By Paul Mayow
It is that time of year in China, flowers are blooming, bees are copulating and in one coastal town street vendors are selling local a delicacy - eggs hardboiled in the urine of young boys.
It is spring time in Dongyang and happy children walk home from school in the sun.
But for some – there is the after school job of providing the pivotal ingredient for a local delicacy known as virgin boy eggs.
Buckets of urine excreted only by virgin boys up to the age of 10 are collected from a public toilet everyday.
It is used to soak and then boil eggs in before the shells are cracked and the hard boiled eggs returned to the pot to simmer for a few hours more.
Top vendor Ge Yaohua says the fresh and salty taste is the secret of the eggs’ success.
"Our family has them for every meal. In Dongyang, every family likes eating them."
Locals say the eggs have numerous health benefits.
"Our ancestors did this. By eating these eggs, we will not have any pain on our waist, legs and joints. Also, you will have more energy when you do work."
But not everyone is convinced, most notably China's health officials who say it is unsanitary to eat eggs cooked in urine.
And some locals say sellers are just making a mockery.
"I feel that I do not like to eat these eggs. Other people say the eggs prevent things like getting a cold. I don't believe in all this, so I do not eat it."
3 News