what in the devil's name is this for some people sushi or even a peanut butter sandwich might seem
unusual but in china there is a long tradition of eating foods that some people may find well
unpalatable so let's look at 15 unusual foods that only exist in china chicken family jewels
precious chicken family jewels has been particularly popular in hong kong but
is eaten in other parts of china as well these chicken reproductive body parts look a lot like
small white beans so if you didn't know what they were you might be fooled they may resemble boring
little beans but they are 100 not a vegetarian dish this chinese delicacy is usually fried or
boiled and they have a soft almost chewy consistency that may not appeal to some
it's too much it's too much if you find yourself searching for a reason to try these chicken body
parts consider that many in china believe they can improve male prowess and that they are also
good for women's skin tone you'll have to decide if they are worth trying for yourself but there is
a reason chicken family jewels are one of the unusual foods that only exist in china and we
suspect the family jewels thing is a part of it seahorses you like seafood do you good seahorses
are unique looking sea creatures that are popular attractions at many aquariums comic book fans will
tell you that aquaman rides a giant seahorse in some of his undersea adventures but in chinese
culinary tradition seahorses mean something else in china seahorses are actually an everyday kind
of street food people who enjoy this seafood say it has the consistency of squid and is often found
on kebabs and in soups some in china believe sea horses to have medicinal properties and point to
the proverb that says sea horses can keep an old person young wow if you do intend to give this
unusual food a try keep in mind that seahorses have some sharp edges these edges can cut your
mouth so in a sense this is an unusual food that can bite you back century eggs yeah it's old
these unusual eggs have more names than diddy they are called thousand-year-old eggs as well
as century eggs millennium eggs skin eggs or black eggs but regardless of the name you prefer
sorry to say they don't really sound particularly appetizing tell me about it try not to be too
disappointed but these eggs are actually not a thousand or even a hundred years old producing
these unique eggs using the traditional method involves wrapping them in a specially treated clay
for 10 days or more a commercial process was also developed to mass produce this food this process
involves soaking the eggs in a chemical solution for a period of time both methods change some of
the proteins and help to preserve the actual eggs tests have shown that the commercial process is
less effective than the traditional method so changes have been explored turtle shell jelly
i like turtles okay while jelly is a familiar food to most people jelly made from the shells
of turtles is a unique and unusual food that only exists in china this food is made with
several different herbs and the bottom shells of different species of turtle like some of the
other foods on this unusual list tortoise jelly is eaten by many in china because they believe
it has special medicinal qualities that have the power to improve health in china it is believed
that this dessert can improve circulation and kidney functioning as well as improve the
skin it is also thought to help increase muscle growth that's interesting that's very interesting
depending on which species of turtle is used to make this unusual food it can be very expensive
so set aside some dough if you intend to try turtle shell jelly tuna eyeballs action
now now before you go all squeamish on us understand that people who eat these fish eyes say
they taste pretty similar to squid although squid is a popular delicacy in many places globally
tuna eyeballs are more so a chinese dish the eyes are seasoned boiled and along with the eyeball
itself you are also treated to the surrounding muscles and fat that are still attached to the
delicate organs this way of eating the eyeballs is considered too bland for some and they suggest
you could saute the eyes with some sesame oil and ginger to punch up the flavor a bit
yeah boy this method does sound a little more appetizing but you'd still have to
commit to eating big fish eyeballs and that's a decision every person has to make for themselves
snake soup it's snake meat most people don't find snakes appetizing in any form and this probably
includes when they are used to make soup no doubt no doubt no doubt no doubt there are of course
exceptions in china a bowl of traditional snake soup known as sherdong can contain as many as
five different kinds of snake meat there are many variations to this basic recipe with a wide range
of ingredients that includes pork bones chicken and mushrooms the different recipes also include
a variety of herbs and spices such as ginger the blend of meats and spices are boiled for
hours in a hearty broth until the snake meat is tender it seems like these ingredients could
combine to make some tasty soups if you left out the snakes on the other hand most people who have
tasted snake meat say that it tastes a lot like chicken anyway stinky tofu
tofu some foods have names that just don't sound very appealing and stinky tofu is definitely
one of them despite the name it's one of the more popular snack foods in china the stinky and stinky
tofu isn't just some clever marketing campaign this tofu actually does smell really bad so try
not to judge it by its smell alone smells like opportunity the stinkiness can overpower people
the first time they catch the aroma and is known to make your eyes water however if you can get
past the questionable scent you could be in for a real treat that has been enjoyed in china for a
long time the tofu is marinated in a combination of fermented milk and a meat fish and vegetable
based brine the best stinky tofu is allowed to ferment for several months before it is sold by
countless street vendors and small restaurants sheep's thingy you know what's below my waist
my p yes that reproductive organ this one seems like it would very much be an acquired
taste and perhaps that is why it's one of the unusual foods that only exists in china like some
