I’m a 21-year-old exchange student from a small town in Europe, studying in Shanghai for half a year now.
Before I came here, I was so excited to try all kinds of Chinese food. But once I arrived, I quickly realized it was nothing like I imagined. Almost every dish in the school cafeteria was covered in spicy red oil, and my stomach would ache after just two bites. Takeout meals were often so greasy that oil would seep through the takeout box, leaving me feeling heavy and uncomfortable long after eating.
My dorm only had a small Chinese-style wok that I had no idea how to use. Even frying an egg would end up burnt at the bottom, and stir-frying anything would send oil splattering everywhere. Between struggling with classes in a new language, fumbling through the takeout app, and not even being able to read the labels on supermarket ingredients, I often found myself lying in bed at night, listening to the noisy night market outside, feeling completely disconnected from everything around me. I didn’t even have anyone to speak my native language with.
The only thing that ever made me feel safe was a simple bowl of buttery mashed potatoes.
I first spotted potatoes at the supermarket, and my eyes lit up. They were cheap, lasted forever, and were the easiest food I could think of to make. Back home, mashed potatoes were the most comforting dish my mom would make, but I was scared I’d mess it up here. That’s when I found the dorm-friendly mashed potato recipe on Cojok.
I picked two medium potatoes, washed them, and steamed them in my small electric pot. I didn’t even bother peeling them at first; I just mashed them up with a spoon while they were still warm. The key trick from the recipe? Add the butter while the potatoes are still hot. The second the butter hit the steaming potatoes, it melted into golden, fragrant oil, and the familiar warm smell of butter filled my tiny dorm room. I only added a pinch of salt, no other seasonings at all. The bowl of soft, fluffy mashed potatoes looked like a gentle cloud, and tasted just like home.
The first time I took a bite, sitting at my tiny desk, the creamy texture and familiar buttery warmth spread through my stomach. In that moment, it felt like I was right back in my mom’s kitchen. It wasn’t a fancy meal, or even a perfect replica of home cooking, but it was mine — a little piece of comfort in this big, unfamiliar city.
Cojok’s AI even adjusted the recipe for me, using ingredients I could easily find in Chinese supermarkets, and even suggested a microwave version for days when I couldn’t use the electric pot. I didn’t need any fancy kitchen tools to make something that made me feel at home.
I used to think moving abroad meant I had to adapt to everything new, including the food. But I’ve learned that taking care of my stomach is just another way of taking care of myself. This bowl of mashed potatoes didn’t change my life, but it gave me a soft place to land on all the nights when I missed home, couldn’t stand the local food, or just felt lonely and out of place.