Olympians and Their Love for Chinese Food and Snacks Goes Viral

Where do Olympians taking part in Beijing 2022 find their motivation to get out and compete? Is it national pride? The thrill of an adrenaline rush? A fat paycheck? Or could it be the reward of chomping down on Chinese delicacies from dumplings to chive boxes after a hard day's work?

We've got our bet on the latter, as a great number of athletes taking part in the Winter Games are going viral for one thing – their love of Chinese food.

Going gaga for dumplings, malatang, and more

But how delicious are the foods exactly? Well, delicious enough to make many athletes drool. In one viral video, Dutch speed-skater Jutta Leerdam is seen treating herself to some 麻辣烫 malatang. The reel shows her getting beef and veggies piled in a bowl before chowing down.

Meanwhile, US athlete Julia Marino has been passing time in Olympic Village by eating her favorite food  – dumplings. “I've probably had 200 dumplings since I've been here. Just so many dumplings. I get back from the mountain and I get dumplings,” she said in an interview with NBC.

Snowboarder and fellow US Olympian Tessa Maud is also a big fan of dumplings, as can be seen from the gif below.

It's not just dumplings and malatang, but buns as well. Maltese athlete Jenise Spiteri became known as the "Red Bean Lady" when she was spotted munching on 红豆包 Hóngdòu bāo red bean buns while waiting to see her scores.

Others seem to not be able to get enough of it, with one Italian athlete jokingly crunching on vegetables in a fellow athlete's video about daily life in the village. Not missing a beat, his friend chides him saying "you've got something in your teeth!"

Snow queen Eileen Gu has also been seen eating Chinese snacks after competing. An image of her chowing down on 韭菜盒子 Jiǔcài hézi Chive Boxes while waiting for her scores went viral a few days ago. But Gu’s love for Chinese food extends further, to dishes like braised fish and Peking Duck. “I feel Peking Duck is like a work of art,” she said in a recent interview.

What's behind the love

It's no wonder athletes have been crazy about the foods offered up within the closed loop, as there are some 678 dishes catering to different tastes.

The food options are also highly diverse. Athletes get to pick from all sorts of options, spanning Chinese cuisine to more global fare like pizza and pasta. On average, each athlete has the chance to choose from more than 200 dishes every day.

But if you think that's all the Olympic Village has to offer, you're dead wrong. Besides main dishes, athletes can also treat themselves to snacks like ice cream and all kinds of toasted breads, cakes, and coffee.

Simply put, athletes can pretty much satiate any craving in the village. And while the vast range of dishes is a pleasant surprise, what’s even more surprising is the way they're delivered.

The robotic touch

Imagine robots dropping meals from the ceiling and room service robots delivering food to your door, and you've got an idea of how food is being served here.

Just take a look at this robot chef (below) that can cook by itself, whipping up a tasty stir-fry with the touch of a button.

There's also a robot that can make a burger in a little under 20 seconds. Using just one arm, it juggles orders of French fries and chicken sandwiches without missing a beat.

If athletes want a little alcoholic pick-me-up after a day of training or competing, they can simply scan a code on their phone and wait for just 90 seconds while a robot bartender grabs a shaker, fills it with ice and ingredients, and pours out a cocktail.

“I came here just to experience the intelligent meal preparation process, and I’ve been here four or five times. Each time I feel like I’ve just walked in a sci-fi movie,” Czech reporter Thomas Budak said of the Olympic dining experience.

If you got the chance to try one of these dishes, what would you have? Let us know in the comments!

Read: Turns Out That Bing Dwen Dwen Cookie You're Eating Might Just Be Illegal 

Images: 新华社，网易，视觉中国，中新社,北京日报