Extremely Controversial, Bizarre, and Unusual Delicacies Around the World
by CHAN LEE PENG on 03/02/09 at 4:55 am
Have you ever wondered what people eat around the world? While looking at these scary, unusual and bizarre delicacies, do you still feel hungry?
Have you ever wondered what people eat around the world? Before ordering your food at the restaurants or buying foods from the street vendors, take a tour with me to look at the most odd, peculiar, bizarre and appalling foods that people eat in their daily diet.
What makes the food sounding bizarre and peculiar? Certain eating cultures seem to be bizarre to us but normal to the eaters. That means the food might be terrible for some, but delicious for others. The answer can be obtained between “tasty” and “nasty” foods, to which it makes not much difference as it’s merely one letter difference. In other words, certain foods that we classify as strange foods are instead exotic delicacies for others. It’s simply concluded here that the cuisines may be objectively regarded as crazy and bizarre, but they appeal as normal and usual delicacies to their respective eaters.
Each culture has their own traditional foods that they enjoy, although occasionally, certain foods that appeal to a person in one place, but may not be appealing to someone in another part of the world (quoted from my previous article entitled The 8 most cruel & controversial world delicacies).
When I say “bizarre” here, I actually refer to “uncommon”, “unusual” and “unlikely healthy” foods to different cultures around the world. So, next time, while eating out of your country, you should think twice before ordering the delicacies that are stated in the menu.
This is a plate of grasshopper tacos (Tacos de Chapulines) which is said crunchy and crisp to chew and is claimed to be a source of health. It’s eaten like popcorn by people in Oaxaca. While examining this tortilla carefully, I can see that it’s packed with some grasshoppers. These grasshoppers are most favored to be eaten between August and January, which is during the rainy season. This seasonal delicacy is prepared with the thin legs of the grasshoppers breaking off. It actually doesn’t sound delicious and appetizing for me. Rather, it won’t be considered as a fair game for these grasshoppers.
These yucky silkworm pupae (Beondegi) are one of the most popular Korean cuisines sold by street vendors in South Korea. In the preparation of this popular snack food, they’re boiled or steamed. While cooking, one can even breathe in a distinctive aroma half a block away. It’s said to be tasted like crab meat. But, does this cuisine look appearing for your appetite?
“Wait a minute, ma’am! Do you think you want to eat these deep fried bamboo caterpillars (rók deun)?” It appears to me as a strange meal. I can’t passionate to dig into this daunting dish. But, certain individuals eat them as regular hotdog.
These deep-fried and crunchy insects sucked my breath and I can’t imagine the nightmare of swallowing this delicacy into my stomach. I couldn’t understand how this delicacy has turned out to be a favorable snack.
Look closely, this is an omelet coming along with ant eggs (khài jiaw khài mót). Again, it sounds bizarre to me. Will I challenge myself to eat such strange delicacy, I guess not. It won’t appear to my curiosity to eat as a meal too!
I’m as truly as disgusted over these deep-fried starfish, seahorses, sharks, snakes, rats, sea urchin, cicada, snail, cow stomach and etc. They’re sold by the street vendors in Central Beijing, ”Snack Street” in Wangfujing Night Market, and Dongyuan Night Market, China. I know that these foods truly disgust me, and I know that I won’t keep my fingers from touching them. (Note: Not all Chinese eat everything as claimed in the video.)
The first delicacy is available in Hanoi and the second is available at certain restaurants in Vietnam, Cambodia and China. If you’re wondering around the “Snack Street” in Wangfujing Night Market, Beijing, China, you may see the street vendors selling deep-fried scorpions/baby scorpions in sticks. Again, these crazy delicacies seem to disturb my appetite and I would find them to be disturbing….
Anyone here, are you hungry? How about some fried wasp larvae? You can see the live wasp larvae selling at the morning market in Vientiane, Laos, and also in Vietnam. Are they appealing yummy to you?
Don’t be surprised if you find some cockroaches in your plate! I’m sure you’ll yell at this crazy food. To me, I think this cuisine is abnormal and I’ll admit though, this delicacy causes me vomiting.
Are you hungry for these insect- and bug -rich delicacies? Do you want some bowls/ plates of them? For your information, termites, ants and palm grubs are eaten by Columbian citizens, and sometimes they may ground up ants as a spread on their breads. In Philippines and in parts of Africa, people eat grasshoppers, mole crickets, locusts, dragonfly larvae, katydids, ants, water beetles and June beetles, whereas in Japan, people eat zaza-mushi (aquatic insect larvae), semi (fried cicada), sangi (fried silk moth pupae), inago (fried rice filled with grasshoppers) and hachi-no-ko(boiled wasp larvae). The delicacies may come with breads, pizzas, burgers, noodles, soups, side dishes or flours made from bugs, worms, pupae or larvae. They seem to be delicious for certain individuals to dine, but how dirty are they? They may carry an abundance of microbial flora, and might be infected with E.coli. and salmonella.
