Navigating restaurant menus in China is a bit of a daunting experience for Westerners, not least because the menus are typically written entirely in Chinese. In most countries, I’d get around this by simply pointing to whatever enticing food I see others eating, but in China – a country where “delicacies” seem to make up 90 per cent of the menu – this approach is only for the most daring souls.

Fortunately, a handful of restaurants in China have been thoughtful enough to write up a brief description of each dish in English… although I’m not entirely sure this is a step in the right direction. Descriptions like glutinous ball of bean paste and fried ovary of hairy crab don’t exactly whet my appetite (even if the first dish is actually a pretty innocuous local dessert and the second is simply crab roe).

If you feel like a good laugh (and a bit of head scratching – Sauteed Loofah? Huh?), scroll down to check out some of the more bizarre “Chinglish” translations I’ve come across. FYI, the dishes at these restaurants were actually amazing – even if their names left a lot to be desired!

{Sauteed Loofah. Your guess is as good as mine}

{Dumb Duck. Well, I guess it was if it allowed itself to end up on your plate}

{The trifecta: Stir-fried Gristles, Stir-fried Guts and Stir-fried Skin of Pig Feet}

{Natural Jelly Fish with Special Sauce. No imitation jelly fish used here}

{Spicy Duck Tongue. I didn’t even realize ducks had tongues}

{Pig Ear Shreds with Chili Oil…anyone?}