Just in time for Easter, come this lovely story out of the Chinese city of Dongyang (there are so many jokes regarding the city name as it is!) Yesterday morning, my girlfriend heard on the radio something about these urine-soaked eggs in China, so she asked me if I've ever eaten them. I shrugged it off, telling her it was just a myth, and the guys on the radio had no idea what they were talking about. Well, it looks like the jokes on me, huh? It turns out, urine-soaked are becoming sort of a delicacy in China. I feel like throwing up just writing about this. I mean, we've all walked into these public bathrooms and have wanted to vomit from the overabundant smell of urine, and these people, whom are known for eating dogs and cats, are now eating eggs soaked in piss. I have to say, I'm a little embarrassed to be Chinese right now.
Anyway, this unique springtime snack, favored by local residents deep in the coastal Zhejiang province, and is soaked in basins and buckets of boys' urine collected from primary school toilets. These "virgin boy eggs", as they're called, is a local tradition of soaking and cooking eggs in urine of young boys, preferably below the age of 10. Are you vomiting yet? Was this what Michael Jackson was referring to as 'Jesus Juice'? Now, there is not good explanation as to why it has to be boys’ urine, except for the fact that it has been that way for centuries.
The scent of these eggs being cooked in pots of urine is unmistakable as people pass the many street vendors in Dongyang who sell it, claiming that it is remarkably healthy for you. One vendor stated that if you eat these eggs, you will not get heat stroke. I think I'll take my chances! One customer, who bought 20 eggs, stated that by eating these eggs, he will not have any pain in his waist, legs, and joints. He also said that he'll have more energy when he works. I definitely think I will take my chances and stick to Red Bull.
It takes nearly an entire day to make these unique eggs, starting off by soaking and then boiling raw eggs in a pot of urine. After that, the shells of the hard-boiled eggs are cracked and they continue to simmer in urine for hours. Vendors have to keep pouring urine into the pot and controlling the fire to keep the eggs from being overheated and overcooked. One vendor said that he's been making the snack, which is popular for its fresh and salty taste (blach!), for more than 20 years. Each egg for $0.24 USD, a little more than twice the price of the regular eggs he also sells.
Many Dongyang residents, young and old, said that they believed in the tradition passed on by their ancestors that the eggs decrease body heat, promote better blood circulation and just generally reinvigorate the body. The eggs are not only bought at street vendors; apparently, local residents are also known to personally collect boys' urine from nearby schools to cook the delicacy in their homes. The snacks popularity has led to the local government to list the "virgin boy eggs" as an intangible cultural heritage.
But not everyone is a fan of the "virgin boy eggs"! Chinese medical experts have mixed reviews regarding the health benefits of the practice, with some warning about sanitary issues surrounding the use of urine to cook the eggs. Some Dongyang residents even said that they hated the eggs. Me? I think this is absolutely disgusting! I just told me sister about it, and her response was, "Why does it have to be Chinese people who are doing this?" Yes, this is a little embarrassing to read and write about, but for the record, I do not eat eggs soaked in piss! Neither does my family! I will say this; however, if I see my grandmother follow my nephew into the bathroom with a bucket, I am out of there!
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