I am a very adventures eater and living in China means trying some of the most craziest dishes. It would be weird to have lived in China for over a year and not try some of the unusual dishes. So here are 11 of the oddly crazy foods I have eaten in China.
Frogs
I ate frogs without even realizing I ate frogs. I know it sounds weird but Let me explain. Not too long ago I was talking to a friend about the weirdest food I have eaten in China, and when I said only bugs, she told me that I already ate frogs. I had no Idea! Zero, Nada, null!
So since I already ate it without knowing, I thought I might as well go for it one more time. You know, what's the harm? So, following our discussion, she took me to a Frog Specialty restaurant. Turns out, frogs taste exactly like fish! No wonder I didn't know I ate frogs before. I probably thought I was eating fish!
The only downside to this dish is, it's too bony! So after awhile you get tired of eating it.
Spiral Shell Soup
This was by far my favorite dish! It's a bit stinky, but it's savory, crunchy and delicious. Truth be told, I never finished the soup. I just ate the veggies, eggs and noodles. From what I was told, the soup part is made in snail shells for the flavoring, so that's why it's a bit stinky.
Squids
My first time trying squid was at an airport. I was so hungry I thought I was going to collapse, so I grabbed ramen noodles thinking it was seafood flavored. But it turned out to be squid flavored ramen with actual squid tails in it. At that point I already had paid for it, I was tired and hungry, so I just went for it. Not too long after that, I decided to try some fried squids and they were tasty. I think it's mainly because of the spices and sauces they use. The meat is a bit tender, and it definitely has a taste of its own, so I can't really compare it to other meat flavors.
Century Eggs ( Glass Jelly Eggs)
As you can see, these jelly eggs are not your ordinary eggs. And they definitely don't taste ordinary. I came to learn that they are preserved for a short while in a combination of clay, salt, ash, quicklime, and rice hulls. So, I guess its safe to say that these were beyond gross! I love eggs but these were so jelly and disgusting! When I took a bite, it didn't stay a minute in my mouth. I had to spit it out immediately because I felt like I was going to throw up.
Eels
Eels are cooked in many different ways and the dish above is what I got to try. I knew it wasn't something I had eaten before by the taste because the meat itself had a taste of its own. This dish tasted a little bit burned, but it wasn't burned. I think it was supposed to taste like that, maybe? I kept eating it even after I found out it was eel. I feel like this is one of those dishes you just eat it because it's in front of you and you are hungry.
Salty Eggs
This was the most saltiest and nastiest egg I have ever had in my life. A tiny bit of this literally feels like you are eating a spoonful of salt. you are supposed to eat this with steamed buns, but honestly, I couldn't handle it even with the bun. It's just too salty!
Donkey
Depending how you get this, you will either love it or hate it. Donkey is made in many different ways in China, but Donkey Burger is the most popular one. This is not your average burger. It's shredded red meat that looks like beef inside a Chinese bread called shaobing that looks like a small soft baguette. Normally, there is nothing else that comes with the sandwich. It's just the meat and bread but sometimes some stands will add some sauce for extra flavoring. It's a bit tender and pretty good and tastes exactly like beef. Unfortunately, I didn't snap a picture of it because I thought I was eating beef. But I also tried donkey soup which I hated it. If you want to try donkey, I advise you to go to any Chinese snack street they normally have the Donkey burger.
Shrimp Tail
Not 100% sure if these are shrimp tails, but that's what my friends and google said, so I am just going to roll with it. I know this looks like some type of bug dish, but its not. I mean when I first ate it, I didn't care to know what it was because it was tasty.
To me, it didn't taste like shrimp, and somehow I'm still 50/50 on it being shrimp tails. However, the sauce they cook it in, which you are supposed to dip it in after your crack the shell, changes the flavor. The flavor is very strong, so that could be the reason why it didn't taste like shrimp to me.
Duck Stomach
I tried duck stomach on a stick and it was delicious! I really really loved it! It didn't taste like chicken, but I think that's because of the spices and the sauce they used.
Crabs & Chicken Legs
This was a combination of seafood and chicken and it was as painful to eat as to see. The crab shells are extremely hard to crack, so you feel like you are fighting your food. As for the chicken legs, never dared to eat it, never will. But I admit, the rest was delicious. It comes with potatoes, shrimps and nuts and that's what I ate most.
Bugs
Because eating bugs was what initially started this all, I made a separate blog back then. I ate three types of bugs and you can read all about it here.
Shanbei
Not really a weird food but it was for me. I think this is oyster, but I am not sure since was my first time trying it. I don't have any explanation for this, this was nasty.
So, here you have it! The weirdest food I have eaten so far. It's not a crazy list, but I think I did pretty good for a beginner. Like i said before, It would be weird to have lived in China for over a year and not try any of the unusual dishes. I don't regret eating any of these and I feel like it made me bolder when it comes to food now.
So tell me, what is the weirdest food you have eaten so far and what is a weird dish you would like to try?
The only downside to this is that it was bony. So after a while, you just stop eating because you get tired of the bones.