The Jian-Bing at the Fusterie market
How good it is to wander around on an empty stomach, not knowing where hunger will take us. Suddenly, a market appears with an unassuming stall in the distance, with no name, no logo and a cook who doesn’t speak a word of French. Street food brings people together, and my recent trips to Asia have taught me that we all speak the same language when it comes to food. The specialty: jian-bing, a Chinese pancake as melting as it is crispy. Very popular in Asia, this snack is eaten for breakfast, and there are as many variations as there are regions.
Closely related to our Breton friends, Chinese crepes are prepared with a common gesture and a few similar utensils (ladle, spatula and crepe pan). While the Bretons use buckwheat flour, the Chinese crepe batter is made with eggs, wheat flour and mung beans. Without further ado, let’s take a bite of this crêpe made with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, marinated chicken, coriander, spring onions, homemade mayonnaise and the famous sriracha hot sauce. At a time when the trend is towards “ultra-marketed” restaurants, it’s good to discover a stand that’s far removed from today’s dictates, because street food is above all about taste and the discovery of a culture.
