This viral Chinese dish is made of literal stones. Will you try a bite?

Have you ever fancied eating some pebbles or stones? If you did, then this Chinese "dish" with history will perhaps appeal to your taste buds. Dubbed the "world's hardest dish" and rightfully so, a Chinese dish is taking domestic and international social media by storm. 

You may find it hard to believe but this dish is made of stones... or more specifically, pebbles. Yes, the very same kind that is absolutely rock-hard. 

• This dish called suodiu in Chinese is a traditional stir-fry including pebbles as the key ingredient. 
• You are supposed to suck on the small rocks, relish the spicy flavors and discard the stones. You ARE NOT supposed to swallow or bite the stones.  
• Suodiu also means "suck and dispose" in Chinese. 

Amazing, Hubei specialty snacks, stir-fried stones.
Yes, this is pebbles from the river.
湖北嗦丢😋😋😋 pic.twitter.com/s7HK3moxRF

— Sharing Travel (@TripInChina) June 5, 2023

The dish is not exactly common in China since it has also gripped the curiosity of Chinese netizens. Videos of people sampling the curious dish or pranking their unsuspecting friends have gone viral on Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (like Instagram).

How is it prepared?

• Videos show street vendors frying up the pebbles in oil, spices, sauce, peppers, and other ingredients. 
• The vendors serve a small palm-sized portion of the dish for some $2 or Rs 170.
• Some people asked whether they have to return the stones, to which vendors said they can take them home as a souvenir. 

Suodiu
هي أكلة صينية مكونة من الحجر الذي يتم إلتقاطه من الأنهار والبحر .يلتقط الحجر طعم مميز من الأسماك . يطبخ مع الخضروات وبعض المنكهات وكأنك تأكل طبق بحري
Seafood pic.twitter.com/S8NYR294te

— ritta (@newaccount2050) March 6, 2023

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What's the history of the dish?

• The dish originated in the eastern Chinese province of Hubei several hundreds of years ago.
• Boatmen transporting goods through the Yangtze River in the landlocked province of Hubei would often run out of food while being stranded.
• They would turn to rocks from the river to suck on the minerals. The pebbles are said to have a fishy taste, which is enhanced by frying it up in spices. 
• It is also linked to the Tujia people, an ethnic minority from the Wuling mountain range near the borders of Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou.
• Of course with economic development and fewer chances of boatmen being stranded without supplies, this dish went out of popularity. 

Looks a bit heavy on the stomach 😁

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 6, 2023

But of course the dish also comes with choking risks and people have flagged the same. Some have also predicted the next food trend to be eating mud.  

Just a few weeks ago, Chinese social media was discussing "White People Food" or western food, praising and mocking in equal measure. 

[ALSO READ: Chinese Internet's reaction to White People Food is how Desi folks look at Western food]