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Chinese Shish Kebabs
My friend Pete recently returned home from his first trip to China. Among his many photos of the Forbidden City, Great Wall and the skyscrapers of Shanghai, were a handful of shots from my favorite genre of photography: bizarre street foods.
If you look closely, most of these tasty snacks are somewhat recognizable, but there are also some rather alien-looking critters as well.
I guess the general rule in China is if it fits on a shish kebabs stick it can be eaten. I'm not sure about the starfish, though. Those things have got to be very crunchy and rather tasteless! 
I wish I could tell you that Pete, being the curious traveler he is, tried each one of these Chinese delicacies. Sadly, he wimped out and ate at McDonald's instead. Way to go Pete! I think most of us will be right behind you.
Filed under: Food and Drink, China
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 9)
Ken Jan 8th 2007 12:41PM
I won't try to draw any conclusions from this but it is worth noting.
I've seen many pictures of such repulsive Chinese "delicacies" but I've never seen a picture of anyone actually eating them.
I wonder why that is?
Rich Jan 15th 2007 2:17PM
Just a decade ago, most Americans thought eating raw fish was disgusting. Now sushi bars are about as plentiful as McDonalds. It's always helpful, and sometimes rewarding, to have an open mind when presented with new, albeit strange, foods. Who knows? Maybe that scorpion or starfish taste like filet mignon!!
CJ Jan 8th 2007 4:28PM
The most interesting kabob I was served in China was a sparrow on a stick. Basically it is a stick shoved into the sparrow and then deep fried whole. I've got to say, there really wasn't much meat to the little thing. I made it stand up on my wife's plate which looked creepy since the the wings were contorted (as if wracked with pain) and even the eyeballs were still there. As far as non-kabob dishes go, the most interesting thing I ate was congealed pig's blood soup. It can't get much more un-kosher than that, I suppose. I tried it before I asked what it was, which may be a good motto to take if you want to try lots of new dishes. I thought it was cold, tough tofu chunks in chilled water at first.
nan Jan 8th 2007 1:00PM
How do you know you don't or won't like it if you don't try it. Where is your sense of adventure. People in china are healthier that those in the US. Ever wonder why?
Todd Jan 10th 2007 7:55PM
Narrow minded Americans. It is no wonder most of the rest of the civilized world looks down on us. Try something new. you never know what might actually be appealing. If you think some of these pics looked disgusting maybe you'd better take a look at what all goes into the common hot dog in this country. Get over it. We're carnivores and it's all protein.
belinda Jan 8th 2007 1:02PM
GROSS, GROSS, GROSS, GROSS.....
A Strasse Jan 8th 2007 1:12PM
Jessica Kweitel's statement that Chinese eat more for symptoms than for hunger is quite accurate.
The chinese penchant to eat strange-exotic creatures has animals being killed just for specific body parts. About 10-12 years back poachers were arrested in areas of western Canada, and northern U.S. They were killing bears so as to sell the body parts to Chinese markets, stuff like the gall bladders. The Black Rhinoceros in Africa has been made so scarce--close to extinct for it's horn to be ground up in powder as an aphrodisiac and whatever else used by the Chinese. I guess there is nothing immune.
Chrstine Jan 8th 2007 7:52PM
Nice photos Pete!
Martin Sherman Jan 8th 2007 1:15PM
America, and therefore American cuisine, has been around for only a little over two hundred years. China has been a "culture" for over seven thousand years. One in four people on the Earth is either Chinese or in the least Asian in ethnic makeup so to dismiss "odd" culinary choices is rather shortsightd and narrow minded on the part of our American responders. The vast majority of the world speaks English yet the average American speaks only (and poorly) their own language. Get a grip folks.
B Jan 8th 2007 1:35PM
Calamarie is GOOD!!!
The only difference between how they serve squid here and there is the name...and the fact in the USA they don't make it into shish kabobs, they just put it on a platter and sell it as an appetizer.
GOPHER Jan 9th 2007 6:47AM
Way To Go RICK , SOME OF THOSE CANNED FOODS are really GOOD. Especially the ones with GRAVY in them.
Alvin Jan 8th 2007 1:33PM
Wow. Some of the comments here make me truly ashamed to be an American. Actually, scratch that - they make me ashamed to be human. Ironic to see such hateful, narrow-minded comments on a so-called "travel" weblog.
Bob Jan 8th 2007 1:34PM
Those pictures remind me of Olongapo and Subic Bay, Phillipines. When I was there in the Navy after a hard night on the town there would be stick food being sold on the street. Well, after having a few dozen San Miguels, its amazing what you will eat! I kinda developed a taste for dog, monkey, and chicken feet! The absolute worst thing was balutes ...half incubated duck eggs that stunk to high heaven!
Nathan Jan 8th 2007 1:35PM
Some of those k-bobs look like dog fetuses. Some of the others are split kidneys and octopus eyeballs for sure. One k-bob appears to have cat testicles. I didn't see any human parts.
Steve Jan 8th 2007 1:37PM
REAL Chinese food is different from our meat and potato diet. BUT remember they have been eating this for thousands of years with no problems. I love the squid stick and the salty june bugs, my favorite is the pig testicles in brine. For a real treat, fish eye soup is delicious. BUT, moth larvae makes me sick. These are aquired tastes, try them, you might like them if not you rich american can afford something else on the menu, but spare me mcDonalds. I must confess when I was in Italy I almost died from a evoo, eggplant and lemon juice induced coma. Thank GOD for micky D's
Joe Jan 8th 2007 11:13PM
Picture #4 looks to be split "Mountain Oysters", or some sort of Testicles. How in Gods name can anyone eat those things???? YUKKKKKKKKK
Joe Jan 9th 2007 12:58AM
Picture #4 looks to be split "Mountain Oysters", or some sort of Testicles. How in Gods name can anyone eat those things???? YUKKKKKKKKK
Circus Tim Jan 8th 2007 4:32PM
Yum, Yum! and look for Deep fried rat on a stick with free roach poppers at your next amusement park visit. I guess if your starving and live in an overpopulated , under paid country you work with what you got.
I wouldn't eat bate , snails, fish eggs, or goose guts, but some people love sushie,escargo, cavier, pate'.
As for me, Steak, medium well, baked potato, lots of butter.
JR Jan 8th 2007 1:57PM
I think all food is subjective. If a person has grown up on those types for food then it's not strange to them. Non-american's may think that some of our food in the usa is nasty.
In the end if your hungry,and the food is not poisonous. I say bon appetite!
Dee Jan 8th 2007 10:25PM
I guess with their teeming population the Chinese are happy to eat anything. As for me, I would rather pass up the stuff on a stick and limit myself to rice and tea.
YUCK!!!!!!!