If you happen to find yourself wandering the streets of one of China’s bigger cities, don’t be surprised if you stumble upon street food vendors cooking rocks and stones. They haven’t gone crazy and are actually preparing Suodiu, better known as the “world’s hardest dish.”
Suodiu originated thousands of years ago in popularity in China and has recently seen a resurgence as a delicacy or a street food option. The chef takes rocks sourced from freshwater streams and throws them in a deep pan with oil or lard. He then stir-fries them with other ingredients like spices, condiments, sauces, and veggies.
The dish is consumed by sucking on the stone to get all the flavors and then discarding it. The name Suodiu actually roughly translates to English as “suck and discard.”
The idea behind Suodiu is that freshwater rocks take on flavors of marine life over the years. When stir-fried, those flavors get enhanced and enrich other ingredients.
Suodiu became quite popular on social media in recent years thanks to an abundance of videos showing people either trying the dish on the street or cooking it themselves. If you are curious about it, check out some of the more popular clips below.
