This is a story that just gets better (or worse) every step of the way.

We were at the Chinese market the other day and I ran across this unfortunately named delicacy: “Pasture Cake”

Now, I suppose you can’t expect the Taiwanese to know that a pasture cake is a cow turd, but it’s hard not to associate in my mind.

Then Chu-Wan translated it for me: It’s really “Cow Grass Cake”. How is that better???

Having never heard of this, Chu-Wan asked her father about it this evening. Apparently, Cow Grass is the latest health food craze in Taiwan, second only to pomegranate juice. No, it’s not figurative name, either. It really just is grass that cows eat. Not just any cow-eating grass, either. There are certain types of “famous” cow grass that grows in Taidong, and people make special trips there just to eat it.

Why?

Why is this considered healthful?

Well, just look at a cow. He’s big. He’s strong. All he eats is grass. Apparently in the Taiwanese mind it stands to reason that a person eating cow grass will grow big and strong like a cow. Perhaps it’s true, but I think the phrase “dumb as a cow” has to play in this equation somewhere, too.

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