Hermes and Scorpion Shish Kabobs

I’m in Beijing – the only city on earth that you can buy a $10,000 Hermes handbag and a bamboo skewer of deep fried scorpions on the same block.

You can’t make this stuff up. One minute, I’m walking down the street window-shopping, and a lady saunters out of Hermes with a new Birkin.

Then BAM!, I turn the corner and there’s an entire street of food vendors selling a bizarre, but mostly delicious, assortment of food. Including live scorpions on a skewer, just waiting to be fried up and eaten. Tasty.

Scorpion not your thing? How about a starfish or an innocent baby seahorse? 

People actually eat these too. I watched a Chinese kid down three deep fried scorpions that we alive just seconds before. Granted, it appeared to be on a dare, but he still ate them - he said they were crunchy.

I’m not that adventurous in my food consumption, but I did try some candied grapes and some chicken kabobs.