It's what's for dinner

There are many thousands of Chinese restaurants around in the UK and everyone has their favourite dish, but only in China itself do chefs specialise in a range of slightly more unusual delicacies. 

 

The dish in front of me is grey and shiny. 

"Russian dog," says my waitress Nancy. 

"Big dog," I reply. 

"Yes," she says. "Big dog's penis..." 

We are in a cosy restaurant in a dark street in Beijing but my appetite seems to have gone for a stroll outside. 

Nancy has brought out a whole selection of delicacies.

They are draped awkwardly across a huge platter, with a crocodile carved out of a carrot as the centrepiece. 

Nestling beside the dog's penis are its clammy testicles, and beside that a giant salami-shaped object.

"Donkey," says Nancy. "Good for the skin..." 

She guides me round the penis platter. 

"Snake. Very potent. They have two penises each." 

I did not know that. 

[. . .]

The Guolizhuang restaurant claims to be China's only speciality penis emporium, and no, it is not a joke. . .