Strangest Foods Eaten Around The World

Chicken’s Feet are not to everyone’s tastes, it’s true, but there’s no question that, although a little weird, this is a foodstuff that proves surprisingly popular.

People dine on Chicken’s Feet in countless countries – including Indonesia, Ecuador, Romania, Russia, Mexico, and Moldova – and it is a highly popular food in Chinese and Indonesian cuisine. As a matter of fact, packaged chicken feet are sold in most grocery stores and supermarkets in China as a snack, often seasoned with rice vinegar and chili.

Such is their global appeal, there are numerous cooking methods that vary from country to country. Chicken’s Feet can be eaten as snacks or added to dishes, but regardless of the recipe, it’s crucial to prepare them properly. The Chinese like them deep-fried or steamed until puffy and in southern China, they also cook chicken feet with raw peanuts to make a thin soup. Would you be willing to try it?

 

Spotted Shirako on the menu? You should think twice about ordering. This might sound harmless enough — like a variation on sushi or sashimi. But Shirako is, in fact, fish sperm.

This is a dish that is served in Japan, as well as other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Korea. ‘Milt’ is another word to look out for on the menu. Unless eating a fish’s seminal fluid is what you intended, you should think about ordering something else.

Cod Shirako is the most common — although sperm that has been drawn from mollusks and other water-based creatures that spray their fluid onto eggs can also be used. It’s difficult to picture, but most find that Shirako looks nothing like they’d imagined. It tends to be squishy and ovoid in shape and is similar in appearance to a miniature brain. If you think eating fish sperm is weird, spare a thought for those who have to collect it.

 

There’s no question that this one has the gross factor. But Tuna Eyeballs are popular in Japan, where they’re readily available from most supermarkets. Like all things fishy? This might still be a step too far. Tuna Eyeballs are the size of tennis balls and are surrounded by fat and severed muscles.

It should not be eaten raw and needs to be lightly cooked. There are various cooking methods used here, but none can disguise the fact that this is a giant eyeball — or shake the nagging feeling that you’re being watched.

Home cooks often boil Tuna Eyeballs and season to taste, whilst chefs braise them in soy sauce and mirin or saute them in sesame oil and ginger. The taste is a little like squid, but the texture can present quite a challenge. Served as bar snacks and appetizers, there’s no question that Tuna Eyeballs are an acquired taste.

 

Most people couldn’t bear to touch a giant tarantula. But to eat one? This is such an alien concept that it’s difficult to imagine. But fried spiders have been eaten for some time in Cambodia — where Crispy Tarantulas are considered to be quite a delicacy.

This is believed to be quite a recent trend that began during the dark days of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. With more traditional foods in short supply, people here began to eat spiders in order to avoid starvation. The dark days are over in Cambodia, but still, the practice persists.

Most popular in Skuon and Phnom Penh, the spiders are bred in holes in the ground until they’re the size of a human hand. They’re then fried in oil, along with sugar, salt, and garlic, until the legs are stiff and the body crunchy. Thinking about trying a Crispy Tarantula? You’re braver than us.

 

Your images are not showing

 

they are to me?

 

Not to me .

I cant speak for the others

 

I will check later.

 

Yuk to me but eaten up North( UK) as my late father liked it . I think its eaten in other parts of the world like Europe . Tripe which i think is a cows stomach lining YUK YUK

 

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I will do better tomorrow. X

 

Got a favourite soup? Most people plump for a classic, such as tomato, chicken or leek and potato. But travel a little further afield and the options become rather more exotic. For those heading to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, soup is much different to the familiar flavours that are found at home.

White Egg Ant Soup is just one example from the region. This is, as the name suggests, a dish concocted from ants and their eggs. You might have a favourite soup, but we doubt it’s this one.

White Egg Ant Soup contains baby ants, partial embryos and eggs which pop in the mouth — releasing flavour. There are regional variations, but the general taste is sour, with a flavour that is similar to shrimp. This is one that calls only to culinary courageous and is probably the most exotic soup you can find.

 

Jellied Moose Nose is not one for the squeamish. This is an indigenous dish that originates in Alaska and Canada’s northernmost reaches. Here, wilderness hunters could dine on a single moose for several weeks. But that meant eating everything — and we mean everything.

Long after all the best cuts had been devoured, the moose’s less-attractive parts would still feed families. This included the nose — preserved in a gelatinous broth. Served cold in slices, this isn’t one that appeals to all.

Challenging perhaps, but once winter sets in, eating such things could be the difference between life and death. So the long bulbous nose went into the pot, where it was cooked with onions, garlic, and spices. But that is not all — with the moose’s ears, lips and other facial features often added to the mix.

These days, Jellied Moose Nose is harder to find, and you certainly won’t find it in restaurants, but it is still out there. You may be able to find it at a public potlatch, a gift-giving feast hosted by indigenous communities in Alaska and Northwestern Canada.

 

Black Pudding is a familiar food in the UK and Ireland. It is often included in a traditional cooked breakfast here. This might not sound as weird as certain other foodstuffs — but consider its composition and the concept is somewhat strange.

In its most basic form, Black Pudding is a sausage that is made using pig’s blood, drained during slaughter. Weird, perhaps. But as fans and foodies can attest, it is also delicious.

This is an ancient dish that dates back centuries. Traditional Black Pudding comprises pork blood and fat, mixed with beef suet and cereal, and encased in a cow’s intestine. Described as such, it doesn’t sound too appealing, it’s true.

But look past the pudding’s production and this remains a popular British foodstuff. So-called ‘blood sausages’ are commonplace elsewhere and can be found all over Europe and beyond. But Black Pudding is the original — and, as traditionalists continue to insist, the best.

 

Salo is not one for anyone watching their waistline. Traditional in Slavic countries, this is not the healthiest option out there. Foodies consume cured slabs of pork fat in great quantities across Eastern Europe. For lard lovers, this is as good as it gets.

Salo is considered a national treasure in Ukraine, where it is most popular. Visiting Hungary, Poland, Russia or Romania? You will see Salo on sale here too. But the big question is, will you be brave enough to give it a try?

People eat Salo cooked or raw, and with or without skin. There are regional variations aplenty, but the basic premise is always the same. Cured in brine or dried in salt, Salo is smoked in the South and served with paprika in the East, and it often comes with a shot of vodka on the side. Have a try, but do take our advice. Order a second glass before tucking in.

 

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How do you like your eggs in the morning? Preserved? China is the place to be if this is the case. Here, the fabled Century Egg remains a prized delicacy. Enjoyed in these parts since the Ming Dynasty, 600 years ago, this is an unusual food that endures to this day. It’s not to everybody’s tastes, but still discerning diners here put it on a culinary pedestal.

Duck, chicken, and quail eggs are used most often. These are preserved in clay, ash, and salt for several months — the precise time depending on your tastes. When the process is complete, the flavour is strong and the yolk has turned dark green or grey.

Eaten on their own or as a side dish, Century Eggs are often cut into chunks and stir-fried with vegetables or drizzled with sesame oil and soy sauce. Regardless of the final dish, there’s no disguising the Century Egg’s distinctive flavour. Are you adventurous enough to try?