Pig's Blood, On the rocks please.

You know how every year you look forward to the state fair because even though it is super crowded and smelly you love the fried food and excitement?

You are in luck because in Kaohsiung you can have the experience every night! Today I visited the Ruyifeng Night Market where there are snacks galore and shopping that would tire Tyra Banks herself. Edric, Lucy (Kiwi friend from the Gansu Fellowship program) and I hoped in a taxi and off to the night market we went. My host mother Tina met us there to share her knowledge about local snacks (I thought she wanted for me to eat “snakes” – not happening!). 

Getting some noodles and local snacks because heading to the night market.

Let me just say that everything that was available to eat usually isn’t a part of the animal I would ever consider eating. I started that night off really risky and pushing it to the limit with this seasoned pig’s blood! PIGBLOOD! They mold into what looks like a fudge bar to fool you – Edric said he prefers it natural or ‘on the rocks,’ as Lucy and I put it. It was the taste of thick pasta jello with slight taste flour. Not a fan, but hey, I ate pig’s blood – soon I’ll be biting bat’s heads off too! Just remember the name and remember it well – Zhu Xue Gao, which kind of rhymes of ‘bu hao.’

We look happy because at this point we still don't know what we are about to eat.

The rest of snacks were delicious. We had shrimp filled flat cakes (Don’t’ remember the Chinese), some gluttonous flavored balls, tomatoes filled with dates, quail eggs and a salty sprite made drink. All wonderful, and the night ended with a wonderful ride through the city on the back of my host mother’s motorbike. Awesome.    

Quail eggs.

Flavored balls.