The weirdest food I’ve ever eaten in my life was probably rooster testicles– commonly known as chicken kidney. It’s a traditional chinese dish that originated from Guangdong,  province of China. In ancient China, they believed that if one eats an organ of an animal, then their corresponding organ will improve. It is believed that chicken testicles would help strengthen the power of man and prevent impotence. However, in reality, the meal is not high in nutrition and very high in cholesterol.

The first time I ever tasted it was when I was in elementary school at my cousin’s wedding banquet, but I can’t recall the instance clearly. The banquet was grand, in the traditional chinese manner; the decorations and food were different from what I was used to, so I paid close attention to the presentation and ingredients of the dishes. About half way through the meal came a giant, hot, brown stone pot. The pot was filled with some clear liquid, something I had never seen before. When serving the dish, the adults’ chatter about the food increased, so I grew more curious about the pot. I stood up on my chair, took another look at the dish, and smelled it closely. It smelled like a mix of oil and alcohol.

Still not able to comprehend what was to be served to me, I questioned my dad about the dish. He shied away from answering me and urged me to taste it. After the food was in my plate I took another close look before I took a bite. It looked liked a vascular marked inflated balloon filled with some kind of white tender viscous liquid. Immediately after I took a bite I felt the balloon burst. The liquid inside tasted slimy and had a strong smell, but it was so heavily seasoned and disgusting. The adults started laughing and explained to me that it was actually rooster testicles. I felt extremely sick at that time, since I wasn’t expecting such bizarre ingredients, but now that I think about it, it wasn’t that disgusting. It certainly wasn’t an experience to forget! Nowadays, they don’t serve this dish in any chinese restaurants, so I was actually very lucky to have the chance of trying it before it disappeared from the menus.