The raw blood soup is sold by street vendors at the market in Vietnam. The soup is made of raw blood obtaining from geese, ducks or pigs. I think this delicacy is dangerous to take if it’s contaminated with H5N1 bird flu virus. Indeed, I simply have to suspend my knee looking at this soup. Besides this fresh raw blood soup, Vietnamese also eat rat, monkey, lizard, snake, bat, and dog meat. Looking at these unusual foods, what else can the day throw at you? They’re so disgusting!
In Mekong as well as in certain parts in China, snake cuisine is a common meal that you could order at the restaurants or buy at the open market. In Taiwan, people even drink a raw blood of snake. Some nations even eat raw snake’s heart. For me, I don’t dare to dig into such daunting dishes! Ugh, it sounds scary and disgusting to me!Yuck….
The cooked bat is considered as a delicacy in certain parts of Asian countries and Fiji. It’s always served as “pulutan” (food served while drinking) and “ulam” (viand or food that eats together with rice). Sound yummy to you???
Apparently, this 8-legged delicacy is a Cambodian cuisine at Psar Thmei Central Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The locals say they eat this either flying or soaking them in rice wine. Even Vampire bat is sold in a market in Sulawesi, Indonesia as a local delicacy. Worst still, besides this spider delicacy, pig head, and even baked dog are sold here. OMG, I’ve no idea how people chewing and swallowing these scary-looking delicacies! They’re truly sending chill down to my spine!!!!
The live octopus (San Nak Ji) is eaten in Korea. The appalling fact is that the Korean people call this as a delicious meal. For them, eating a moving octopus is a joy to satisfy their teeth. You’ll find this disgusting, and in fact, it’s not even view as a healthy diet. Eating this damned stuff is actually placing a gun in your mouth without placing it towards your head. Well, when you’re chewing something that is moving around your teeth…it could be strange and bizarre, right?
Eating a live frog or a live beating frog’s heart has appeared to be a delicious cuisine in Japan as well as in Thailand and China. In Japan, it’s always eaten with sashimi. This delicacy seems bizarre to us but the Japanese say it’s regarded as a tasty meal. Regardless of whatever people think about this delicacy, the taste actually sweeps off your desire to eat and furthermore, you may also feel your tongue getting “burned”. So, are you wincing to wolf down this strange and weird food?
Frog juice (extracto de rana) is drunk in Peru. The juice is claimed to have a very high demand at the markets of Lima, Peru. The video gets my head tilting to understand how the people can wolf down this juice so contentedly. As for me, I think it’s disgusting to have myself drunken such juice!!!
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46 Comments
Siti Zaida Mikaila aka SZM
Feb 3rd, 2009
That’s usual, Chinese people eat unusual food. In reason, for medicine.
Debra.
Feb 3rd, 2009
I think every culture experiences some unusual food to someone or other. Eating insects seems to be a popular delicatessen from other places as well. Nice job, Chan. The pictures give me the creeps. I hate creepy-crawlies and to eat them,yuck!
Christine Ramsay
Feb 3rd, 2009
An interesting read but now I feel quite sick. This reminds me of the programme ‘I’m a Celebrity! Get me out of here!’ If you haven’t seen it eating creatures like these, uncooked ,is one of the tasks the celebrities have to win. Good work.
Christine
CutestPrincess
Feb 3rd, 2009
ewww, i cant imagine myself eating that kind of food!
Maria Blazz
Feb 3rd, 2009
Well, food is a matter of culture, indeed.
MJPatrick
Feb 3rd, 2009
I agree with Maria, I will be posting exotic food you haven’t seen in your life when I go home.
JK Kristie
Feb 3rd, 2009
Welcome back Chan. Interesting, informative post!
clay hurtubise
Feb 3rd, 2009
When my niece came to the U.S. in 1975, peanut butter was weird to her. This is what makes the world so interesting… just wait till McDonalds gets hold of those silkworms! McWorm!
Thanks,
Clay
nobert soloria bermosa
Feb 3rd, 2009
truly weird,welcome back Chan
R J Evans
Feb 3rd, 2009
Yes indeed, welcome back! Some of this food is truly weird! I have tried grasshoppers and snake, but I think I would have to draw the line at living Octopus and duck blood! Ew!
