Chinese street food vendors have amused the world by creating a unique cuisine; stir-fried pebbles, also known as soudui (suck and throw). It has been dubbed “the world’s hardest food.” The delicacy is prepared by stir-frying small river pebbles with chili, oil, garlic, rosemary, and purple perilla.
The meal costs around US$2, and those who have tasted it have mixed feedback. Some say it is delicious, while others say they would not like more. So how do you eat rocks? You don’t; you suck and throw them.
History of stir-fried pebbles
This delicacy traces its origin back to Hubei Province in China. Centuries ago, the Chinese boatmen who cruised along the Yangtze River would feast on these pebbles when they ran out of food. Most would describe it as a delicious meal with a unique seafood taste.
Over time, as boatmen who were often stranded or lost along the river became fewer, the familiarity of the dish diminished.
However, this meal may return to China, as a video circulating online for the past few months depicts. In this video, a chef was spotted preparing a meal in a street food station at night.
Ancient methods of preparing stir-fried pebbles
About 1 million years ago, human beings discovered fire, marking the beginning of their culinary skills. They used the fire to cook meat, fish, corn, and other meals that they gathered. The fire also provided warmth and kept predators at bay.
Archaeologists have since discovered heat-affected rocks, depicting that they were once exposed to heat. In ancient stories, people would boil stones in pots containing water alongside other vegetables and bones to make soup. Also, some say the pebbles would be placed directly on the heat, and once they were hot enough, they were transferred to a pot containing food to keep it hot without burning the food.
That said, these are stories passed down through generations. There’s no documented or concrete archaeological evidence to support them.
Does eating stir-fried pebbles have any benefits
Lithophagia, “eating rocks,” is a form of geophagia, the act of consuming soil accidentally or willingly. Most experts believe that these stir-fried pebbles have no nutritional value. But some people say that these small rocks, mainly found along freshwater rivers inhabited by fish, contain minerals and taste fishy.
Some content creators have come out to say that apart from just being fun to suck on the rock, they have a deeper spiritual meaning. Some Chinese people also believe that sucking on the pebbles could allegedly prevent illnesses, detoxify the body, and aid digestion.
However, there is no scientific evidence to back up these claims.
Take away
Asian cuisine is known for its quirkiness. Following the viral video, most people’s reactions have been of humor, confusion, and sometimes disgust. Some have raised concerns about how every “ancient” dish is touted as nutritional and “healing.” Other commenters also raised the question of hygiene, since the sucked rocks are either thrown away or recycled.
On the other hand, some people have seen the quirky and fun part of the dish. If you are a food enthusiast who wants to push your boundaries with the uniqueness of this cuisine, be aware of the possibility of dental damage, choking, or other abdominal issues if you swallow the stir-fried pebbles accidentally or intentionally.
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