Virgin boy egg

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Virgin boy eggs are a traditional dish of Dongyang, Zhejiang, China in which eggs are boiled in the urine of young boys who were presumably peasants, preferably under the age of ten. Named "tong zi dan" (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Tóngzidàn), the dish translates literally to "boy egg" and is a springtime tradition of the city where the urine is collected from prepubescent peasant boys. The eggs have been listed by officials in China as a part of the region's "local intangible cultural heritage"

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The dish is prepared by first soaking the eggs in the urine of young boys. The urine is sourced locally by each vendor. Then the mixture is heated over a stove. After boiling, the egg shells are cracked around the entire surface of the egg. Afterwards, the eggs are placed back into the urine. The used urine is then replaced with fresh urine and the process is repeated. The soaking process allows the eggs to become cured in the urine as they are left to simmer. The entire process is generally a day-long endeavor.

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Urine therapy has been a significant part of traditional Chinese medicine for much of its history.

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Virgin boy eggs are widely accepted as a time-honored tradition of the city, rather than considered taboo like most other cultures.[1] Boy egg vendors go to elementary schools in the city where they collect urine from young boys, preferably under the age of ten. The children, having been raised in the city and its culture, are used to the practice. As young boys would in schools from many other cultures, they excuse themselves from class when they feel the urge to urinate. However, instead of going to the restroom, they relieve themselves in the basin that the vendors place in the hallways. Some vendors go as far as to wait with containers in parks or public restrooms for a parent who is willing to let their child offer urine.[1][7] The teachers, being accustomed to the tradition as well, often remind the boys to not urinate in the basin if any of them have a fever or feel ill.

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