Hope you don;t mind, but have blogged this!
http://www.webphemera.com/2009/02/controversial-bizarre-and-unusual.html
Can be stumbled etc all over, hope it helps get the hits this article deserves!
Dr Shalini Kapoor Kad
Feb 3rd, 2009
Sorry I am not at all hungry..
PR Mace
Feb 3rd, 2009
Sorry, I will have to pass on this. But it would be a great way to lose weight, because I would not be eating. Well done and good to see you back. Hope you had a nice break.
IreniaPehuajo
Feb 3rd, 2009
Was ir necessary to add pics.. LOL
Glynis Smy
Feb 3rd, 2009
mmm I think I will just skip to the dessert thanks Chan!! Great article.
Judy Sheldon
Feb 3rd, 2009
After reading Glynis’ comment, I wonder what dessert could be? I have no appetite for anything after this. lol
Take care & G♥d bless!
Ruby Hawk
Feb 3rd, 2009
To each his own but I must admit I could not eat anyh of this.It’s no different than eating hog or cows though. They were all once living creatures.
Khalid
Feb 3rd, 2009
Here is a list of more Exotic yet disgusting foods from around the world.
Khalid
Feb 3rd, 2009
Link did not make it to the previous comment. Here is a list of more exotic yet disgusting foods from around the world: http://baheyeldin.com/writings/culture/exotic-yet-disgusting-foods-from-around-the-world.html
Inna Tysoe
Feb 4th, 2009
Great article–doubt I’ll be eating any of this though
Inna
papaleng
Feb 4th, 2009
nice article Chang, don’t worry thhose dishes seems delicious and healthy, People from the Northern part of my country do have similar exotic dishes and I’ve tried out some like, fried cricket and ‘adobong salagubang’ (beattle) not mentioning dogs and cats. That’s how weird most cultures are. nice to see you again friend. like provinces
MariaArte
Feb 4th, 2009
Well, sometimes our mental models don`t let us taste or do other things. In this case, I think, we should forget what ingredients have these dishes and taste them. Perhaps, we are lossing an opportunity of having a good dish.. and the opportunity of living different things; worthwhile, indeed..as all cultures around the world..so, why not? Let`s open our mind!!
Liane Schmidt
Feb 5th, 2009
Whoa…………… this was a very eye opening article.
Another great article CHAN!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Gail Nobles
Feb 6th, 2009
It’s an eye opening article and my stomach can’t take it. The article was quite interesting.
Likha
Feb 8th, 2009
Hi Chan Lee Peng! I got so curious about this article since I have one coming up on much-maligned Filipino delicacies. I hope you get to read it too. Great research on this one.
Anne McNew
Feb 10th, 2009
This could be effective diet formula because I might as well escape eating if this would be served. huh.
Indeed, this is such a nice post!
tonisan60
Feb 10th, 2009
Insects are the food of the future, they are everywhere in enormous quantities and they are full of nutrients, thank God we are still in the present, Ugh
Nice article, hugs and kisses
trishia
Feb 11th, 2009
Very interesting.I’ve heard about some of these insect,but it really surprises me that scorpions are eaten.
Mr Ghaz
Feb 11th, 2009
Great work! very interesting and well thoughts. Well done!
Mys Lyke Meeh
Feb 12th, 2009
Oh my–whaatta an exotic food—maybe if i will enter a contest i will eat these foods for a million dollar–but taking a penny out of my pocket just for the Scorpion look like food–ha! — Oh gosh!
Overall, an enteresting article!
Lisa Clayton Williams
Feb 12th, 2009
Wow….I think the fried scorpions and raw blood soup grossed me out the most! However, having said that, I have partaken in crawfish (my husband’s family is from New Orleans, Louisiana-this is part of their regular diet) in the shell, which looks awful but is really good! So, I understand how different cultures could view foods in different ways….of course…still not sure how ANYONE could find the raw blood soup appetizing! Wonderful article, fantastic pictures!!!!
Kate Smedley
Feb 17th, 2009
Very interesting article and photos …. can’t imagine eating any of this stuff!
eddiego65
Feb 22nd, 2009
Yucky! Anyway, great article. Great pics and videos, too.
amilia snow
Mar 1st, 2009
EEEW!!! really…i saw quite a few of those dishes before, like the silkworms in korea, i smelled it half a block b4 i reached there!
And my adventurous buddy even tried some! He said it tasted like a mixture of chicken & stg else… While he was enjoying, the rest of us were trying hard not to barf…
lol…nice article!!!
jo oliver
Mar 3rd, 2009
No I am not hungry anymore. Oh my how do people eat such?
