Drunken Shrimp

There are all kinds of interesting things that are served as delicacies here. We have really made it a point to try all kinds of new things (when in Rome,...). Last week Andy's dad was visiting us and we took him to a restaurant known for typical Suzhou food. We ordered "drunken shrimp." They take live shrimp, place them in alcohol, as the shrimp drink the alcohol they get drunk and die. Then after this, you eat the shrimp. Just think of it as a really creative way of doing sushi. My favorite part about this is that the dish is brought to the table with shrimp alive and (literally) kicking. Becca had a real interest in this dish, but deemed (by herself) that she would not be allowed to eat it because it had alcohol and that is a grown-up drink. ;-) 

The dish is served with a cover on and you watch as they flop around and then gradually stop. We were unsure at what point we were okay to eat it. I certainly didn't want to eat something moving.

The shrimp were surprisingly small and since you had to peel them, it was a lot of work for very little.

Though they were really delicious! I think I out-ate everybody on this one. It was really yummy. I decided to make good use of the ashtray and put the shells and stuff in it!