I have been in China for 3 months now and in general I have had a first rate experience. I even like most of the Chinese food that I have encountered here which is a surprise because I never liked Chinese food at home. I do have one problem, however, that maybe you can help me with. In my locale, people like to eat dog and I am afraid that perhaps I have already partaken of dog without even knowing it. Some of the families of my students have invited me over for special occassions and until now I have never really asked what I was eating. Now that I know that dog might be on the menu, I do want to know what is going in my mouth. How do I go about asking about this when I am invited to dinner? Is it rude to not eat something that is offered to me in Chinese culture or can I simply refuse?

Thank you so much!

Janine

Jean answers Janine’s question about China

Dear Janine,

Wow! What an interesting question. I am sure that you are not the first ex-pat in China to have encountered this problem. Frankly, you do not need to eat anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. A Chinese host who is familiar with Western culture should always alert his or her foreign guests that dog is being served but this does not always happen. It is perfectly acceptable to ask your host politely what is being served. If you discover that dog meat (or something else that you do not wish to eat) is on the table then simply do not transfer any onto your plate. If your host tries to serve you some dog meat, politely refuse by saying that in your country dogs are ‘our friends’ and that you would prefer not to eat that kind of meat. This response will most likely draw some laughter and could be a great ice-breaker. You should not worry about offending your Chinese hosts; they will understand.

I hope that helps answer your question. Robert Vance wrote an interesting article entitled Could You Pass Some More Donkey Please? which you may enjoy reading.

Sincerely,

Jean

Ask Jean about China is a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.

A few years ago, I visited Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu,  in Henan Province. I stayed in the downtown area of Dengfeng, which is just a ’stone’s throw’ from the famous temple. After spending the day at Shaolin, I wandered back into town and began looking for a place to eat. The streets of Dengfeng were filled with white tables and pink chairs and it seemed that the whole town came out to eat. While the sight of so many people eating dinner on the street was interesting, what was more fascinating was what they were eating. And also what I would be eating a few minutes later. At first, I really did not believe what I was seeing. Throughout the downtown area, people were being served grubs mixed with vegetables and spices on small metal trays covered in plastic. That is right, grubs. For a few brief moments I was repulsed; but I was also hungry. There was a battle that waged in my mind for those brief moments. Sure, I told myself, we do not eat grubs where I come from but that does not mean that they are not worth eating. And besides, I asked myself, why are Westerners so obstinate about not eating these little creatures? Maybe we have been missing out all along. So, within ten minutes, I was sitting at a small table popping grub after grub into my famished mouth. Look, I will not say it was the best meal that I ever had but other than the ’squish,’ that occurred everytime I ate one, the meal was quite enjoyable. The spices and added vegetables helped to make the experience even more enjoyable and I went to bed with a full stomach that night.

Grubs are probably the strangest and grossest (by Western standards) food that I have ever eaten. Well, maybe not. Some of you may consider donkey meat to be a bit “exotic.” Or how about turtles? Turtle eggs? Anyone? Then there is rabbit meat. It is a bit bristly and tough, but does not taste too horribly bad. Chinese people also have an affinity for pig and chicken blood. I am not a big fan of anything’s blood but I cannot say I have not ever tried some. In Lhasa, Yak meat is a local specialty and I shared many a cup of butter tea with the local monks.

Eating new and strange foods is just part of life in China. While I am always concerned about the cleanliness of food that I am eating, I am definitely not afraid to try some foods that the West would consider disgusting. You should not be either. While it is okay to draw the line at eating dog, I think that experiencing some new tastes and sensations in your mouth is not such a bad thing.