We all know we live in a strange world with an incredible variety in customs and traditions. But when it comes to food, things get really out of control. Here are ten most peculiar foods in the word that will make you appreciate your mom’s greasy fries even more.
1. Fried Mars bars
Just as we all choose French fries in any fast food restaurant, the Scottish people have another option on the menu: fried Mars bars. According to sources, fried Mars bars have been on the menu in Scotland ever since 1995.
2. Donkey penis
If you are wondering about the latest trend in Chinese kitchen, here it is: donkey penis. It is served boiled or fried in oil, or simply dried and sliced thin slice like salami. Does it turn your stomach upside down?
3. Baby mice wine
Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese (yes, they have many weird foods) and Korean “health tonic”, which apparently tastes like raw gasoline. Little mice with their eyes still closed are snatched from their loving families and stuffed, while still alive, into a bottle of rice wine.
They are left to ferment and served.
4. Escamoles
Escamoles or larvae of ants of the species Liometopum are considered to be “the caviar of insects”. This Mexican dish or delicacy is prepared by frying and serving the larvae as tacos, a traditional Mexican food consisting of a tortilla with various fillings. Surprisingly, escamoles taste like butter and their consistency is of cottage cheese. Nonetheless, you will still be eating insects.
5. Hakarl
American chef Anthony Bourdain called this dish from Island the most disgusting and terrible thing ever and this is why it made our top on most peculiar foods in the world. This remark may be due to the fact that the meat comes from a species of shark in Greenland, which is so rich in uric acid that it cannot be consumed without the meat being treated for six to eight weeks.
6. Cheese with fly larvae
It is a cheese prepared from sheep’s milk. So far it sounds good, but is filled with some fly larvae which are designed to make the cheese softer, due to the acid in their digestive system. Although it is banned in Italy because it is dangerous for health, this type of cheese is consumed by the locals. They claim that cheese should not be consumed when the larvae are dead, but when you see translucent worms swarming.
7. Century eggs
Century eggs are duck or chicken eggs which are eaten after being held several months in a saline solution, during which they develop a greenish color. Despite appearance, they are considered delicacies.
8. Fugu fish
It is one of the most popular Japanese dishes and it especially puts your life in danger. The Fugu fish is highly toxic and if not cleaned and prepared properly, it can be fatal. More than 20 people have died in Japan in the past 20 years after eating the Fugu.
9. Cuy
In Ecuador, guinea pigs are considered a real delicacy. This characteristic is even more appreciated, as a couple of guinea pigs are offered as a wedding gift. Cuy has a flavor comparable to that of a rabbit, though for many people, it is a mere a guinea pig pet. The name “cuy” comes from the specific sound that the pets make.
10. Balut
You’ve probably heard of Balut before, but we couldn’t have an article on peculiar food without mentioning it. Balut comes from the Philippines and it is a fertilized goose or chicken egg, with a nearly developed embryo inside, boiled and eaten in the shell. In the Philippines, China and Vietnam, this dish is considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac. It’s a food with a high protein content and it is served with a beer. These eggs are highly praised for their flavor and texture and the fluid surrounding the embryo is sipped by consumers before the shell is removed. It is even considered an energetic food. In the Philippines, this dish has joined the list of fine foods, and it is consumed in restaurants. In China there is a similar dish, “maoden” or hairy egg.
We hope we did not make you completely lose your appetite with our list of most peculiar foods in the word. Do you know any other strange food that are worth mentioning?
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