Mmmm, snake venom. Delicious.

I had to laugh when I saw this story about the banning of “snake venom chicken” in Shanghai (h/t Sara Naumann). According to the story, restaurants were using poisonous snakes to kill chickens that were then served to guests. The point? “Detoxification.” It’s the Chinese version of the Master Cleanse.

Amusing as this story is, it reinforces what I think is an unfortunate stereotype of Chinese cuisine. In almost a year of living and eating in China, I have only had a few opportunities to eat things that really pushed my comfort zone. Most of those opportunities came at one meal at Xiao Jiu Zhou, a seafood restaurant in Dalian. Raw sea urchin — extremely delicious, by the way — was the most identifiable of the delicacies we tried there. I still have no idea what to call the giant-caterpillars-with-shells or the wiggly-pink-tubes. They were interesting to eat, texturally speaking, but neither will enter my list of favorite foods.

Each year, new Yale-China fellows gather for a Pigeon Dinner — heads included.

In my experience, most of the “weirdness” of Chinese food has little do with the animals themselves. Pork, chicken and beef are the staple meats here, just as they are in the States. But the Chinese use much more of the animal, so you are likely to encounter animal parts that wouldn’t leave the butcher shop back home. For instance, meat is generally cut up to include the bones in every bite, so it becomes impossible to forget the “animal-ness” of your meal. In fact, Chinese cuisine prizes the added “mouthfeel” of working the meat off the bones with your tongue. This can seem strange  when you first get to China, but you’ll soon become expert. (There’s nothing rude about returning the bones to your plate once you’ve gotten all the meat off.)

Don’t get me wrong, if you want exotic ingredients, you will  be able to find them, especially in Guangdong Province. Fuschia Dunlop’s memoir Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper serves as both a guide and a warning. But for most travelers, China is an introduction to all sorts of delicious foods and flavors. And no one will force you to eat that pigeon head. (Unless, that is, you are an incoming Yale-China fellow. In which case, get ready for August.)

Related posts:

1. Making Chinese food at home, attempt #1
2. Tempura… sandwiches?
3. A day in a hutong kitchen
4. The delights of 口味虾
5. Point Your Way to a Chinese Meal

Tagged as: food