Zhengzhou natives often start a day with a bowl of hulatang (a traditional pepper hot soup eaten for breakfast in Henan province).
Overall resumption of work in Zhengzhou starts with a bowl of Hulatang. [Photo/Dahe Daily]
On August 29, Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, cleared all its medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19 with closed-management measures in affected areas lifted. At 4 am, a hulatang restaurant near the intersection of Yingcai Street and Yintong Road in Huiji district was already open.
"We'll go back to work tomorrow!" Informed by Liu Jianmei, the boss of the restaurant, an assistant surnamed Li started making preparations for the next day's work resumption immediately with his partners.
It felt a bit cool in Zhengzhou in early autumn with a drizzle. The busy figures at the restaurant demonstrated that everything had returned to normal. "Only the freshly cooked food tastes good," said the staff with their intense but orderly work.
Around 6 am, the smell of hulatang, baozi (steamed buns normally stuffed with vegetablesor meat and wrapped in a soft flour shell) and rouhe (fried flat bread stuffed with vegetables and meat) was already wafting down the street.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant, suspended for more than 20 days, resumed normal operation. Chen Wei, a local resident, ordered two bowls of hulatang for himself after having his QR coder checked and temperature taken. "I miss it so much!"
As his wife is not a Zhengzhou native, Chen bought her a bowl of porridge. Along with a meat baozi and a vegetable baozi, they enjoyed their breakfast very much.
"A bowl of hulatang makes me fresh and energetic." Prior to the pandemic, Chen usually got up early and had a bowl of hulatang before a day's work.
"A new takeout order, please check it." The takeout signal was also ringing.
From time to time, the take-away deliverymen came here to pick up the packaged hulatang and baozi and delivered them to those who miss such a taste but do not want to get up early. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Translator: Zhao Hanqing Poster: Wang Junyi Proofreader: Ding Lan)
