China has a new social media trend sweeping the internet featuring the practice of “eating” sauteed rocks. “Suodiu” is a dish of literal rocks (or, smooth stones) sauteed in a wok with spices and sauces. The idea is to suck on the rocks to get the flavor and dispose of them afterward. The practice started generations ago when boatmen would run out of food and simply scramble together spices on rocks to somewhat satiate themselves. Critics of the practice say that this is a result of China suffering a crisis of food shortages. Another food “substitute” called “gutter oil” is also very popular. Gutter oil is recycled “oil” that literally comes from the sewer and household drains.
SOURCES:
Suodiu: “Suck and dispose” pebble dish is latest street food trend in China | CNN
CNN International on Twitter: “World’s hardest dish? Stir-fried stones are China’s latest street food fad https://t.co/0Iu5Naegzm https://t.co/69VWHuTrZe” / Twitter
lil clearpill {𝕭𝕽𝕲} on Twitter: “China is 3000 years ahead of the west https://t.co/we6kdOui41” / Twitter
Suodiu (嗦丟) — Is One Of The Weirdest Dishes Eaten In China, And It’s Not An Animal! | by Mehek Kapoor | The Collector | Medium
