China's first man in space has said that Chinese astronauts eat dog meat to keep up their strength when they orbit around the earth.
"Many of my friends are curious about what we eat (in space) and think that the astronauts must have some expensive delicacies, like shark's fin or abalone," he wrote. "Actually we ate quite normal food, there is no need to keep it a secret," he added.
He listed a menu including braised chicken, steamed fish and dog meat, which is famed for its nutritional benefits in China.
A local proverb in the south of China is that "Huajiang dog is better for you than ginseng", referring to the medicinal root that plays a vital role in traditional Chinese medicine.
He also added that the diet had been specially designed by Chinese nutritionists and that dog is widely eaten in northern China, where it is believed to help battle the winter cold.