Eat...It...All

It is a common Chinese saying that "We Chinese eat everything--every part of the animal!"

This saying is proclaimed half proudly and half apologetically. On the one hand, it is good not to waste,* and every part of the animal is transformed into a delectable dish.** On the other hand, there is a sense here that in rich countries like America it is no longer necessary to eat every part. China is in a period of transition in this regard, as was America decades ago. My grandparents ate head cheese and blood sausage. I bet it was delicious.

The Chinese middle and upper classes no longer need to eat every part. But I hope China keeps its culinary traditions rather than following the American model of shrink-wrapped morsels of sanitized animal sold at the supermarket. Though I have vegetarian sympathies,*** the pig ear and spring onion dish I had at a farmer's birthday party a few weeks ago was one of the culinary highlights of my life.


For my own satisfaction and your entertainment, here's a list of my repertoire of most unusual "parts" so far (slightly unusual parts not included):
duck tongue (when cured, they look like a type of strange insect)
duck blood (coagulated and served in a soup; I posted a pic of this on Facebook)
deep fried duck bones (part of Peking Duck, served shortly after all the meat has been carved off the bird; you eat the entire skeleton)
pig intestines (I mistook one intestine dish for an eggplant confection)
pig ears (with spring onions and a chili sauce--yes)
pig brain (grilled in aluminum foil with chili and oil; a late night snack with beer)
century duck eggs (aged/preserved; they seem to serve a similar function to blue cheese in Chinese dishes--very rich and just a little moldy funk; often used in soup)
cow throat (a hot pot delight, cooked at the table in hot oil; crunchy/chewy)
rabbit head (yes, the entire head, including eyes and brain, broiled and rubbed in chili; delicious once you get past the idea of biting a face)
chicken feet (deep fried, fried, or boiled in a soup)
soft-shelled turtle (served whole over boiled pumpkin in my experience)
pretty much every internal organ of the pig and cow (hot pot; Chinese five-spice)

The aforementioned rabbit

Duck tongues

I wish I had taken more pictures! I know there are many new food experiences on the horizon. Can't wait.


*American's are tempted to see the Chinese waste-not attitude as reflective of a deep respect for the life of the animal that has been killed for consumption, a la the American Indian's use of the bison. I do not sense that such a perspective is part of the Chinese consciousness. Animals are eaten. Enough said. **Chinese food is said by many to be one of the world's best cuisines, rivaled only by the French tradition. Absolutely. It certainly stems from one of the world's most ancient cultures, though I have no clue as to the origins of contemporary Chinese cooking. To the list I would add the cuisine of Southern Mexico, but what do I know?
***It would be easy to be a vegan in China--vegetable protein is available in innumerable variations, beans are everywhere in Guizhou--as long as you never ate out with friends, made up your own dishes when cooking at home, were pleased to never integrate into Chinese society, and were fine with being a constant annoyance to your friends. The truth is the Chinese not only eat every part of the animal, they also make every possible use of the vegetable, while embracing the simple fact that pigs are delicious.