Who doesn’t love Chinese cuisine? Among the myriad of mouthwatering dishes, one that stands out is the Stir-Fried Stone Dish. Yes, you read it correctly! A classic stir-fry with stones as its main ingredient has stirred gastronomic intrigue on social media, earning the moniker “the world’s hardest dish” (literally). Well, the dish has an intriguing preparation method and tantalising taste.
How Did This Dish Come Into Being?
TIL about a dish in Hubei, China called stir fried stones: they stir fry spices and herbs with round stones, and suck on the stones to get the flavor 😯 pic.twitter.com/HBVQKLrT4r
— Shan Meltzer 王杉 (@shanmeltzer) September 3, 2022
How do you eat this unique dish? You just suck on the tiny pebbles and enjoy the dish’s rich and spicy flavour. This originated in the region of Hubei in eastern China. This is rightfully known as Suodiu, which means “suck and dispose”. Over the past week, videos showing online users trying suodiu have proliferated throughout social media channels.
As the name suggests, the dish involves the use of heated stones as the primary cooking medium, resulting in a fascinating display of culinary ingenuity. The preparation process begins with selecting the appropriate stones. Moreover, those stones that can retain heat evenly are used for this dish. Traditionally, river stones or volcanic rocks are favoured for their excellent heat-retention properties
In addition, this dish was passed down for generations by boatmen, dating back hundreds of years. Back in the old days, when boatmen went stranded in the middle of a river and ran out of food, they would find stones to cook with other condiments to make a dish.
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Cooking This Stir-Fried Stone Dish
Stir-fried pebbles#suodiu #China #food #dish #stone #eat #SriLanka #wnow pic.twitter.com/jx7qKot2bL
— W NOW (@WNOW_NEWS) June 23, 2023
For this dish, you have to meticulously clean the stones and pre-heat them. However, the selection of ingredients is equally important for the stir-fried stone dish. This contributes to the distinct flavours and textures that make the dish so remarkable.
On a teppanyaki-style grill, vendors drizzle pebbles with chilli oil, top them with garlic sauce, and then stir-fry everything with a mixture of minced garlic and sliced peppers. The sizzling stones sear the ingredients swiftly. This creates a delightful sizzle and imparts a smoky, slightly charred taste that elevates the dish to new heights.
Nevertheless, this unique stir-fried stone dish continues to captivate food enthusiasts and gain recognition all over the internet!
Cover image credits: Canva