The pursuit of good food has always been an integral part of David Grier's life, celebrity chef, extreme adventurer, author and philanthropist. In his superb book 'Courage and Rice' David recalls his journey along The Great Wall of China, detailing every inch of a once in a life time experience. The book includes his view of eating in this diverse, endlessly intriguing country, one that encompasses many levels from the exquisite to the most basic of street food. 

COURAGE AND RICE
My journey along the great wall of China

By David Grier

When David Grier and Braam Malherbe finally embarked on their Great Wall of China Challenge, after months of meticulous planning with their team Geoff Smith, Hans Seer and Michael Rainer, and eventually joining up with their invaluable team in China,  "The defeatist echo in my head that kept saying, 'It's impossible you will never get it right', was finally silenced!" says David.

Over 98 days and some 4000 km David and Braam ran, climbed, walked and crawled over some of the harshest terrain on the planet in temperatures ranging from 40ºC to -22º C. They became the first people to ever run the entire length of the Great Wall of China in a single attempt. Through the dry dessert plains of the Gobi dessert to the rolling hills of the Shaanxi Province. It was a triumph of the human spirit. 

Lee, was a fantastic guide, a deep thinking artistic soul born in the shadow of the wall, who spent his life photographing painting, travelling and writing about the sleeping dragon. Pio, our interpreter, Changa who drove our support vehicle during the four tumultuous months that it took to run the wall. 

Lilly, the only flower in the team was camp chef, coping with the hardships of travelling through inhospitable terrain and trying to find food to keep us sustained along the way. 

The food that Lilly turned out was amazing! In the middle of nowhere out came the dishes when possible centred around the fresh produce which is the focal point of Chinese cuisine and the market, which is always the busiest place of every city, town and village.

"Most of my adult life, explains David Grier, "has been influenced by food in some fashion, from cooking to taking its preparation to new personal levels. Then there‘s my eternal quest to learn more about the simplicity of combinations. I have enjoyed exploring new techniques, experimenting with flavours and trying different combinations to find the best possible way to enhance and influence the ingredients."

Simplicity perfected...

Chinese food is integrated and entwined with daily life. It is a daily ritual that includes spiritual, family and medicinal well being. I loved the way in which all the dishes were laid out on a large tale, with a range of vegetable, tofu, meat, pork, chicken and fish dishes. Even the simplest meal was a feat. Everyone helps themselves to the dishes whilst chatting between mouthfuls and sharing events of the day, personal stories and discussing life topics in a warm and comfortable atmosphere amongst friends and family. 

The simple act of sharing a meal connecting around the table and conversing is a fundamental ritual that we easily miss. It’s not always the food that makes a meal memorable but the friends that you share it with.

The meat sector is hung with carcasses of dead beasts in cubicles. There’s pork, beef, lamb, goat, donkey and in some of the larger markets, more exotic meats like horse and dog. Everything a cook can possibly want is available. There are rows of dry goods, mushrooms, spices, meats, fish and roots on display and even an array of ingredients I have never heard of and don’t think I want to.

Eating on the Streets...

Around the markets one can get some of the best street food that you will ever eat from street vendors. Some vendors have carts while others cook on a grill over the pavement. I found some very strange dishes here like skewered scorpion and baby shark, dried sea stars and cutworm larvae on sticks. In the evenings the locals flock to the street eateries, sitting on the pavement, drinking beer eating and relaxing after a hard day toiling in the sun.

Pseudo meat...

The Chinese are not massive meat eaters but it does play a big part in the Chinese diet. Vegetables are their staple food. I tasted some incredible vegetable dishes that had been steamed, poached, pickled and fried. These dishes are not strictly vegetarian as the vegetables are usually cooked in a chicken stock. Fried dishes are normally cooked in animal fat and steamed dishes are flavoured with fish and oyster sauces. It was incredible how some of the chefs managed to get the vegetable dishes to imitate meat and seafood through texture and taste. The presentation, cooking methods and flavours of these dishes were some of the best I have ever tasted.

