'His Mandarin is better than mine': American man makes youtiao, impressing netizens with his skill and fluency

Benjamin Brown might come across as your typical everyday American man, but wait until you hear his command of Mandarin. 

In a TikTok video posted on Jan 28, Benjamin conducted a full-blown home cooking lesson on how to make youtiao from scratch.

His wife had a craving for these crispy Chinese crullers, so off to the kitchen he went.

@ben_cooks_chinese_food I made “Oil Sticks” for my wife and kids. They turned out great. It takes time but isnt too complicated. You can roll them in sugar and / or cinnamon as well. Its a common saviry breakfast with congee in Chongqing. #chinesefood #sichuanfood #chongqingfood ♬ original sound - Ben Brown

Making a batch of youtiao at home is a feat in itself.

But to do it so effortlessly while speaking a foreign language is even more remarkable.

There was no stuttering or any sense that Benjamin was translating anything in his head.

It came across like he was naturally thinking in Mandarin, and the words flowed smoothly, as he continued mixing his dry and wet ingredients in a giant bowl.

He goes through the process of resting the dough before frying it in a hot pan.

The final product "turned out great", and Benjamin suggested one can have it rolled in sugar or cinnamon.

His video has garnered more than 800,000 views and close to 90,000 likes.

In the comments section, it seems netizens were more focused on his linguistic ability, as opposed to his skills in the kitchen.

"Bro is fluent," one TikTok user commented succinctly.

A few others pointed towards his particular accent when speaking in Mandarin.

"His Mandarin is better than mine," said a user.

Learning the language

So how did Benjamin's Mandarin reach such a proficient level?

A quick look at his LinkedIn profile showed that he spent one semester studying in Chongqing, China, back in 1994.

According to New China TV, he's been working and living in Chongqing for two decades.

In fact, he's a bit of an Internet celebrity in China after appearing in the national TV reality programme Daddy at Home.

He has close to a million followers on Chinese social media app Douyin, where he posts videos of himself cooking other delights such as Dan Dan Noodles and Chongqing chilli sauce.

ALSO READ: Robert De Niro wants to teach daughter Chinese

amierul@asiaone.com

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