{"id":7584,"date":"2024-09-10T14:28:33","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T20:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\/living-abroad\/9-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/"},"modified":"2025-02-06T10:37:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T17:37:38","slug":"8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/living-abroad\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Weird and Interesting Foods You’ll Find in China"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/jobs.teachingnomad.com\/jobs\/?q=&l=China” button_text=”View China Jobs” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#df1530″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Embarking on a culinary adventure in China<\/a>? Whether you’re a brave gastronome or have a more cautious palate, China’s eclectic cuisine promises something for everyone. In bustling metropolises like Shanghai and Beijing, you’re never far from familiar flavors. Yet, woven into the rich tapestry of Chinese culinary tradition are unique dishes that might surprise you. Here’s a guide to 8 weird and interesting foods you’ll encounter, catering to the curious souls among us. Remember, it’s all part of the vibrant journey that is exploring new cultures!<\/p>\n

\"amber<\/p>\n

1. Century Eggs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lose yourself in the mysterious beauty of Century Eggs, where the egg white turns into a glossy, amber jelly, adorned with snowflake patterns thanks to a natural reaction with fungi. The dark gray or green yolk promises a unique taste experience. Often enjoyed with soft tofu or congee, it’s a tradition worth exploring. As one traveler puts it, “It’s like tasting history!”<\/p>\n

\"dozens<\/p>\n

2. Scorpions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While not a staple in every region, scorpions find their place in Chinese medicine and sometimes, on the adventurous eater\u2019s plate. Roasted to a perfect crisp, they offer a crunch unlike any other.<\/p>\n

3. Fried Spider<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Much like savoring a crab, locals enjoy fried spiders seasoned with salt and garlic. This delicacy invites you to dismantle and dine, although the abdomen might be an acquired taste for some.<\/p>\n

\"partly<\/p>\n

4. Balut<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Facing a balut is a true test of culinary bravery. This fertilized duck embryo may challenge your boundaries, but it’s embraced as a protein-packed snack by those with an adventurous spirit.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about living in China<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"roasted<\/strong><\/h3>\n

5. Duck Heads<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A popular snack, especially in cities like Wuhan and Shanghai, duck heads are marinated and fried with aromatic spices. They’re known for their crispy texture and, some claim, “brain-boosting powers.” A satisfied food explorer commented, “It’s crunchy, spicy, and surprisingly addictive!”<\/p>\n

\"tofu<\/p>\n

6. Stinky Tofu<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Born from necessity, stinky tofu\u2019s pungent aroma belies its delicious taste. This fermented specialty has enamored many with its bold flavors, proving that sometimes, the most rewarding experiences challenge our initial impressions.<\/p>\n

\"soup<\/p>\n

7. Snake Soup<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A warming favorite in Hong Kong, particularly during chilly winters, snake soup is a gourmet treat. Its rich broth and tender meat, often compared to chicken, have won over many skeptics.<\/p>\n

\"dozens<\/p>\n

8. Roasted Street Pigeon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Roasted to perfection and marinated for maximum flavor, street pigeons are a common sight in markets and stalls, offering a mouthwatering treat on the go.<\/p>\n

Embrace the Adventure<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Venturing into the heart of China’s culinary scene means embracing the unknown with an open mind and a willing palate. “I never thought I’d try half of the dishes I did, but I’m so glad I did. It\u2019s not just about the food, it\u2019s about the stories and people behind them,” says a traveler who took the plunge. And remember, no matter how off-the-beaten-path you go with your food choices, you’re never far from the support and community of fellow nomads and locals alike. China’s culinary landscape is vast and varied\u2014each dish a chapter in its rich cultural narrative, waiting to be discovered and savored. Join the adventure<\/a>, one bite at a time!<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/jobs.teachingnomad.com\/jobs\/?q=&l=China” button_text=”View China Jobs” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.6.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#df1530″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re a foodie or you’re a picky eater, it’s important to know what kind of foods you might be coming across in another country. If you’re living in a city like Shanghai, Beijing, etc., you’ll have access to pretty much all of the foods you’re used to, but you’ll also find some foods that may seem weird to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7585,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Whether you're a foodie or you're a picky eater, it's important to know what kind of foods you might be coming across in another country. If you're living in a city like Shanghai, Beijing, etc., you'll have access to pretty much all of the foods you're used to, but you'll also find some foods that may seem weird to you.<\/span>\n

