Without being too ethnocentric, there are some foods in different cultures - in fact there are some foods in our own culture - that just sound disgusting. Here is a list of some of the worst offenders:
Escamoles: Mexico - Eggs from a venomous ant that are often eaten in tacos.
Casu Marzu: Sardinia, Italy - All you need to know is that by the time the cheese is ready to eat, it will have tousands of maggots in it.
Lutefisk: Norway - Codfish that has been soaked in lye for two days.
Baby Mice Wine: Korea - Live mice are put in a bottle of rice wine and left to ferment.
Pacha: Iraq - Boiled sheep’s head.
Balut: The Philippines - A nearly grown duck fetus to be eaten in the egg.
Tarantula: Cambodia - Yup, the giant, hairy spiders.
Kopi Luwak Coffee: Asia - The most expensive coffee in the world, the beans have been eaten and passed by the Asian Palm Civet. The beans are retrieved from the animal’s droppings.
Beef Tripe: global - A butchered cow’s guts.
Monkey brains: China - Self explanatory, but some people like to eat the brains live while the monkey’s head is held still.
Sago Worms: New Guinea - Grubs that can be eaten raw or cooked and apparently taste like bacon.
Durian Fruit: Southeast Asia - A thorn-covered fruit.
Regional cuisine is a great way to get a feel for the culture of the location to which you are traveling. And what’s the best part of the meal? Dessert. Check out this list of foreign desserts you shouldn’t skip while traveling:
Baklava (Turkey and nearby) – Made from phyllo dough that has been brushed with butter, this flaky dessert is also soaked with honey.
Alfajores (Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, other Latin American countries, via Spain) – Cookies reminiscent of shortbread or cake sandwiched with dulce de leche (milk caramel). Sometimes coated with meringue, white or dark chocolate, or covered with shredded coconut.
Semla (Sweden and similar in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Estonia) – A seasonal dessert available between Christmas and Easter, these bun-like pastries have their insides hollowed and filled with milk and almond paste and topped with whipped cream.
Sfogliatelle/Cannoli (Italy) – Sfogliatelle is a pastry shaped like a clam, stuffed with cream or ricotta filling that can be infused with orange or lemon flavor.
Taiyaki (Japan) – Kind of like a fish-shaped waffle, and filled with a sweet red bean paste.
Churros (Latin America, Spain) – Loops with a crunchy texture, topped with confectioners’ sugar and served with thick hot chocolate, in which you are to dunk the churros.
Sopaipillas/Picarones (Chile, Peru) – Fried dough that you dip in a solid brown sugar derived from sugar cane.
Galub Jamun (South East Asia) – Little balls of dough made of a flour and condensed milk mixture, that has been fried and dipped in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom, rosewater or saffron.
Koeksisters (South Africa via Cape Malay) – Fried and dunked in a cold simple syrup to avoid them getting mushy.
Tres Leches Cake (Mexico, other countries in Central and South America) – Condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream are the “tres leches” in this cake.
Suspiro Limeño (Peru) - Evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and sugar make a pudding, which is then topped with meringue.
Sernik (Poland) – The Polish version of a cheesecake.
Tangyuan/ Yuanxiao (China, Taiwan) – Balls of dough made from rice flour and hot water, and filled with sesame paste, adzuki bean paste or other sweet fillings.
Brigadeiro (Brazil) – Balls of fudgey caramel, rolled in chocolate sprinkles.
Khao Niaw Ma Muang [mango and sticky rice] (Thailand) – Rice is cooked in coconut milk and served with fresh mango.
You think you know spicy? Chances are those hot wings you get from your local pub won’t stand up to these dishes, which have been called the spiciest foods in the world. Check them out:
Phaal (Phall) Curry, Southern India - features at least 10 different peppers, one of which has been confirmed by the Guinness Book of World records as the most potent pepper on earth.
Pork Vindaloo, Goa, India - Also features the world’s most potent peppers, along with other chilies and peppers from the area.
Hot Suicide Wings, Chicago, Ill. - People wishing to attempt to eat these wings are asked to sign a disclaimer. The sauce is made from the Red Savina habanero, also known as the Dominican Devil’s Tongue pepper and the Ball of Fire pepper.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken, Jamaica - The spicy red Scotch bonnet features prominently in many Caribbean dishes, and doesn’t disappoint in the hot department of this dish.
Devil Pork Curry, Malacca, Malaysia - The area from which this dish hails was a major stop along spice trading routes in the 16th century. The most potent ingredient here is the birds-eye (or Thai) chili pepper.
Neua Pad Prik (Thai Pepper Steak), Thailand - Also features the birds-eye chili pepper, which is found in many dishes in the region.
Hot Pot, Sichuan Province, China - The Sichuan “flower” pepper produces a numbing sensation when eaten.
Frango Piri-Piri (Chicken Peri-Peri), Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa - The African devil, a.k.a. the red piri-piri – a type of bird-eye pepper – provides the kick in this recipe, and is found in various recipes throughout Africa.
Papas a la Huancaína, Peru - This recipe features the hottest chili pepper in the region, the Ají amarillo pepper.
