Sunday, March 29, 2009

Top 10 Interesting Chinese Foods

So you probably know that I don't eat pork, beef or other mammal meat which spares me from the more exotic foods available in China. However, I have had the privilege of tasting many otherwise strange and very foreign foods. Without hesitation, I give you my top 10 list of interesting Chinese foods consumed in the last 6 months:

1) Shark Fin Soup - yes, I know this has horrible environmental consequences, but I was given it as part of a special dinner. Tastes a bit like rich soup with jellyfish (see #3).
2) Abalone - a strange bottom dwelling crustacean served in soup and many other ways...chewy
3) Jellyfish - not really that foreign, but as a staple food it's served in just about every quality seafood restaurant here. Doesn't really have a taste, more just a 'hard jello' like filler.
4) Sea Cumber - I suppose it's similar to Abalone - I've only ever had it in soup. When it was served, all the locals went for this like it was going out of style.

Duck is very popular in Beijing, so something has to happen with the left over bits. those that I've tried are as follows:
5) Duck Tongue - looks bad - doesn't taste much better...also is boney.
6) Duck Heart - gamy and more like a dark meat.
7) Duck Webb - yes, this is that webbing between the feet - it's served without the bones and accompanied with peanut or wasabi sauce. Webb doesn't have any taste, hence the sauce.
8) Duck Intestine - strangely not that odd at our restaurant given that others were eating pig brain.
9) Preserved Duck Egg - tastes like duck egg with a hint of jello.

(if you think the above is strange, just think how others think of goose liver pate)

10) Chicken Head - it was Christmas eve and people wanted to take us out for a nice lunch - Chicken head was on my dish so I though why not.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

that's some crazy food I'm going to have to try sometime. Who wouldn't want to eat duck heart!