Delivery Dilemmas How Beijing’s top chefs get exotic ingredients to the table

A few weeks ago I got an extremely depressing letter. "Dear Emma," it read, "Your Mom sent you delicious, home baked cookies, but we have decided to hold them ransom until you come and pick them up. Our hours are extremely inconvenient, and no, we won't just deliver them to you. Love, China Post." While perhaps those weren't the exact words, this got me to thinking: if it's this troublesome to get a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip through customs, how do some of Beijing's more exotic spots get their essential ingredients in?

When I asked Za'atar's Gassano Barhoumeh how he manages to get his signature Jordanian wild thyme spice blend into Beijing, he let out a knowing chuckle. "Well," he said after a pause, "that's a tricky thing. We found a company to import it from Jordan by calling it a…dry good…" With air shipping costs at US$100/kg this somewhat suspect transaction is no bargain, but if you've eaten fresh, warm pita bread dipped in their olive oil and spice mixture, you'll agree that it's worth it.

Ras Ethiopian is another joint in town that brings in ingredients they just can't get from China, namely teff (a grain used to make bread) and a spice mixture called berbere. Owner Danny Bekele is interested in expanding his selection of Ethiopian goods, but so far has had little luck in doing so. "I want to bring Ethiopian wine to serve, but I don't have an importers license. They think I want to distribute, but that's not the case. I really just want to serve the wine in my restaurant." In the meantime, Danny's Harar Ethiopian coffee, served daily by ceremony, will have to hit the spot. As he bragged, "we Ethiopians believe we have the best coffee in the world."

While spices and coffee can be a hassle to bring in, at least they don't have to arrive with a heartbeat. Shiro Matsu's GM Michael Tan explained some of the logistical magic that needs to happen to bring pufferfish, also known as fugu, to your table. Because fugu can be toxic, even deadly if not prepared correctly, it needs to be purchased, shipped, and delivered alive and swimming before Shiro Matsu's licensed head chef can turn it into tasty sashimi or a yummy yubiki salad. With average transport time from Tokyo or Osaka taking anywhere between 3-4 days, this delivery is no piece of cake to manage.

Gassano makes sure to bring back plenty of the good stuff on his occasional trips between the Middle East and Beijing. "When I go to Jordan, believe me, I pack my suitcase with 10-20 kilos of it." While to some, a suitcase packed with dried greens might look suspicious, so far he doesn't seem to have had any troubles. "They've stopped me at the airport before and asked me what it is. When I tell them herbs, they let me go and say 'Ok, thank you.'"

And yes, I ate the cookies. Even though they were more than 3 weeks old. They were delicious.

by Emma Starks