Some Serious Grubbin'

To answer the question that many of you have been plaguing me with since my teaser-post... NO, I did not participate in the eating of this stuff. I went along to witness and provide photo/video documentation. My mother already fed me a lecture about how I can't come home without trying and doing it all... blah, blah, blah... so my roommate Andrea vowed that she wouldn't let me leave Beijing without eating something gross at the market. We'll see how long that lasts :)

The Beijing Night Market can be read about in any number of Beijing "Must See" publications. It's essentially a strip of street vendors selling a whole slew of exotic foods, from strange animals to weird body parts to beer kept cold by a chunk of dry-ice. Everything is mounted raw onto a stick in a fashion that's eerily similar to worming a fish hook. Each specimen is carefully arranged on the counter in styrofoam platters which collect run-off liquid. The marketeers holler at throngs of participants and onlookers in hopes of winning the attention and business of any passerby. The menu consists of every gross thing you can imagine, plus all the nastiest stuff you've never thought of. We questioned the edibility of many items, but mis compadres were feeling very adventurous. We followed the adrenaline while we had it.

Each item is seasoned and cooked over fire after it's ordered. You can order it without spice, but for the most part, you really need the spice if you expect to choke down the food. The crew gagged on silkworms in the beginning, but by the end they were venturing to new booths on their own and returning with weirder and weirder items. Make sure you check out the videos by following my link to the right to see the real details.

Andrea nibbles on a sheep testicle. Later she described it as, "...Exactly the texture and taste you might expect from a testicle!"


The snake unravels into Jason's mouth; he said the skin was very tough.


Lauren appeared out of nowhere with this sea urchin. Traci thought her spoonful tasted like boogers.


Traci displays the first item on the menu: sugared fruit and beer... to get us in the mood.


The Night Market near Wangfujing Street.


Jason's shocked that he just ate sheep's testicle, lamb's penis, and fried silkworm.


Lauren dives head-first into a lamb's penis.

On a different note, check out this YouTube video made by our Aussie friends of trip highlights thus far. I'm featured for all of 3 seconds!! The Jing is Tai Gui La!

XOXO