10 weird dishes from China and Asia: the choice is yours – spicy head of cow, roast pig eyeballs, steamed hedgehogs or octopus ice cream
- China, Asia offers some of the most daunting but delicious food on planet
- Bugs, ants, cow dung, field mice, all on menu for diners with daring palate
Renowned for having rich and adventurous culinary cultures, China and its Asian neighbours boast an array of “quirky” yet delicious dishes that are definitely not for faint of heart, or stomach.
With unusual ingredients and distinctive flavours they often appear intimidating at first, but turn out to be surprisingly addictive.
The Post has compiled a tasty-ten list of eye-popping Asian dishes. Which are you willing to try?
Spicy cow head
People in western China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region like their beef and lamb, and cow head meat is a particular favourite.
This dish involves cooking the entire head of a cow and serving it with a complex array of condiments, including as many as 15 different sauces like chilli, soy sauce and vinegar. It is also accompanied by onions.
Despite its intimidating appearance, and the fact that the meat is typically torn off by hand, the dish is celebrated for its “spicy and delicious” flavour and a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.
Fried water dragonflies
This specialty of Yunnan province in the southwest of China requires dragonfly larvae to be caught from the water before they are fried until golden brown.