Skim milk, 2 percent, whole milk, fat free milk, or vitamin D milk? Oreos or the generic, cling wrap or saran wrap? For some of us going to the supermarket in our own countries is confusing enough, endless aisles looming with decisions to be made. In a Chinese supermarket the problem is compounded by the lack of clear English signage, the inevitable flock of girls dressed in matching outfits armed with trays of thimbles of Nescafe, and of course the dizzying arrays of new products. And if that weren’t enough, there is a labyrinth of departments each with their own system of measuring and weighing, bagging and tagging, with cashiers to be seen and receipts to be exchanged for goods… and all that long before you ever hit the checkout.

One system that’s caught many an expat unawares at least once is that most supermarkets have you weigh and bag vegetables in the vegetable section and not at the checkout. I can’ t tell you how many times I’ve held up long lines of unhappy shoppers while I rushed back to have a price tag put on an onion.

Another thing you should know is that in supermarkets the prices are often listed by 500gms. But the scales are in Jin (1 Jin = 1 kg) so you may think at first that you’re being charged twice the amount and get angry about it (not naming any names).

Most of us will be a little confused and creeped out by some of the items being offered. The hanging spines gnarled with flesh like a Francis Bacon painting always worry me. And the trays of organs while beautiful in their vivid reds hues are a bit terrifying. Cuts of meat often seem to be random and don’t often look like the neatly packaged steaks, chicken breasts and pork chops you get back home. It’s not only the meat that might look different. There are a plethora of unknown products lurking in each department. If you’re like me, then the weirder it is the more you’re totally curious as to what that crazy-looking thing could possibly taste like.

Here’s a list of 4 foods you might not recognize:

Duck’s Blood Tofu (鸭血豆腐): Vegetarians beware! China has so many great soy products; most supermarkets even have their own soy counter where you can get fresh tofu and soymilk, tofu ‘skin’, and all manners of gluten. However there is danger lurking for those who don’t eat meat. That dark red-brown… blood-colored tofu is not vegetarian at all. Actually it’s not even tofu. “Duck’s Blood Tofu” is actually chunks of clotted duck blood. It turns out that sometimes the blood in question is actually from cows or pigs as it’s cheaper. I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse. Despite this, it can actually be quite tasty cooked in a spicy broth or to add depth to a stew or sauce.

Black Chickens (乌鸡): These freaked me out when I first saw them. They look exactly like any other plucked chicken except they are black. People who have seen them will know how profoundly disconcerting it is to see something you’re seen your whole life in a new, blue-black, color. I thought somehow a chicken had completely rotted. Turns out the chickens are black all the way through and not dyed or pickled. They’re more expensive than regular chicken, taste a bit different, and are supposed to be good for women’s health. You’ll probably never see a black Gong Bao Ji Ding because it’ s usually eaten in soup. Strangely enough, many of these chickens when alive actually have white feathers!

Durian (榴莲): You’ll smell it long before you ever see it. The smell is bad, so bad that it is forbidden to eat it in public places in Singapore. Many people say the fruit is really delicious, I’ve honestly heard tiramisu bandied about as a comparison, but although I’ve eaten it I can’t get over the smell. My first experience with Durian was in a shake in New York’s Chinatown that made the area between my nose and lip tingle uncomfortably and tasted like plaster and aluminum. Construction material flavored burps plagued me for hours. It’s certainly worth trying once, but often that is enough for most people.

Dragon Fruit (火龙果): Finally an easy one for foreigners to like. Dragon fruit are beautiful fuchsia colored fruit with a creamy white interior flecked with black seeds. In Chinese they are the “fire dragon fruit” and it makes sense when you see them. You don’t eat the peel so although you may have eaten it before you wouldn’t recognize it in the store. Great added to a green or fruit salad or just eaten plain.

Though the store might be overwhelming and off-putting (my local supermarket features TVs all over the store showing videos of their meat cutting operations, while they’re designed to assure customers of the quality and hygiene, the men suited up in white jumpsuits with band saws doesn’t do much for my appetite) you can find really great, fresh and interesting produce. Explore further and you’ll find there are aisles and shelves filled with new treats. The range of leafy vegetables and mushrooms is amazing, tofu lovers have plenty to try, and there are all sorts of freshly made breads and buns. I suggest every trip buying one new item you’ve never seen before. Who knows, you might find yourself coming back for more.

Related Links
Supermarkets in Beijing
Supermarkets in Shanghai
Supermarkets in Guangzhou

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.