<p>There is also the following aphorism:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>北京人什么都敢说，广东人什么都敢吃，上海人什么都敢穿。</p>
  
  <p><em>Běijīng rén shénme dōu gǎn shuō, Guǎngdōng rén shénme dōu gǎn chī, Shànghǎi rén shénme dōu gǎn chuān.</em></p>
  
  <p>Beijing people dare to say anything, Guangdong people dare to eat anything, Shanghai people dare to wear anything.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I have found a reference to it on a <a href="http://www.8341.cn/bbs/simple/?t31667.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BBS Forum post from 2007</a>, but I'm pretty sure it can be dated to way before that.</p>

<p>There are further additions to the pattern, and the order is often transposed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T16:00:54.937Z
2019-03-13T16:00:54.937Z
Michaelyus
<p>Cantonese also eat Fujianese. Although it's a Chinese joke. But any creature should be scare when it's arrive Guangdong. Yes, they eat almost everything.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T09:20:42.447Z
If you can add the Chinese "广东人吃福建人" that would greatly improve your answer.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T15:53:31.947Z
Apparently this dates from the Chinese Internet of [2017](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B9%BF%E4%B8%9C%E4%BA%BA%E5%90%83%E7%A6%8F%E5%BB%BA%E4%BA%BA).
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T09:01:42.970Z
2019-03-13T09:01:42.970Z
user21580
<p>Yes. In China, such joke has many versions, and most young have hear about one or more version of them. </p>

<pre><code> "广东人有三不吃:天上飞的不吃飞机;水里游的不吃潜艇;陆上跑的不吃汽车！
</code></pre>

<p>Cantonese people eat much more kinds of things that other Chinese don't eat, even other Chinese can't image for eating. something dangerous, ugly to eat, such as snake, insect ... It is an exaggeration.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-09T05:41:38.323Z
2017-05-09T05:49:52.157Z
2017-05-09T05:49:52.157Z
treesong
<p>The origin of the statement is unknown, which I think is probably a mix of popular culture self-mocking and westerner discrimination. </p>

<p>Although Chinese does has many bizarre food and quite liberal on food (unlike protestant) , some simply think they can are open to all sort of food.</p>

<p>IMHO, I don't think Cantonese are brave enough to consume Iceland <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1karl" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hákarl</a>. On the other hand, Iceland people will look at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">century egg</a> in horror. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T15:56:24.477Z
Actually these two foods might have more in common [than expected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9csF0FnGAQ) (YouTube link).
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-13T14:54:18.790Z
2019-03-13T14:54:18.790Z
mootmoot
<p>The saying I heard was: 「有四隻腳嘅除咗檯，有對翼嘅除咗飛機，廣東人都會食。」 </p>

<p>It is quite wordy and very likely a direct translation from English.</p>

<p>There's however, an elegant saying about Chinese wide range of food choice. It is 「背脊向天人所食」(if something's back is facing the sky, it is for people to eat) 
That includes almost every living creature. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-06T06:14:36.707Z
2017-05-06T06:14:36.707Z
Tang Ho
<p>Wikivoyage's guide to Guangzhou, amongst others, <a href="https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guangzhou#Eat" rel="nofollow noreferrer">says</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A well-known Chinese joke is that they eat anything that has four legs other than a table, anything that flies other than an airplane, and anything that swims other than a submarine.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, I've also heard it attributed to <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2017/05/05/all-things-he-said-legacy-prince-philip-and-his-all-too-often-racist-comments?cid=trending" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Prince Philip</a>.</p>

<p>Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-06T23:48:27.073Z
Yes, if you go to big restaurant in Guangdong, you'll oftentimes find a menagerie at the front, it's almost like you're going to a zoo. They have all types of animals from mundane ones like chickens and geese you monkeys and crocodiles. If you're (un)lucky you could see them getting killed in front of you. We Cantonese are quite the cynical bunch.
Gary Quan
<saying>
Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?
# Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-06)

Wikivoyage's guide to Guangzhou, amongst others, [says](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Guangzhou#Eat)

> A well-known Chinese joke is that they eat anything that has four legs other than a table, anything that flies other than an airplane, and anything that swims other than a submarine.

However, I've also heard it attributed to [Prince Philip](http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2017/05/05/all-things-he-said-legacy-prince-philip-and-his-all-too-often-racist-comments?cid=trending).

Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?

**Tags:** saying

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, if you go to big restaurant in Guangdong, you'll oftentimes find a menagerie at the front, it's almost like you're going to a zoo. They have all types of animals from mundane ones like chickens and geese you monkeys and crocodiles. If you're (un)lucky you could see them getting killed in front of you. We Cantonese are quite the cynical bunch.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2017-05-06. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

The saying I heard was: 「有四隻腳嘅除咗檯，有對翼嘅除咗飛機，廣東人都會食。」

It is quite wordy and very likely a direct translation from English.

There's however, an elegant saying about Chinese wide range of food choice. It is 「背脊向天人所食」(if something's back is facing the sky, it is for people to eat)
That includes almost every living creature.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-03-13. Score: 1

There is also the following aphorism:

> 北京人什么都敢说，广东人什么都敢吃，上海人什么都敢穿。
>
> *Běijīng rén shénme dōu gǎn shuō, Guǎngdōng rén shénme dōu gǎn chī, Shànghǎi rén shénme dōu gǎn chuān.*
>
> Beijing people dare to say anything, Guangdong people dare to eat anything, Shanghai people dare to wear anything.

I have found a reference to it on a [BBS Forum post from 2007](http://www.8341.cn/bbs/simple/?t31667.html), but I'm pretty sure it can be dated to way before that.

There are further additions to the pattern, and the order is often transposed.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-03-13. Score: 1

Cantonese also eat Fujianese. Although it's a Chinese joke. But any creature should be scare when it's arrive Guangdong. Yes, they eat almost everything.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: If you can add the Chinese "广东人吃福建人" that would greatly improve your answer.  
> **username_2**: Apparently this dates from the Chinese Internet of [2017](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B9%BF%E4%B8%9C%E4%BA%BA%E5%90%83%E7%A6%8F%E5%BB%BA%E4%BA%BA).  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-05-09. Score: 1

Yes. In China, such joke has many versions, and most young have hear about one or more version of them.

```
 "广东人有三不吃:天上飞的不吃飞机;水里游的不吃潜艇;陆上跑的不吃汽车！

```

Cantonese people eat much more kinds of things that other Chinese don't eat, even other Chinese can't image for eating. something dangerous, ugly to eat, such as snake, insect ... It is an exaggeration.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-03-13. Score: 0

The origin of the statement is unknown, which I think is probably a mix of popular culture self-mocking and westerner discrimination.

Although Chinese does has many bizarre food and quite liberal on food (unlike protestant) , some simply think they can are open to all sort of food.

IMHO, I don't think Cantonese are brave enough to consume Iceland [Hákarl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1karl). On the other hand, Iceland people will look at [century egg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg) in horror.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Actually these two foods might have more in common [than expected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9csF0FnGAQ) (YouTube link).  

---