Banquets and Peking Duck...

I had, on a few occasions, enjoyed the pleasure of being invited to a local banquet. These were invitations I never refused, as I was always hungry and keen to embrace an opportunity to immerse myself in the culture.

Whether there were 10 guests or 100, a banquet was a big affair. The focus was on the food with up to 15 different dishes served. Each dish was brought to the table where it was announced and explained to glowing smiles of appreciation. Unlike the daily meal, the rice was served at the end and normally by this time, I was so stuffed I couldn’t eat it.

I was often a guest of honour at banquets, a dubious honour as I was obliged to eat the choicest dishes offered to me by my hosts. Only I wasn’t always keen on some of the more exotic ingredients they used.

Once the sweet dish had been served the banquet was officially over and everyone got up and left. My most favourite dish from the North West is Peking Duck. It was delicious every time.

To market...

Fresh produce is at the centre of Chinese cuisine and the market place is always the busiest part of every city, town and village. Incredibly clean and orderly, markets are held in massive specially built halls with sectors for each type of produce. First there are the vegetable and herb sectors. After which comes the poultry sector where slaughtered chickens and geese hang by their necks. Live poultry in cages are on display should a customer want a fresh one slaughtered. Rows of fish tanks with oxygen pipes bowing bubbles into them line the next sector.

Shoppers can chooses from a range of live seafood; flapping fish, crabs, lobster and eels.

The food in China has a unique taste. They have perfected simplicity. This is a method that will influence my culinary journey in the future. 

CHINESE BROCCOLI TOSSED IN OYSTER SAUCE

1 kg broccoli
1 ½ tbsp oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1½ tbsp grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp oyster sauce 
1 ½ tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
120 ml chicken stock
2 tsp cornflour
(Serves 6)

Wash broccoli. Cut into 2 cm pieces through the stem and the leaf. Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes, then refresh in cold water and dry thoroughly.

Heat wok, add the oil. Stir-fry the spring onions, ginger and garlic for 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is heated through. Combine the remaining ingredients, add to the wok, stirring until the sauce has thickened, and toss to coat the broccoli. 

LEMON CHICKEN

Skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine 

Lemon Sauce:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp roasted sesame oil
3 tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp corn flour
(Serves 4)

Cut the chicken into strips. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, spring onion, ginger and garlic, and toss lightly. Marinate for 1 hour. Mix the egg into the chicken mixture. Drain any excess egg from the chicken pieces. Put the chicken and the cornflour in a plastic bag and shake. 

Put oil in a wok. Heat the oil until a piece of bread fried golden brown in 15 seconds. Add half the chicken bit by bit, and fry, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove with wire sieve and drain. Repeat with he remaining chicken. Drain the chicken. Wipe out the wok after oil is poured off.

Lemon Sauce: combine the lemon juice, sugar, salt, sesame oil stock and cornflour. Heat wok until hot, add the lemon sauce and stir constantly until thickened. Add the chicken and toss lightly in the sauce. 

FRAGRANT FRIED BANANAS

1 cup self raising flour 
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter melted
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 bananas
2 cups oil
water
(Serves 4)

Cut the bananas into cubes. Mix the flour, milk, butter and sugar, then add enough water to make a thick batter. 

Heat the oil until a piece of bread fries golden brown in 15 seconds. Dip the banana pieces into the batter, then fry them until they are well browned on all sides. Drain the banana pieces on paper towels.

The Miles for Smile Foundation was set up prior to the run of the Great Wall of China and has raised considerable funds. Some 54 children received surgery, who suffered with facial disfigurement children that struggle to speak and eat and were ostracized from their families, and where often simple operations are life changing.  Both Braam, Geoff and David are focusing on the next adventure which will continue to bring smiles to the children of South Africa. 

'Courage and Rice' Published in South Africa in 2007 by David Grier
© Text and Photography by David Grier