Meatballs

by Monica Liau
on Friday, February 26, 2010

One night around 6:30pm, I was riding home and got hit suddenly by a wave of absolutely distracting hunger pangs. It was too late to grab a baozi. I had a dinner date at 8 so it was too early to eat a meal. I was in a veritable street food desert and in a hurry. What's a starving girl to do? I decided to stop into FamilyMart to pick up vegetable sushi. No luck, the cupboards were bare. Having recently overdosed on potato chips and sworn off candy bars, it seemed that my appetite and I were out of luck. Perusing aisles several times over, I found nothing despite a violently protesting stomach.

Reluctantly, I chose a box of crackers and shuffled to checkout. While waiting for the man in front of me to pay in exact change, my eyes lingered on another customer. He was fishing around in the strange bubbling containers that convenient marts always have in front. These barrels have always disgusted me. The strange mystery meats and day old tea eggs that they inevitably contain remind me of the boiled, un-appetizing body parts of old men. But the customer was eating them with such relish. Could this be the answer to my famished desire?

Cautiously, I sidled over to the bubbling brew and took a sniff. I could detect undercurrents of curry, anise and other fragrant ingredients. I took another sniff and peered warily into the compartments. Meatballs, tofu and "chicken" sausages all burbled together happily. Finally, I decided on two beef meatballs (牛肉丸) and two fake crab balls (虾粉丸), mostly because it was what the other guy picked. After paying RMB3.50 and being handed two long toothpicks, I found myself outside still sniffing my cup of balls suspiciously. I took a bite, and then another. Chewy, salty, warm and savory...not bad! They were decidedly unhealthy, but oddly tasty. I admit it. I ate them all. Afterwards, I briefly considered going inside for more, but instead toddled off towards home; stomach sated and at rest. Perhaps not a good habit to get into, but nevertheless, FamilyMart had saved the day.