Ever wondered what a cockroach-like insect tastes like when crunched between the teeth, whether boiled camel's paw is tender or tough, or if gulping back Chinese liquor guarantees a head-splitting hangover?
A mainland-style banquet is the place to put these whimsical musings to the practical test, as shoving a plate or glass to one side with an expression of distaste is still considered the height of bad manners. A grateful guest, particularly one who wants to seal a business deal, will appreciatively nibble every one of the 10 or more dishes served and drink baijiu (grain liquor) with a beatific smile, not a curled-lip grimace.
Moments in history have turned on foreign politicians' successful navigation of formal banquets.
China may have changed radically in the past two decades, with its major cities boasting classy restaurants that serve the finest Western fare, but the traditional Chinese banquet remains the first choice - indeed, the only acceptable choice - for a deal-making dinner, or any other celebratory event. Suggesting an alternative venue would be a major faux pas that reveals immediately the would-be host's lack of understanding about the way things are done in the Middle Kingdom.
The Chinese banquet, with its multiple courses and arcane rules for eating, talking and toasting, can be a minefield of etiquette blunders, especially when the brain is muddled by multiple shots of baijiu.
'Baijiu looks like gin but tastes much stronger,' observes author Tim Clissold in his book Mr China, a wryly funny account of his life accompanying a big-shot American investor wheeling, dealing and banqueting his way to deals.