KINEZI vole jesti, a osim popularnog woka, gyoza i dim suma, na meniju se nerijetko nađu i neka druga, u najmanju ruku, neobičnija jela, na koja mi nismo navikli.
Poznato je da u Aziji jedu svašta (nedavno smo pisali da tamo jedu i žive hobotnice), a sada ćemo se fokusirati na Kinu i neka od najbizarnijih jela koja tamo možete kušati. Biste li se usudili?
Ovčji penis
Da, dobro ste pročitali. U Kini je delicija ovčji penis pečen na žaru, a poslužuje se na štapiću dok je još vruć, i to najviše u Pekingu. Ovo je jedno od kineskih jela koje bi se malo tko usudio probati, no Kinezi ga vole jer je navodno pravi afrodizijak.
Očna jabučica tune
U Kini, ali i Japanu često kao predjelo poslužuju očnu jabučicu tune. Kuhari lagano pirjaju očne jabučice u mješavini soja umaka i mirina ili sa sezamovim uljem i đumbirom. Same očne jabučice baš i nemaju neki okus, a većina ih uspoređuje s lignjama, dagnjama ili tvrdo kuhanim jajima.
@chef_hiro @jmd495 への返信 食べたことある？Boiled Yellowfin tuna eyeballs. #sushi ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - saku - _lbzq2
Juha od ptičjeg gnijezda
Ova je juha statusni simbol, a još u vrijeme drevne Kine konzumirali su je vladari i visoki dužnosnici. I danas se smatra jednom od najskupljih juha na svijetu, a pravi se od gnijezda male kineske ptice čičavke. Ptica pravi gnijezdo od vlastite sline, koja se stvrdne kada je izložena zraku, a za pripremu ove juhe pomiješaju se ptičja slina i pileći temeljac.
@easternphilosophy Bird’s Nest is a renowned delicacy for beauty and health in Asian medicinal cuisine, known as one of the Four Great Tonic Foods in the late Ming Dynasty, and was a known favorite of emperors and empresses of Ancient China. Often considered the most expensive soup in Asian cuisine, Bird’s Nest is revered for its health benefits, including for beauty, pre- and post-natal, and during convalescence (recovery from illness). The Bird’s Nest shown is from ethically sourced abandoned cave swiftlet nests. Bird’s Nest is the nutrient-rich salivary secretion of swiftlets and uniquely contains contains Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), shown in studies to stimulate cell growth and proliferation, demonstrating properties of skin and tissue repair (Kong, et al). Bird’s Nest also contains amino acids such as Proline, Serine, and Threonine, which improve skin texture by aiding production of collagen and elastin. A 2022 study showed Bird’s Nest caused a “significant decrease” in skin wrinkles (Kim, et al). It is also widely consumed by moms during and after pregnancy. Bird’s Nest was first found during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and has been used by royalty and ancient beauties to maintain their health and beauty, including Empress Wu, Empress Cixi, and the Qianlong Emperor. In fact, the Empress Dowager Cixi was known to have consumed seven types of Bird’s Nest dishes for breakfast everyday. We have just launched Bird’s Nest on our site from Eu Yan Sang, a legacy Singaporean company founded in 1879. These are ready to drink jars of superior quality Bird’s Nest, ethically sourced from abandoned cave swiftlet nests (an important assurance for us, as we will not stock Bird’s Nest from unscrupulous sources). For the first 2 weeks of launch, we are offering discounted promotional pricing for all Bird’s Nest products on our site ($45 instead of $49) and free US shipping for the first 20 orders with code BirdsNestFreeShip. Note: these will ship from a different location than our other stock, so orders containing other items will be charged regular shipping on those items. Have you ever tried Bird’s Nest? 🐦🪹 . . #birdsnest #holistichealth #chinesemedicine #postnatal #postpartum ♬ Magical Fantasy - Dmitriy Sevostyanov
Pileći testisi
Pileći testisi pojavljuju se na mnogim jelovnicima u Hong Kongu. Izgledaju poput velikih bijelih zrna graha, a uglavnom se kuhaju ili prže, tako da su izvana hrskavi, a iznutra mekani. Poslužuju se u temeljcu s rižom ili rezancima po izboru.
Balut
Balut (o kojemu smo više pisali ovdje) zapravo je pačji zametak u razvoju koji se kuha i jede u ljusci. Kinezi to obožavaju jesti, a najdraži dio im je ispijanje tekućine koja se nalazi u jajetu. Osim u Kini, balut se jede i u drugim zemljama, kao što su Filipini, Laos, Kambodža i Vijetnam.
@jortskitchen My first experience trying balut 🦆🥚 – a fertilized duck egg! First off, I have to say that the juice was incredible. It tasted like an chicken soup broth with egg! The yolk was also surprisingly delicious – it was rich, flavorful, and had a creamy texture that I loved. But then came the meat part, and that's where things got a bit tricky 😅 The texture of the meat was off putting. It was very soft and mushy, similar to the inside of an oyster. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. The egg whites were pretty much inedible. It was like hard rubber. Overall, I'm stoked to have finally tried balut, and it was definitely an experience I won't forget anytime soon. Would I try it again? maybe, but I'll stick to regular eggs for now. Huge shoutout to @Legacy Meats for hooking me up with the eggs! Have you tried balut before? Let me know! #balut #fertilizeduckegg #balutchallenge #foodchallenge #foodtasting ♬ Banjo - Grind Time Beats
Škorpioni
Škorpioni su popularan kineski snack, a najčešće se poslužuju prženi na štapiću, začinjeni začinima po izboru. Ne samo da se škorpioni i insekti redovito jedu u Kini već ćete ih naći i u Tajlandu i drugim zemljama istočne Azije.
Jaja stara sto dana
Malo tko bi se usudio jesti ovaj kineski specijalitet - pačja jaja premazana vapnom, pepelom i blatom, namočena u salamuri 100 dana. Nakon 100 dana žumanjak pozeleni, bjelanjak postane želatinast i tamno smeđ, a jaja navodno imaju okus kremastog sira s jakim mirisom.
@mattdoesstufff 100 Year Egg 🥚
♬ original sound - Matt Does Stuff
Juha od zmija
Vrlo je često jelo u Hong Kongu, posebno tijekom zime, kada je hladno. Juha od zmija smatra se gurmanskim jelom. Juha se poslužuje s naribanom zmijom, a mnogi koji su ju probali kažu da zmija ima okus po piletini.
Smrdljivi tofu
Već i samo ime ovog jela odbija većinu ljudi, čak i prije nego što ga kušaju. To je fermentirani tofu koji ima vrlo snažan miris, a tradicionalno se fermentira u salamuri s povrćem i mesom, ponekad mjesecima. Obično se prodaje na tržnicama ili štandovima uz cestu kao međuobrok ili u barovima kao prilog jelima, no nikada u restoranima.
@foodiechina888 This North China type of stinky tofu, u've never seen before, deadly smelly and super tasty 😋 #comfortfood #chinesefood #stinkytofu #streetfood ♬ Pope Is a Rockstar - SALES
Pečeni golubovi
Pečeni mladi golubovi smatraju se delikatesom u Hong Kongu, a priprema ih se tako da se cijeli golub umoči u marinadu od soje, rižinog vina i zvjezdastog anisa i peče na štapiću dok mu kožica ne postane hrskava, a meso mekano. Nezaobilazno je jelo za praznike poput kineske Nove godine.