'Dogshit Cake' Packaged As Shanghai Specialty Snared In Controversy

2016/10/24

Han Jing

A snack called “Dogshit Cake,” marketed as a Shanghai specialty, has become embroiled in controversy after locals said they had never heard of it.

Authorities from Minhang District Market Supervision Administration say there are no set standards or definitions on what makes a Shanghai specialty and therefore becomes a little difficult to judge.

The snack, packaged in a linen sack with characters “Shanghai Specialty” on it, is on sale at local supermarkets, tourist attractions and online shops. Tourists from other provinces have bought the snack without real knowledge of it.

In Chinese, “dogshit” has a connotation of dumb luck. Vendors claim that those who have the snack will embrace dumb luck. A sack of “dogshit cake” is priced at 42 yuan (US$6.2) at franchise stores while it is being sold between 25 and 28 yuan online.

Some Web users have commented on the product as follows:

Never heard of this, must be created by the vendor!
I’ve also seen this sold in Shaanxi Province.
There is “dogshit candy” in Sichuan Province.
Never tasted this one before, I’d like to try it.
There isn’t a word like “dog shit” or “dog shit luck” in Shanghai dialect. Tourists certainly want to try genuine local specialty instead of a fabricated one.

Most Read

'Dogshit Cake' Packaged As Shanghai Specialty Snared In Controversy

Email this to your friend