of the other foods on this list many people in china believe sheep dingling has special
properties that can boost your libido some people prefer to eat this dish raw but it's unclear if
this sheep body part tastes better raw instead of steamed what people who have sampled this chinese
delicacy say it has a distinctive flavor that you aren't likely to forget however the flavor of
this dish often takes a back seat to the promised therapeutic properties people hope to experience
this particular food seems fairly unappetizing so the search for improved sexual health
seems like it could be one of the only reasons to give this unusual food a try roasted street bird
now roasted street bird may sound pretty mundane however the fact that whole birds
including pigeons are served to you on sticks as street food is enough to make the list of
unusual foods that only exist in china pigeons might be a deal breaker for more discriminating
diners because in places like america pigeons are often thought of as unclean unappealing animals
that should be avoided instead of consumed the raw birds are marinated in various concoctions
to increase flavor and then the birds are roasted over a fire until they are a deep golden brown
color like many other animals these different street birds probably taste a lot like chicken
oh right well that is good to know however the uninitiated will have to get over the idea that
they are being offered a whole bird that still has the head feet and everything else silkworms can we
not talk about worms or sewers or rats today with all these people in here we got a good thing going
many of us think of silkworms as the chinese resource traditionally used to make precious silk
as far back as 3000 bce while silkworms continue to have a big reputation in the textile industry
they also have a rep as a delicious delicacy much like ron burgundy they're kind of a big
deal this is definitely not a common food everywhere in china and vietnam
silkworms are usually fried but in some places such as korea silkworms are seasoned and boiled
well they thought although neither of these cooking methods sound all that appetizing eating
worms and other kinds of insects is common in many places around the world beggars chicken what when
i win a chicken dinner the name of this dish beggar's chicken actually raises more questions
than it answers because people disagree on the legendary origins of this popular chicken dish
however we can agree it is one of the unusual foods that only exists in china there is
a specific time-consuming process to making beggar's chicken and it begins with stuffing a raw
bird with a rich pork mixture the stuffed chicken is then encased in clay and slowly roasted this
six hour long process results in an extremely tender chicken and then to finish the process
either a waiter or a diner uses a mallet to crack open the clay and reveal the beggar's chicken
ready to be eaten perfect this recipe sounds like one that many chicken lovers would be willing to
taste because who doesn't love a tender chicken bamboo stuffed rice white rice brown rice those
are just some of the rices i love bamboo stuffed rice sounds promising to the less risky eater when
compared to some of the more unusual items on this list bamboo stuffed rice sometimes called
fragrant bamboo rice is regular rice cooked in traditional bamboo tubes they place the rice
along with their choice of meats and spices in the bamboo tubes with some water and then seal
the tube with some banana leaves the makeshift container is baked on a charcoal fire until
the wood turns black and the meat is cooked meat and rice dishes are popular all around the world
so this is one of the unusual foods that might be able to find an audience outside of china i love
it it is simply awesome you might not want to try tuna eyeballs or silkworms but bamboo stuffed rice
could be a different story shark fin soup fish are friends not food in china a bowl of shark fin soup
will set you back around a hundred dollars and although it is not so abundant in flavor at all it
is seen as a great luxury in chinese culture this soup is made using shark fins and an astounding 73
million sharks are slaughtered every year just for their fins alone shark cartilage is shredded to
add texture to the expensive soup and it is served at important events such as weddings and banquets
while it is enjoyed in some places in southeast asia this soup's place in chinese tradition is
strong dating back to its origins it was actually created by an emperor during the
song dynasty days and intended to be a symbol of power wealth and generosity scorpions
many people may think of tacos or beef on a stick when they hear the word street food
but if you're living in china you might be thinking about other foods such as scorpions
the small scorpions are usually fried in small batches and served on little sticks the small
scorpions get crispy and are heavily seasoned to create a convenient and tasty snack no matter
how much seasoning is used you'll still have to get past the idea that it's a scorpion pass yeah
you'll have no trouble finding this food if you're walking in the streets of chinese cities such as
beijing chongqing or shanghai scorpions might not be for everyone but if you're an adventurous eater
you might consider giving this chinese delicacy a go bird's nest soup the secret ingredient is
bird's nest soup is also known as bird saliva soup yep saliva so for many people this name already
puts this dish in the unappealing category however for those still interested this traditional dish
is one of the more popular but controversial foods in china many chinese people are willing to pay
very high prices for this unusual delicacy a bowl of this soup can be as much as 3 000
a pound shut up and take my money now that's a lot of zeros for some spit they believe this
unusual soup has special qualities that promote a long and healthy life for people who eat it
regularly but you'll have to spend a fortune to do so bird's nest soup is made using edible nests
formed from the saliva of certain kinds of birds such as swiftlets the bird's nests are
seen as nutritious and have a rich flavor and definitely fall into the unusual foods category
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