We have had individual hotpots - stomachs did OK with the variety and quantity of foodstuffs. --DH pointed out an article about the wooden throw-away chopsticks as having been chemically treated.--I plan to bring a personal pair(s) for the next trip to China/Asia.

Now we're talking......however the bull penis wine was too much even for me ;)

Interesting that I am currently working with a beef processing client in Shanxi....the most lucrative (by a factor of at least 10) part of the bull is the......you guessed it!

nickyboy

Interesting, yes. Surprising, maybe not. How much do men in America spend on Viagra? True, Viagra works better, but it's all about marketing on the bull's penis. :p

The snake liquor is good.

But don't ever try this stuff. It will make you puke, even if you don't know what it is.

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroo...enis-Wine.html

I loved this description:

Effect: Invigorating the gumption

I generally don't strike up conversations with my oysters.... but if one started with me and was fresh about it at the same time, I wouldn't be eating it - I'd be calling Leno or Letterman!! On the other hand, good conservation techniques and fast, fresh delivery to market prevent them from turning bad and giving you lip!:D:D

are raw fruits and veggies at 5* hotel buffet safe?

Kind of a loaded question. If it's fruit, you can do your part to minimize risk (i.e. peel and eat inside only etc). What kind of raw veggies do you speak of? I can't think of too many raw vegetables Chinese eat right now.

That being said, at any hotel breakfast I'll eat raw fruits (watermelon, oranges, mangoes, lychees, etc). I don't sweat it too much.

How about salad? cucumbers tomatoes, lettuce peppers?

I was in Beijing for 10 days. Did not get anything. Usually you will get the food very hot, that kills most of it. I ate a mix of Chinese food at restaurants and Western food at Mc Donalds/KFC when I just wanted something damn fast. And of course I tried the Beijing Roast Duck. Most expensive dinner I had (one person) was 90 RMB (!). Even my hotel restaurant was waay cheaper... Usually I had dinner for around 30-40 RMB with beer included.

There is always dangers anywhere.

Right now, in my neighbourhood, spiking the watermelon with liquid sacharin seems to be popular. It 1- adds water weight to the melon 2-makes the watermelon unnaturally sweet. Of course it is some sort of cancer causing stuff but you can get cancer from anything........

Currently my favorite food habit is an "illegal small bbq cart" where you have to phone them and ask them where they are setting up that day. They open after 9 pm at night until about 3 am because the inspectors and cops stop enforcing the law after 9 pm. It is sooooooo good. BBQ rabbit, eel, squid, goat, lamb, pork, chicken gizzards and cow tripe. 1 yuan for each stick. Fresh eggplant bbq over coal fire stuffed with garlic 5 yuan.

Even the local Chinese people say, "man that is dangerous stuff you eat - you are going to get an upset stomach" but hasn't seem to bother us yet. They have moved to an abandoned building, recently demolished lot, under a tarp in a motorcycle garage...... it is really interesting and did I mention "TASTY!!!!"

So just enjoy China. All the different foods and smells. Don't worry too much about what you are eating. Better yet, don't think too much about it.

I generally don't eat raw veggies anywhere in China/Asia...including salads that are not made in my own home or home of friends whose sanitation and veggie cleaning/sterilization practices I trust absolutely. In a very few shortlisted restaurants, I will occasionally have a salad. Cut fruits in 5* hotels, I will usually do if it was a peelable/rinded fruit (i.e, melons and dragonfruits yes, strawberries no). Remember sometimes it's not the original food, it's contamination of the food by an unclean food handler/preparer.

Hot cooked foods and street foods cooked on a grill in front of me (not precooked and sitting around) are usually OK. Where turnover is high, that's a good sign. Watch out for things made with western condiment such as mayonnaise, or desserts that may have uncooked eggs in them.

FWIW, I've lived 10 years in China and never had food poisoning. This includes many many travels around SE Asia as well. I find it preferable to practice avoidance and forego a few categories of items, than dealing with stints on my knees praying to the Porcelain God.

In contrary to the great majority on here, I eat everything everywhere and I'm still alive. You'll be ok will this stuff in (western) hotels - food safety is quite a big deal there. And most of the time the only haven that serves western-style salads for those that can't live without them ;)

'Rooms? We don'need no steenkin' 'rooms!

....And be very careful, avoiding swallowing any watermelon seeds which will sprout in your belly and cause itchy vines to grow from both ends!

It's that bird spit soup which is really scary though.

How about eating sushi in China? It's my favorite food. If I'm getting tired of the food in a country I'm visiting I'll seek out a Japanese restaurant. Typically, the owners are Japanese and I know what I will be getting and that it will be fresh, prepared well, and tasty/oishii. Do you all eat nigiri sushi in China, raw fish?