CHINA | CROSS-CULTURAL LIVING

Lamb Soup for Breakfast

How a hearty meal and a tea ceremony helped me find belonging with my Beijing host family

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That earthy, meaty smell entering my bedroom at 8 in the morning, I came to know so well. It only meant one thing: Lamb soup for breakfast.

Those mornings at my host family in Beijing, I had no trouble getting up. The moment the savory scent of mutton reached me — lying on a mattress in the apartment’s storage room — I jumped out of bed. I loved that lamb soup. If ever I could taste it again… a thought that makes my mouth water.

I don’t know why the memory of lamb soup for breakfast stayed with me more than any other memories of my Chinese host family. I experienced stranger, more impactful events during that time. But maybe the answer lies in its simplicity. The hearty meal gave me a sense of home — of belonging — when I needed it most.

Grandma knew well — better than I

What on earth inspired me to live with a Chinese family in one of the biggest cities in the world? How does a soft-spoken Dutch girl come to such a decision?

I still remember my grandma’s face when we talked about it. We sat at her kitchen table overlooking a…