enjoy. Weddings are a great way to understand different cultures. Always great to learn differences when celebrating.

 

[georgemoe]

Can you brown bag this wedding?

 

[NC Belle]

One of NC Beast's cousin married in China. The apartment is measured in pings (dion't recall the number of pings or their current home location).

It is the year of the tiger in Vietnam.