“…Jiaohua Ji or Beggar’s Chicken is up next. The Jiangsu Province specialty is made by covering an entire chicken with clay and baking it for nearly six hours. The legend of its origin says the mud or clay, when cooked and cracked open, removes the bird’s feathers, completely revealing juicy meat.
Not everything is appealing. We shy away from the pig snouts, feet, knees, and ears, and I stare at a gelatinous mound of cubes shaking on a cook’s grill. Chao Menzi, a starch-based Dalian delicacy, is getting fried. Another alarming sight I’ve heard of before catches my attention. Piled high in a kettle are boiling Shi Dan; these eggs have fetuses in them that you have to crunch through. We keep walking…”
Read the whole post here: http://www.vergemagazine.com/work-abroad/blogs/2079-walking-through-the-market.html
Wandering But Not Lost 
Lovely post on the other blog. I agree with you. Not everything at a wet and outdoor Chinese market is appealing. I am very much a meat eater and love my meat but sometimes the smell of raw meat just gets to me in a bad way. That said, it is always quite a sight and experience at these markets. I used to go to a lot of these markets while I lived in Malaysia and there will always be haggling going on for the best bargain, be it for groceries or sweet treats.
The street markets in South East Asian countries are great! I also liked walking around the Malaysian, Cambodian, and Thai markets when I visited those places. Just a lot different atmosphere from the States.
Definitely not a street for me being a strict vegetarian especially those eggs. I have eaten the sweet potato from the street sellers though in Beijing. Seemed to be pretty healthy and delicious.