A Land of Rich Traditions

China is home to some curious traditions such as summer mud flinging, the controversial annual dog meat festival in Yulin, as well as some lesser known (and still lesser practiced) traditions like foot binding, or women who display their matrimonial loyalty to their deceased husbands by continuing to "care for" a fully dressed wooden statue in effigy their partners after they pass from this world.

Among the many things that people from all over the world enjoy is traditional Chinese cooking. Phrases such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian Beef readily come to mind. But for most folks, eating an egg dish that calls for "boys' urine" seems less appealing. In the coastal city of Dongyang in mainland China Zhejiang province, there is just such a dish.

Sold more as an export delicacy, some foreign visitors take great delight in eating these eggs cooked in urine.

All across the city, empty buckets are placed in schools, parks and other public areas to be filled throughout the day by boys under the age of 10 who are willing to partake. After due collection, chefs immerse chicken eggs in the urine and bring entire pots of these two ingredients to a boil.

After some time, the eggs are removed from the pot, the shells are removed, spices added, and the eggs are re-immersed for another day or two of boiling in direct contact with the urine. While the egg whites turn a rich golden hue, the yolks turn green. While some claim these eggs taste like urine, how can one confidently say so (unless they've actually tasted urine before)?

Consumed less and less by the local people and sold more as an export delicacy, the so-called "virgin boys eggs" was were listed by the Chinese government as an example of the mainland's ongoing "intangible cultural heritage".

© 2016 John Melendez - All rights reserved worldwide.