Cow dung hotpot, anyone? China’s ‘dark cuisine’ dish has deep cultural roots

The mere idea of this dish might be enough to make some people’s stomachs turn. Hailing from southwest China’s mountainous Guizhou province, the notorious niubie or ‘cow dung’ hotpot is a stew made from bile and undigested grass from a cow’s stomach and intestines. Also known as bitter or cow bile hotpot, this creation often falls into the category of ‘dark cuisine’ in Chinese gastronomy, which refers to unexpected food combinations that challenge culinary norms.