I often eat it while I walk around the market and look at the shops and people, or I take it home and munch on it while I do my homework. Lǔwèi is savory, with a little sweetness from the broth. Each animal part has its own texture: the hearts are a bit chewy, the liver is creamy, the tendons are gummy, and the tripe is soft.
You take a basket and tongs and choose the foods you want. Depending on the stand, the vendor either cooks your selections in broth or cuts the already-cooked foods and puts them in a bag. They may also add green onions and pickled mustard greens. But there is another step behind the scenes. For the dry kind, the foods are cooked before the stand opens, simmering in a dark broth called lǔshuǐ (滷水) made with soy sauce, star anise, ginger, rock sugar, and other spices. For the soup, some raw foods are cooked in the broth right in front of you.
I live inside a night market, which is made up of streets and alleyways. My apartment is located in one of the alleys. When I open my window I can see the end of the market. I can hear vendors talking and food sizzling. Sometimes I can even smell the cooking! In less than five minutes, I can walk to five different stands. Night markets are open almost every night, and many people eat while walking around. Eating organs uses more parts of the animal instead of throwing them away, which helps reduce food waste.
Have you ever tried animal organs? Would you?
