Hot Pot. One of the tastiest, yet in some ways the laziest ways to use food to make money. You walk in with a group of friends, and you sit around a table that has a large stove in the center of the table. Everyone sees a menu, usually written in Chinese, and you write down what you want. Meat, vegetables, etc. A lot of the time, if you have a Chinese friend with you, you have them write and translate. Especially if you're not confident with your Chinese. (Two thumbs and not confident with her Chinese? Me!) Then a bowl with two halves is placed on the stove, which has been lit. One side is a regular, probably a little more bland broth while the other side is spicy as hell. While you're waiting for both broths to boil, the food arrives. When it gets here, and the broths boil, you place the food in the broth and let it cook. It's all fun, games, and great eating until someone brings out the duck blood.
A few nights ago, I went to hot pot with a few co-workers. There were four foreigners and two Chinese co-workers. We went to a lesser-known hotpot and ate our fill in potatoes, beef, lamb, lotus root, you name it. As we filled up, a white container was brought out with red gelatin-like cubes. Curious, we all asked, "What's that?" And they answered, "Duck blood!"
Even though I had no interest in trying it, I was curious on how it worked. I was expecting a red liquid, but instead it looked like red tofu cubes. They put some of it in when the foreigners were done eating. Instead of melting, it hardened up so that when you ate it, it would actually be chewy. It was one of the strangest things I'd ever seen.
Later, I found out that this isn't just a thing in China. In a European country that I can't remember, maybe Germany, but don't quote me on it cause I'm not sure, duck blood is a thing. The more you know.
Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to try this? I don't know. But for now, I can only watch in fascination that something so strange can be thought of as a food.
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