Now on the Menu in China: “Candied Trump”

As the US and China’s “trade war” rumbles on, it’s not surprising that terms including the name “Trump” are trending on Chinese social media. But “candied Trump” is an unexpected entry into the canon.

The term “拔丝特朗普” (basi Telangpu) is picking up traction on Weibo however after Beijing-based user Guo Yanping posted a photo of a dish that he claimed carried the name over the weekend. The process of “basi” – coating ingredients in melted sugar – is regularly applied to chunks of sweet potato, apple, or banana, especially in dongbei (northeastern) cuisine in China. Ordinarily, it’s a super tasty treat, but this version….

In this case the golden shower of candied strings (presumably made with white sugar) has apparently been named after the 45th President of the United States of America as… a tribute? Or a bizarre dig?

The accompanying caption appears to suggest the latter: “Our people are not only ingenious when it comes to eating food, but also patriotic,” wrote Guo.

Lest we forget, this isn’t the first time the Chinese internet has had fun with unusual Trump look-a-likes. There was the fetching golden pheasant at Hangzhou Safari Park, which went viral in late 2016:

And there was the more direct tribute of a Trump rooster outside a Shanxi shopping mall, which has since been replaced with a Trump dog, reflecting the change in the Lunar calendar:

#TrumpRooster welcomes #ChineseNewYear in Taiyuan, N China's Shanxi province https://t.co/quosHmdMgQ pic.twitter.com/UHA7iAi7DX

— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) December 27, 2016

Bask in the glory of China's giant Donald Trump Dog: https://t.co/fXZVkCiqXE pic.twitter.com/q9Z7P3WC2Q

— Mashable (@mashable) December 28, 2017

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