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The concept of this dish alone may be enough to make you sick to your stomach. Hailing from southwest China\u2019s mountainous Guizhou province, the notorious cow dung or niubie<\/em> hotpot is a stew that is made out of undigested grass from a cow\u2019s stomach and intestines, as well as cow bile.<\/p>\n Also known as bitter or cow bile hotpot, this creation often falls into the category of \u201cdark cuisine\u201d in Chinese gastronomy, which refers to unconventional food combinations that challenge culinary norms.<\/p>\n Dishes under this umbrella can span from experimental dishes to \u201cdisgusting\u201d ingredients that have gained popularity for their shock value or social media shareability. Yet, often, they are surprisingly pleasant to consume.<\/p>\n Upon entering the premises of several niubie<\/em> specialists, we were surprised to find they were like any other hotpot restaurant \u2013 with no particularly unpleasant smells, and just a lot of people sitting down to green hotpots for dinner.<\/p>\n There is nothing repulsive about the smell of the concoction; if anything, it smells like Chinese herbal soup. Upon tasting, the first flavour is the familiar umami of spicy beef broth, but then the bitter notes of Chinese herbs soon bloom at the back of the palate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCurious to find out how it is prepared, we head to Rong Jiang Niu Bie Huo Wo Dian in Zunyi, 140km (87 miles) north of Guizhou\u2019s capital Guiyang. In the restaurant\u2019s kitchen, we see the chef stir-frying aromatics such as garlic, ginger, spring onions and Guizhou\u2019s famous chillies<\/span>, followed by the beef and offal, before pouring in the infamous grass-and-bile mixture. All this is brought to boil in a wok before serving.<\/div>\n