Who doesn’t know them, China’s late-night street food stalls offering a quick treat after a night of partying? Their menu is usually meat-heavy and greasy, often hygienically questionable, but always hearty and fragrant. Who could resist, even if meat skewers and the like go straight to the belly and hips? On China’s social media, one snack is currently trending that seems to be made for such moments: suodiu – fried stones. The pebbles are seasoned with garlic and chili and then sucked down and spit out by calorie-conscious gourmets. The dish is said to have come from Hubei and was born out of necessity centuries ago by boatmen. They ran out of vegetables and meat and therefore helped themselves with the stones they found in the river.