Kimchi Jjigae, South Korea - Dried red chili peppers combined with the pickling process make this dish near lethal.
In an effort to ensure Italians eat Italian food, the town of Lucca has banned “foreign” food from being sold within its historic city walls. “Foreign” food refers to such dishes as kebabs, sushi or Chinese food. French food is allowed, and therefore it is unclear what is meant by ethnic food. Read more…
Let’s think about Chinese food for a minute: Fried rice. Breaded chicken. Sure, there are veggies, but they’re usually covered in a sauce. Point is, our normal Chinese take-out can be a big bowl of chicken-fried calories. Here is the worst-offenders list, the seven least healthy choices on the Chinese food menu:
1. Fried rice
2. Lo mein
3. Chow fun
4. Crispy (orange) beef
5. Lemon chicken
6. General Tso’s chicken
7. Barbequed spare ribs
Makes me ever so happy I brought my Chinese food leftovers for lunch today. Read more…
There’s a new cookbook around… It’s called, “The Testicle Cookbook: Cooking With Balls.” Don’t worry, it only calls for animal parts. In some countries, eating testicles is thought of as an aphrodisiac. Read more…
Guess what that is!
I will concede that some of this stuff may taste fantastic, however most of it gives me the heebie jeebies. Think of it this way, though; there’s probably a list like this on the other side of the world, filled with food we eat on a normal basis. Dig in!
It’s a long list - complete with a wide variety of cultures and tastes - and definitely worth the read. My guess is I’ve tried about half (and some of them are not the generic “PB&J sandwich”… I’ve eaten alligator). How many have you tried?
100. Venison
99. Nettle tea
98. Huevos rancheros
97. Steak tartare
96. Crocodile
95. Black pudding
94. Cheese fondue
93. Carp
92. Borscht
91. Baba ghanoush
90. Calamari
89. Pho
88. PB&J sandwich
87. Aloo gobi
86. Hot dog from a street cart
85. Epoisses
84. Black truffle
83. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
82. Steamed pork buns
81. Pistachio ice cream
80. Heirloom tomatoes
79. Fresh wild berries
78. Foie gras
77. Rice and beans
76. Brawn, or head cheese
75. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
74. Dulce de leche
73. Oysters
72. Baklava
71. Bagna cauda
70. Wasabi peas
69. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
68. Salted lassi
67. Sauerkraut
66. Root beer float
65. Cognac with a fat cigar
64. Clotted cream tea
63. Vodka jelly/Jell-O shot
62. Gumbo
61. Oxtail
60. Curried goat
59. Whole insects
58. Phaal
57. Goat’s milk
56. Single malt whisky
55. Fugu
54. Chicken tikka masala
53. Eel52. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
51. Sea urchin
50. Prickly pear
49. Umeboshi
48. Abalone
47. Paneer
46. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
45. Spaetzle
44. Dirty gin martini
43. Beer above 8% ABV
42. Poutine
41. Carob chips
40. S’mores
39. Sweetbreads
38. Kaolin
37. Currywurst
36. Durian
35. Frogs’ legs
34. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
33. Haggis
32. Fried plantain
31. Chitterlings, or andouillette
30. Gazpacho
29. Caviar and blini
28. Louche absinthe
27. Gjetost, or brunost
26. Roadkill
25. Baijiu
24. Hostess Fruit Pie
23. Snail
22. Lapsang souchong
21. Bellini
20. Tom yum
19. Eggs Benedict
18. Pocky
17. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
16. Kobe beef
15. Hare
14. Goulash
13. Flowers
12. Horse
11. Criollo
10. Spam
9. Soft shell crab
8. Rose harissa
7. Catfish
6. Mole poblano
5. Bagel and lox
4. Lobster Thermidor
3. Polenta
2. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
1. Snake
The only food on this list of the world’s most deadly delicacies that I have heard of is fugu. And the only reason I’ve even heard of that is because of Homer Simpson’s adventurous eating habits in the Simpsons’ early years. There are several other fish on the list, along with natural berries and mushrooms, and one cheese. I can just picture Homer now, his mouth agape and saliva puddling, saying “Mmmmm, illegal cheese.”
Japan: Fugu Read more…
Europe and North America: Elderberries Read more...
Australia and New Zealand: Red Rock Cod Read more…
Africa, Caribbean and South America: Cassava Read more…
Jamaica: Ackee Read more…
Indo-West Pacific: Silver-Stripe Blaasop Read more…
Northern Hemisphere: Inky Cap Mushroom Read more…
Africa: Namibian Bullfrog Read more…
Pacific and Indian Oceans: Stonefish Read more…
Italy: Casu Marzu Read more…
Let’s take a moment to remember that episode of the Simpsons where they all went to a Japanese restaurant, and Homer ordered the blowfish (which carries a lethal toxin within it that can only be removed by specially trained chefs) and then he thought he was going to die because the chef who prepared his meal was painfully unqualified. So, it turns out that “fugu,” the name of the blowfish meal, is a real Japanese dish. And it is on this list, compiled by Gadling, of the top 5 Japanese foods you may want to avoid. Check out the rest…
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