So right now it is pepper drying season. Peppers are laid out on the ground and hanging from strings out windows all over the entire city. This is very important because believe me, these people like their food to have some kick to it. It could be worse, there are other places with even more spice, I have almost gotten used to it.
Another important product of the region I live in that is about to be in season is pomegranates. Yup- you can buy a glass of fresh squeezed at the market if you like it sour, I prefer the kind you can buy in the stores here that has a little bit of sugar.
All year round every where you turn in town you can find dried fruit and nut sellers. We have 70 different kind of grapes- yeah- 70- seems a bit excessive for my taste!
And believe it or not there are pecans though I haven't tasted them. The nuts here are expensive so I don't often buy them.
The fruit is wonderful especially the grapes which my region is famous for and in the boxes there is a type of peach that is shaped like a doughnut with no hole. They are also good.
Pineapple anyone? On a stick or freshly cut for you to take home.
Steamed corn is a popular street snack.
This is where the food starts to get good. This is Nan Pizza, a specialty of the foreigners here. There is a local bread that is perfect for already cooked pizza crust. You just add some sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you want and pop it in the oven for a few minutes.
This is a popular minority noodle dish...
You pour the meat and veggie sauce from the bowl on top, mix, and dig in with your chopsticks.
This is the same minorities rice dish- it has lamb and orange and yellow carrots in it. Yup we have yellow carrots, kind of crazy.
This is a popular minority noodle dish...
You pour the meat and veggie sauce from the bowl on top, mix, and dig in with your chopsticks. This is the same minorities rice dish- it has lamb and orange and yellow carrots in it. Yup we have yellow carrots, kind of crazy.This is an Asian birthday cake they look nice enough on the outside but I must warn you that they have hardly any sugar in them and sometimes the frosting includes green bean or tea flavors and there are often unidentifiable chunks inside the cake! Make a wish!
Now on to some other strange things that get placed before you when you sit down to eat with locals. This is some kind of meat pie in the front with a spicy cold noodle dish behind it. Not too awful but not what I would order.
Oh in the bottom left corner above- the clear/white looking noodles- that is some kind of cold jelly or tofu noodle with really spicy sauce. I have never managed more than a single bite. Ugh!
This is a semi-spicy meat and onion dish with little pieces of bread to wrap around it.
This I have not eaten but I thought it was a creative way to cook fish and definitely picture worthy!
This is the more common fish dish. I am not a big fish fan but it really tastes pretty good if you can pick around the bones. The other dish is black and white fungus with cucumbers. I am not a big fan of mushrooms but silver ones which are a type of white fungus are really good.
This is a good food to grab if you are on the go. Inside the bread is often lamb and pumpkin.
Everything can be sliced, stir fired, and covered with spice.
Now we are moving on to my favorites... stir fried green beans, stir fried seasoned carrots and beef, and tomato and egg cooked together. All ready to go on a bowl of white rice. Oh and the brown and white swirly thing is a type of bread that again doesn't have much flavor or fluff but is filling and cheap. 
Here we have sizzling plate of chicken white has meat, peppers, onions, and carrots- my absolute favorite. Tomato and eggs again, green beans cut and stir fried, and sweet and sour chicken- much better than back home, trust me. Oh and the white roll of crepe paper on the table- that's the napkins- no joke.
Cauliflower with tomato, peppers, and seasonings which I have learned how to cook is another favorite.
Here we have Beijing Duck- you either like it or you don't- I don't! Here a specially trained chef cuts the meat off the duck. This food was originally only for the Emperor but now everyone can have a taste.
The duck gets sliced to where every piece has skin, fat, and meat on it.
You are suppose to take the meat along with plum sauce and onions and wrap it up in these thin dough wrappers. Then it's ready to eat. 
Now on to some other strange things that get placed before you when you sit down to eat with locals. This is some kind of meat pie in the front with a spicy cold noodle dish behind it. Not too awful but not what I would order.
Oh in the bottom left corner above- the clear/white looking noodles- that is some kind of cold jelly or tofu noodle with really spicy sauce. I have never managed more than a single bite. Ugh!This is a semi-spicy meat and onion dish with little pieces of bread to wrap around it.
Below we have more spicy indescribable noodles- they make noodle shapes out of everything rice, egg, wheat, tofu, potato, bean...
The green stuff behind it is bokchoi which I often eat to try and avoid other unpleasant dishes on the table but really it's a green veggie with no flavor that involves a lot of chewing.
This I have not eaten but I thought it was a creative way to cook fish and definitely picture worthy!
This is the more common fish dish. I am not a big fish fan but it really tastes pretty good if you can pick around the bones. The other dish is black and white fungus with cucumbers. I am not a big fan of mushrooms but silver ones which are a type of white fungus are really good.
This is a good food to grab if you are on the go. Inside the bread is often lamb and pumpkin.Everything can be sliced, stir fired, and covered with spice.
Now we are moving on to my favorites... stir fried green beans, stir fried seasoned carrots and beef, and tomato and egg cooked together. All ready to go on a bowl of white rice. Oh and the brown and white swirly thing is a type of bread that again doesn't have much flavor or fluff but is filling and cheap. Here we have sizzling plate of chicken white has meat, peppers, onions, and carrots- my absolute favorite. Tomato and eggs again, green beans cut and stir fried, and sweet and sour chicken- much better than back home, trust me. Oh and the white roll of crepe paper on the table- that's the napkins- no joke.
Cauliflower with tomato, peppers, and seasonings which I have learned how to cook is another favorite.
Here we have Beijing Duck- you either like it or you don't- I don't! Here a specially trained chef cuts the meat off the duck. This food was originally only for the Emperor but now everyone can have a taste.
The duck gets sliced to where every piece has skin, fat, and meat on it.
You are suppose to take the meat along with plum sauce and onions and wrap it up in these thin dough wrappers. Then it's ready to eat. Last but not least.... the tortilla family.
Outside the gate of my university there is a little vendor family that makes tortillas. 
The mother or sister rolls out the dough...
The mother or sister rolls out the dough......and the dad or brother cook them. Unless we request them plain they crack an egg mixed with green onions on one side of the tortilla and fry the egg and tortilla together. It makes a great breakfast or late night snack.
You can see the skillet part up top for them to cook and then for an extra touch he puts them below near the fire. They are so good and only 20 cents each!
You must pay close attention and practice a lot. 
This batch I did most of the wrapping myself and I am proud to say it looks like I am close to mastering at least this dumpling shape!
