Mmmmm

It's amazing when you have Chinese friends just how many unusual tastes you try. Things that to our ears sound very unappetising can turn out OK and if you persist, you often actually acquire a taste for the things (I liken it to Olives and how many hate the taste but after a few tries...love the taste)My friends often don't think something may be a little unusual for me and before I know it, I may have a "Green Bean Icecream" in my hand...or a cold refreshing drink of "Beans and White Tree Fungus". I have to say that I can't think of much that I really think is awful, no matter how weird it sounds...It is really often worth the try. You can often be suprised. My general rule of thumb here which all my friends know is 1)NO FISH -the river fish here are just full of many, many tiny small bones and I just can't handle it 2) NO DOG - I can't stand the thought (It's not common but can be bought) and 3)NOT TOO SPICY - I have always liked spicy food but was never prepared for the Yichang Spice Level. My tolerance level has risen but sometimes I still encounter some dishes that make your mouth feel like it has exploded. There are some little spicy balls here that you often find in the dishes served called "Chinese Prickly Ash" ...I call them "Chinese bombs". They hide amongst the food and if you don't find them and bite into one...WOW...The taste is so strong and the sensation is numbing..the lips, tongue etc tingles for a good twenty or minutes or so for me and if it permeates up your nostrils...BURN !!
But all things considered the food here is very, very tasty and YES...I love Green Bean IceCream. How they would try and market that in Australia...I don't know :-)