According to the Associated Press, 35 restaurants across China have been using opium poppies as a seasoning. The general manager of Hu Da, a chain of restaurants in Beijing that is under investigation, said that the restaurant may have unknowingly sourced seasoning containing opiates. The problem is large, but not nearly as much as the 2004 incident in the Guizhou province that shut down 215 restaurants for using the additive.
It is not clear if the amount of opiates used in a dish is enough to make a customer hooked on the drug, but someone who consumes the food will fail a drug test.
If you no longer feel like going to your local Chinese buffet, how about making some of your favorite Chinese dishes at home? Foodista has dozens of recipes! Here are a few of ou favorites:
Ginger Tea Soup with Chinese Noodles
General Tso's Chicken
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