Mosquito Eye Soup?!?

[Itchyfeet]

Bit of a warning: This is not for the sqeamish. If you have just eaten, stop reading. You have been duly warned.

I met a Chinese guy once who told me about a delicacy in some parts of China, Mosquito Eye soup. I was sure he was having me on, but the other day another person mentioned it, so I thought I would see if anyone else has heard about it.

The first guy described the process like this (this is the gross part).

A cow is killed, hung up in something like a hut, and the windows left open. Mosquitos are then attracted to the carcass. At some point a bunch of bats are thrown in, and the windows closed. The bats eat the mosquitos, but are unable to digest the eyes. The bats are then caught, and the stomachs cut open to extract the intact mosquito eyes. Yummy.

The second guy thought it went a bit different, ie that bat guano (that's bat poop to you and me) contains the (undigested) eyes, and the eyes are somehow extracted from it.

First question: why?

Second, can anyone confirm this delicacy exists?

Third, if this isn't fiction, has anyone actually tried it? Was it worth it? Seriously?

[Jacko]

Sounds like an awfully great waste of a cow to me, especailly in a country where meat has been hard to come by.

Urban legend I bet, probably a joke originating in China, on just how far some people are prepared to go for an exotic 'delicacy.'

I would not mind trying it though.

[liuzhou]

Almost certainly a myth.

As has been pointed out, who in their right mind would sacrifice a cow to gain a few milligrams of 'mosquito eyes'?

Then we have the bats. Where do they come from?

And mosquito eyes are indigestible! Why?

Now wasps penises, that is a different story!

[hzrt8w]

My first reaction was that you were pulling our legs. If you are really just relaying a story, then someone is pulling your legs.

I am a native Chinese. I have never heard of such a "delicacy" remotely resembles what you described.

There is a certain stereotype on that Chinese people eat all sort of strange things. To counter those stereotypes, I sometimes joke around and say I eat monkey brains and elephant butts and whatever comes to mind.

[wiz_oz]

In all probabliity it is a bit of fun and nonsense.

Normally, if there is only a small portion of the animal (Read tenderloin here for cattle) or plant (read saffron here) that is available, the more costly it will be.

Now, what can beat mozzie eyes?

[Xiao Yu]

I don't think bug eyes are indigestible...they're not made of any special material or anything, so this sounds like a joke, especially the part about wasting a good cow to get bugs Though I've seen people eating steamed grasshoppers...ugh.

I did see some guy either in Europe or the US who had fangs installed just to eat his fav food: live roaches. And this was real, too...

[roddy]

this sounds like a joke, especially the part about wasting a good cow to get bugs

Hey, we waste good grain to get cows . . .

Roddy

[Xiao Yu]

And many places waste good earth to keep grain prices down...

[Itchyfeet]

Though I've seen people eating steamed grasshoppers...ugh.

Closest I've got is boendegi in Korea, which is boiled Silk Worm larvea. Still beats Kimchi.

As to the Mozzie Eyes, I was kind of hoping you guys would confirm this, but I accept your verdict! Does sound a bit far fetched.

But I'm not going to let that stop me doing my part to spread this (apparent) urban myth. As the saying goes, Why spoil a good story for the sake of the truth?

Speaking of sayings, what is that one about Chinese eating habits? Something like: Everything with four legs, except the table; everything that flies, except the plane. I can't remember it exactly. Anyone know the Chinese for this?

I guess the mozzie eye soup story is a play on this.

[Quest]

In Cantonese, we say 背脊向天人所食.

[Ion Mirror]

Link to Bird Nest Soup:

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/bltrivia33.htm

Recipes:

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/asia/chinese/soup/00/rec0005.html

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/swallowsnest.htm

[流]

On a similar note, has anyone heard about fetus soup?

link removed

This is bs, right? (I hope...)

[wiz_oz]

I really, really , really hope it is BS.

[roddy]

Why did you even bother posting that? I mean really, why?

[流]

Some Taiwanese kid was telling me about it...and amazingly, had me about 20% convinced it was real.. So, I just wanted to make sure it was crazy... Mmk, good.

[roddy]

Either it's fake - see here, original topic here and it doesn't need to be posted, or it's real and doesn't need to be posted. Stuff like this just gets spread around by misguided, gullible fools - if you actually think it's real then for Christ's sake send it to the police, not us.

[heifeng]

I've heard of people eating placenta since it's suppose to be really "nutritious". Since there seems to be plenty of quackery on this and that and everything else labeled as high in nutrients in China (including fatty, sugary drinks and snacks) and since I think there are some lingering old old-time beliefs here and there, I am not necessarily believing this to be true, yet wouldn't actually be surprised if it was....