A few Chinese dishes to familiarize yourself with (whether that's to hunt them down to try or to avoid them completely):<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Thousand-year-old eggs<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/strong><\/span>\n\nThese look very different from their freshly hatched counterparts, with the egg white resembling glossy, amber Jell-O. Etched into the eggs' shells are snowflake-like patterns created by fungi. The yolk is a hard ball, colored dark gray or green. Thousand-year eggs are typically sliced and served alongside soft tofu or congee porridge, or on their own with pickled ginger root.<\/span>\n

Scorpions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/strong><\/span>\n\nScorpions are not a traditional Chinese food\u2026 not at least in most parts of China anyway. In cases where scorpions are consumed, it could be for medicinal value in Chinese medicine.<\/span>\n

Fried spider<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/strong><\/span>\n\nAfter the spiders are deep fried with a little salt and garlic, the locals eat them in a similar way to how you'd eat a crab. They pull off the legs and then suck out the meat, or spider flesh, that comes with them, which is very little, and then  they tackle the head and body. The abdomen, the big fat portion at the back of the spider, is not desirable, as it is mostly a brown, bitter slush, containing organs, eggs, and waste.<\/span>\n

Balut<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/strong><\/span>\n\nBalut is slimy, yellow, grey, and something you likely wouldn\u2019t put in your mouth unless you're the adventurous kind. A balut isn\u2019t even an egg really, it\u2019s the fertilized embryo of a duck, and you can actually see the underdeveloped chick. <\/span>\n

Duck heads<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/strong><\/span>\n\nDuck\u2019s head is a Chinese snack made by adding spices and herbs to a stir-fried duck head. It is a popular dish in many parts of China, including Wuhan and Shanghai. One duck's head store claims that the snack \"helps your brain power\". It's crispy and is said to be a healthy food with no known health drawbacks.<\/span>\n

Stinky tofu<\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/span>\n\nThis was first eaten by a monk named Zhu Yuanzhang, whose family was very poor. One day, he was very hungry and found some old tofu left in someone\u2019s home. Not caring whether it was cooked or not, he stuffed it in his mouth and never forgot the delicious taste of this tofu. Needless to say, stinky tofu has a strong smell because the tofu is actually fermented; the proteins in the tofu are decomposed by an enzyme called protease.<\/span>\n\n <\/em>\n

Snake soup<\/span><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/span>\n\nMost commonly eaten in Hong Kong, especially during the winter to warm up, this soup is considered somewhat of a gourmet dish. The soup is served with shredded snake inside. Many say it tastes like chicken.<\/span>\n

Roasted street pigeon<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/span><\/strong>\n\nThis is an entire street bird threaded on a stick, dipped in a marinade for flavor, and roasted.<\/span>\n

Monkey brains<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\"\"<\/span><\/strong>\n\nMonkey brains is a dish consisting of, at least partially, the brains of some species of monkey or ape. However, this is a very rare<\/strong> dish that is considered extremely cruel by the vast majority of Chinese. Monkey brains have traditionally been eaten in parts of China and South East Asia because people believe they will be imbued with ancient wisdom.<\/span>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[21,44],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 Weird and Interesting Foods You'll Find in China - Teaching Nomad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Embark on a culinary adventure in China with our guide to nine unique and unexpected dishes! From century eggs to roasted street pigeon, explore the rich, diverse flavors that await. Dive into the excitement and culture with insights from fellow travelers. Join the journey, one bite at a time!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Weird and Interesting Foods You'll Find in China - Teaching Nomad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Embark on a culinary adventure in China with our guide to nine unique and unexpected dishes! From century eggs to roasted street pigeon, explore the rich, diverse flavors that await. Dive into the excitement and culture with insights from fellow travelers. Join the journey, one bite at a time!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Teaching Nomad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-10T20:28:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-06T17:37:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/f3b735e3300faff0e348331a5413d4d3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thijs Jongkees\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/\",\"name\":\"Teaching Nomad\",\"description\":\"Jobs and programs for teaching English abroad, International school employment and teaching job vacancies in Asia. Hiring Now!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/f3b735e3300faff0e348331a5413d4d3.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/\",\"name\":\"8 Weird and Interesting Foods You'll Find in China - Teaching Nomad\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-10T20:28:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-06T17:37:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861ef45102becd147e55da50cba0ae5f\"},\"description\":\"Embark on a culinary adventure in China with our guide to nine unique and unexpected dishes! From century eggs to roasted street pigeon, explore the rich, diverse flavors that await. Dive into the excitement and culture with insights from fellow travelers. Join the journey, one bite at a time!\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/blog\/china\/8-weird-and-interesting-foods-youll-find-in-china\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861ef45102becd147e55da50cba0ae5f\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7584"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7584"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18759,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7584\/revisions\/18759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teachingnomad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}