Kairos
Mar 3rd, 2009
I’ve been to South Korea several times but I did not encounter such foods. Anyway in the Philippines we have balut or fertilized duck egg as in “fetus”. But delicious. got to try it when you have the chance to visit the country.
Cheese Puff
Mar 7th, 2009
Oh come on! You only freak out because you didn’t grow up with “bizarre, unusual” foods. You obviously did not try eating any of these things, but rather stuck your nose up at them outright. Scorpion is no worse than lobster. Seriously–don’t bash it till you’ve tried it!
jenny
Mar 8th, 2009
I would just like to say this to the writer “WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?” you’re whole blog is about unusual foods and then you bash every single one. Why don’t you ask yourself why they eat what they are eating? Most of these countries are not as rich as the western countries, so they eat what they can.WHAT IS AVAILABLE. You are a spoiled brat. Might have been a different view, if you were born in China or Peru or Cambodia.
People in India probably think we’re disgusting people for eating cows. But we think it’s normal and it tastes good. So if you are going promote “weird foods” then don’t knock it down.
Cheese Puff is right- muslims don’t eat pork because it’s just like eating garbage.
Jews- don’t eat pork or shellfish.
do you think pork and shellfish are so disgusting it can make your stomach churn and barf? cause if you don’t, your just an ignorant outsider.
Mr Ghaz
Mar 16th, 2009
Very informative article..but, the foods looks very strange for me. Thanx for sharing
Jakie
May 11th, 2009
Yummm! all of this looks amazing. Especially the the Taco.
Deep Blue
May 19th, 2009
Nice delicasies my friend. That’s more salivating than canned goods if your stomach won’t hesitate.
Byron
Jun 5th, 2009
I think it would have such an interesting site if it wasn’t for accompanying commentary on how “disgusting” local cuisine is. Take Lobster in the past it was said to be “only fit for dogs and Indians” yet today it is an delicacy that few can afford. Shrimp looks pretty close to water borne insects and blood pudding, blood sausage is in fact made from animal blood. Every time you bite into sausage you’re more then likely biting into animal intestine. How about wieners and other processed meats “animal by-products” if its not the flesh of animals its everything in between snout, nose,ears skin etc. Perhaps we should put all this in a pile and take a picture.
We should always keep an out mind and be not so judgmental to “foreign cultures”. I those with an open live such satisfying lives over those who are closed only to ‘what is familiar”.
Ron Chin
Jun 9th, 2009
Nice site and pictures. I m surprised you find so many foods “disgusting” though. Especially since you must be Chinese. I found that since my mother served all sorts of foods, (Chinese cuisine is quite diverse) I have had no problem in trying and enjoying all types of food from all around the world (including most of the foods shown here).
John Mancho
Jun 21st, 2009
That is soo cool! I eat frog hearts everyday lol
Sol Accursio
Jul 9th, 2009
I tasted fried silkworm and it tastes not so different from fried onion…. geese tongues looked \”difficult\” to taste, but after savoring the first one I quickly emptied the plate!
I\’m italian. and here is \”normal\” to eat horse and donkey (they are a quite festive and not an \”everyday\” food, but no one finds anything strange in consuming them) while english friends tell me that the thought of eating horse or donkey is utterly disgusting to them— cultures are different, and there\’s no disgust in this. I probably wouldn\’t eat cockroaches, but the only reason is that I\’ve been bought up considering them disgusting, but their taste is probably good…
Kraojone
Jul 12th, 2009
“Eating a live frog or a live beating frog’s heart has appeared to be a delicious cuisine in Japan as well as in Thailand and China.”
I find this fact inaccurate. I’m from Thailand and been traveling all over, but I never heard such delicacy as live frog heart. I have to admit, though, that we do eat frog meat – and in some northern villages, to gross you out, tadpoles. However, it has never occur to me that we eat live amphibians.
Perhaps the only live animal we have as a delicacy is tiny river shrimps. It is called Koong-Ten, literally means “dancing shrimps.” To prepare, you need a handful of live shrimps, lime juice, chili, garlic, and other ingredients depending on one’s preference/recipe, put them all in a bowl with cover and shake.
proud2bnative
Oct 9th, 2009
i am aboriginal and we hunt and eat moose meat, rabbit, duck, and other animals. we remove the skin and make it into moccasins and other crafts. i am accepting of other peoples cultures and i love individuality in different cultures. imagine if we were all the same, it jus wouldnt be interesting.
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