YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Bizarre Food

Pig innards congee, Malaysian style

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Pig innards congee (猪杂粥) is a common delicacy in Canton-based Chinese community, i.e. Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, and some parts of Malaysia and Singapore etc.

Photo of pig innards congee in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
Pig innard congee, takeout from a shop in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

The pig innards congee in Hong Kong is a bit different from those we have in Malaysia. The pork innards (liver, kidney, intestine, lungs, stomach etc.) in Hong Kong are normally cooked fresh with the congee, whereas in Malaysia the innards are pre-cooked and seasoned before adding into the congee.

Both style has its pros and cons… but the essence of the congee is with the rice porridge itself. The smoothness and thickness of the congee is often more dictating than the pork innards. The one I had in the photo for example was a bit too watery.

Chinese and some other Asians are quite accustomed to this dish, but westerners might take this as one of those bizarre food adventure.

Sushi, chillies, bulls, penguin, turtle

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A sushi wedding cake, some hot chillies, a few bulls running, a knighted penguin and a crime fighting turtle…

Sushi wedding cake

Sushi wedding cake in Boston
Sushi wedding cake… (Image from Christina, via Xoryst)

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Beijing Olympics roundup (3)

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Day 2 of Beijing Olympics; some random news and information…

First gold medals

Katerina Emmons of Czech Republic won first gold medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics
Katerina Emmons from Czech

The Chinese didn’t get the first gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Games as hoped… the honour belongs to Kateřina Emmons of Czech Republic in the women’s 10m air rifle event.

The Chinese’s disappointment didn’t stand long as weightlifter Chen Xiexia captured the first gold for the country in the women’s 48kg class weightlifting event moments later.

LEGO Sport City

An exhibition is currently running at Grand Century Place in Hong Kong with the major Beijing Olympics venues being recreated in LEGO.

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Eel drink in Japan

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A Japanese firm is introducing a fizzy (or fishy?) eel-drink this summer.

Unagi Nobori, the Japanese eel drink

Japanese love eating eels, I can understand that… as I love their Unagi dish too. But an eel-drink? That’s like… Eerrrwwwwww??

Japanese Tobacco Inc is mass producing the canned drink called Unagi Nobori (surging eel) just ahead of Japan’s annual eel-eating season.

The fizzy, yellow-coloured drink contains extracts from the head and bones of the fish and loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. [via Mainichi]

The drink is said to be tasting like boiled eel, and cost 140 yen (~USD1.30) per bottle.

It reminds me of the cucumber drink which Pepsi introduced last summer… but in terms of bizarreness, the eel drink triumph by miles.

Stinky tofu, Mongkok, Hong Kong

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Stinky tofu (臭豆腐) is a fermented bean curd that stinks. It’s an iconic Hong Kong street food, but it’s not that easy to find it these days. Luckily we still managed to spot (or smell) some eateries selling it in Mongkok…

Stinky tofu in Mongkok, Hong Kong

This was my first try on stinky tofu. Most people who tried it before would suggest that it smells bad but tastes ok (or good), which was quite true. The deep-fried tofu was a bit too salty, but the texture was nice… crunchy on the outside and spongy in the inside. I kinda liked it actually.

Hong Kong travelogue – Previous: Cotton candy

Taiwan Modern Toilet Restaurant

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Toilet themed restaurants are not new in Taiwan; it has been around since 2004 or earlier, with people dining in a toilet like ambience and eating from mini toilet bowl.

I always thought that the business idea won’t last long; but with the huge exposures by media and bloggers… seems that these eateries are becoming a bizarre food icon from Taiwan, something like fugu in Japan and live octopus in Korea.

Below are pictures from Modern Toilet, a food chain that operates 12 toilet themed restaurants in Taiwan; these pics are from its outlet in Shilin, Taipei…

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