I sure hope you are being facetious! My husband's business partner went to China about 10 years ago, on business. Had to eat what was served at some obligatory dinner and was afraid to ask what it was he was eating. He got deathly ill and will have to take medication the rest of his life. Lost his pilot's license as well due to the headaches. No on the monkey brains no matter what the circumstances!
I'm afraid she's not. I have a friend who was also obliged to eat what was served at a high-level dinner. It wasn't just monkey brains: the monkey was alive and restrained when they cut the top of its head off and served it. Truly abysmal that such practices persist for the sake of ceremony or whatever passes for decorum. Stun it, bleed it, cut it and broil it. Then I'll eat it.
He did eat some duck tongue, but passed on the monkey brain. There are tables specifically built to accommodate the monkey brain, a large round table with a hole cut in the center. The poor monkey is put up from under the table, through the hole, and the top of its skull is removed, to reveal the brain. A great delicacy, I understand. I've been there, saw it done, but pled an "unspecified malady" and had to leave the table.
During our trips to China, all I ate was fruit, vegetables, rice and noodles. No meat. If I don't recognize it, I don't eat it. I have no doubt that I have offended some of our hosts. Too damn bad. At least I came back to the States with no illnesses.
Foreign travel is always an adventure. I've really tried to be open minded and not judge them by my American standards. I can handle a hole in the floor for a toilet, and no toilet paper. I always travel with my own washcloths, because you cannot find them in most foreign countries. (I wonder what they do in place of them) I've had people spit on me because I was a "foreign devil". (Actually this only happened once) Most have been very kind and terribly curious. I've had some tenderly touch my hair because they had never seen blonde hair before. I've had small children pull on my hand to come down to their level just to see my blue eyes, an anomoly for them. But I do draw the line at putting into my stomach things that revulse me.
For many years, Mr. RR and I kept foreign exchange students. They always told us, "You Americans are too proud, but now we know why. You deserve to be proud."
I am so very glad and so proud to be an American.
Rant off.