Every once in a while we start talking about food in Chinese class,and the weird stuff they eat in the south.For those who don't know,their are major regional differences in Chinese cuisine.The north (where we are,even though we're geographically somewhat in the middle) is a little spicy and sour,the west is spicy with more ethnic influences,the south is sweet and generally considered the most sophisticated.Guangdong province,the heart of southern cuisine,is also known for the peoples' willingness to eat basically anything.In order of increasing horror:
A dish that translates to something like "dragon fighting with tiger." It's actually snake and cat.
After this it gets really bad.Stop reading if you are prone to have vivid nightmares.
A dish made famous by the second Indiana Jones movie.The brains of a still-living monkey,with the skull-top removed.Add hot oil and serve.It's illegal due to the outrageous cruelty,but still a famous delicacy,so you can still find it in some places.
Then there is a dish called "san ge zhi," which translates to something like "three whimpers." The first is when you pick up the baby rat with your chopsticks,the second when you dip it into the sauce,and the third when you put the still living baby rat into your mouth.Perhaps my teacher was just messing with me,or someone was messing with her,but the sheer possibility that this dish exists is horrifying.