Trifter

TOP 10 FUNKIEST FOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

If you think the extremely high-class coffee delicacy Kopi Luwak– whose uniquely arresting aroma and flavor was derived from the excreted stools of the coffee bean-eating Indonesian civet cat — was strange enough to make you puke (or strange enough to make you try it!), wait till you read some more of the weirdest, most outrageous, disturbing… and downright yummy native dishes and country specialties you never knew the world actually offers:

1. LEMON ANTS (Ecuador, South America)
Prepare for a tangy twist while you’re at the lush rainforests of the Amazon, where tribesmen and locals eat these insects who got their name because of their lemony citrus taste. (How’s that for an appetizer?)

Lemon ants, a treat in the Amazon

2. MONKEY BRAINS (Hong Kong, Asia)
This is no kung-fu hoo doo! Monkey brains are such a rare and delirious delicacy in this harbored island where some people actually eat them raw, right out of the monkey’s skull. How’s that for picking my brain?

and if you haven’t gone bananas, we’ve got…

3. MONKEY TOES (Indonesia, Asia)
Not unlike the crunchy grasshoppers, starfishes and scorpions you’ve heard from neighboring Thailand, this mammal’s phalanges are deep fried in oil.

4. CASU MARZU (Sardinia, Europe)
Translated as “Rotten Cheese”, this funny cousin of Cheddar is made in Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. The cheese made from sheep’s milk has maggots (fly larvae) crawling inside… which also serve as taste testers. You’ll know when it’s good if the maggots are still moving… if it’s dead, it’s poisonous.

Casu marzu, not so much a cheese pie from Sardinia

5. HEAD CHEESE (Sweden, Europe)
This isn’t actual cheese but one made from a pig’s (or cow’s) head — boiled, chopped, and put in a mold along with its liquid. Simply chill it, the jellied loaf is served as lunch fare for our Scandinavian brother.

6. DORMICE STEW (Slovenia, Europe)
If the name didn’t give you a clue, this popular Slovenian meal is made from mice that are especially bred and fattened for dinnertime.

7. SEAL FLIPPERS (Canada, North America)
In the province of Newfoundland, this can serve as a homecoming pie (minus the balancing ball). The flippers are boiled with vegetables, covered with pastry dough and baked.

Seal flippers, a good alternative to hamburgers!

8. FRUIT BATS (Indonesia, Asia)
Java Man never had this good! Indonesia cooks this winged vegetarian mammal (not bird!) in a variety of ways — in Sulawesi Island they are dipped and stirrred in coconut milk; while in the capital of Jakarta they are smoked to perfection. Care for a beer?

9. SANGUINACCIO (Italy, Europe)
This Italian masterpiece has many variations throughout the country. It is a pudding or sausage made from pig’s blood. (Are we sure we’re not in Transylvania? Oh yeah, “The Godfather” connection. Blood is good!)

… for something warm and loving to end our countdown:

10. HAGGIS (Scotland, Europe)
There’s no better way to spend a Christmas or Thanksgiving feast in the Anglo countryside than stuffing the stomach of a sheep with onions, oatmeal  and chopped sheep organ, which is then steamed and served with a dollop of generous pudding. (Yum, I actually want to try this.)

Scottish Haggis: doesn’t look too funky, after all… does it?