One man's meat is another's poison

Chronicles of life in China devote chapter and verse to the ongoing battle between government authorities and consumers

Fancy a fruit bat for breakfast? How about a few sea slugs in your soup? Or some scales from the ant-eating pangolin for starters? If none of the above is to your taste, some succulent morsels of dog meat might pass as a health-giving and warming repast to fend off the icy winds that sweep through the bitter winters of northern China.

Many of these tastes are considered treats in countries of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Rim, and especially China. In the Seychelles and Guam Mariana, fruit bats are considered a delicacy. The current outbreak of coronavirus