There are already travellers in China who "don't like" eating on the train, even though it's never expensive. Some like to have their own pot noodles, which they then put in the boiling water dispenser at stations or on board. In today's era of high-speed trains, this tends to be less common.
As any experienced traveller will tell you, the classic "green trains" in China have delicious food. On board these trains, open fires are still allowed in the kitchen, although they are subject to strict safety standards. Many dishes are local favourites, such as tomato and egg soup, stewed pork with green peppers, and others. Especially on the Chinese trains: Soft drinks are often replaced by soup. As a Swiss, I had to get used to this pretty quickly! Then, of course, rice is added.
Safety requirements are even stricter on high-speed trains, where open fires are not allowed at all. They buy ready meals that are heated immediately after purchase. There are 18 railway regions in mainland China alone, and each region prepares its own dishes. Personally, I like those from the Beijing and Shanghai areas, especially my favourite, braised pork with pickled vegetables (Meicai Kourou; 梅菜扣肉). There is one thing you can count on in Chinese dining cars: Forks and knives are foreign. So, off you go with culinary integration - with chopsticks, of course!
David Feng, Zurich (of Chinese descent). Independent rail specialist Switzerland and China with a focus on transnational rail transport and sustainable development and urbanisation. Active on social media.
