U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says she ate psychedelic mushrooms during her July trip to China.Photo:Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Janet Yellenhad a mind-blowing meal during her trip to China last month.
Appearing on CNN’sOutFrontMonday, the United States treasury secretary, 77, told host Erin Burnett that she dined at a restaurant in Beijing called Yi Zuo Yi Wang (or In and Out — no relation to the burger chain) and was served a dish featuring mushrooms known for their psychedelic effects.
“So I went with this large group of people, and the person who had arranged our dinner did the ordering,” recounted Yellen, who was visiting Beijing as part of an effort to improve U.S.-China relations. “There was this delicious mushroom dish. I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties.”
“I learned that later,” she added with a laugh.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng during a trip to Beijing in July.Mark Schiefelbein - Pool/Getty
Mark Schiefelbein - Pool/Getty
Smoothly sidestepping Burnett’s pressing for more details about the effects she experienced that night, Yellen explained, “I read that if the mushrooms are cooked properly, which I’m sure they were at this very good restaurant, that they have no impact."
From the sounds of it, Yellen has no regrets about her dining experience. “All of us enjoyed the mushrooms, the restaurant, and none of us felt any ill effects from having eaten them," she said.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Burnett noted that magic mushroom dishes are now selling out across China, thanks to the economist. “You have sparked all this,” she told Yellen.
source: people.com
