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| source// Show East |
Some people will put literally anything in their mouths.
When you think that your average jalapeño pepper measures at a mere 5,000 on the Scoville scale, one might think twice before attempting the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (which measures at a 2,000,000, by the way). Or how about one of China’s infamous 1,000 year-old eggs, or a giant tuna eyeball for breakfast? Yeah… not exactly nice.
If you want to know what would happen if you ate the world’s hottest chilli, or what rotten shark meat smells like or literally the worst things that people around the world actually call food, then look no further.
Whether you’re a bit of an adventurous foodie or just someone with a very strong stomach, you should check out some of these unusual cuisines that are actually eaten around the world.
10. Monkey Brains
When this topic comes up, you’d probably immediately picture the scene with the monkey’s brains from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, and you’re not exactly wrong.
Eating monkey brains might be something of an urban legend, but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that people really do eat monkey brains, and that they are even considered a delicacy in China and other parts of the world. There are all kinds of rumours that surround the preparation too; some people are said to eat them cooked, some eat them raw and there are apparently people out there who eat them straight from the monkey’s head. In Indonesia, it is believed that eating monkey’s brains will cure erectile dysfunction, so if you’re planning on cooking a romantic meal for two this valentine’s day, why not give these a try?
Monkey brains may be a good aphrodisiac (if you’re into that sort of thing) but unfortunately they’re not good for much else. As you can probably imagine, munching on the brains of man’s closest cousins can expose you to a whole host of neurological diseases, which can be fatal, not to mention that it would probably make you feel a bit sick too.
9. Boiled Tuna Eyeball
A great big fish eye might not sound appetising, but is actually isn’t an uncommon food in Japan. In fact, it’s really only the appearance that makes it somewhat off-putting (It looks like, well, a giant fish eyeball) but surely if it’s popular then it can’t be that bad, can it?
These gruesome tuna eyeballs can be found staring at you in most regular Japanese supermarkets, and while they might look a bit creepy, there’s apparently nothing to fear about the taste. Some Japanese people even think that the eye is one of the tastiest parts of a tuna fish. If you can get past the fact that your dinner is looking at you, it apparently tastes a bit like squid and has a soft, chewy texture; although some people report that parts of the eye have a bit of a “crunch,” which would probably be the lend
What’s more, when you buy a tuna eyeball you don’t just get the eye on its own; it comes with a whole load of severed muscles and fish fat, which are just bursting with fishy flavour. So essentially you’re not just munching on a giant tuna eyeball, you’re also munching on a giant tuna eye socket.
It’s even incredibly easy to cook – simply boil and season to taste. Delicious.
8. Sannakji (Live Octopus )
The idea of eating raw seafood makes some people squeamish, but for others it just isn’t fresh enough.
If you like your food as fresh as it could possibly get, you should take a trip to Korea where you can dine on the infamous dish, sannakji. Sannakji is basically a live baby octopus, chopped up and served immediately. The really nightmarish thing about it is that it is usually still squirming on the plate while you are trying to eat it – and it can really put up a fight. Sannakji connoisseurs see the squirming as part of the appeal, because apparently there’s something enjoyable about the sensation of a baby octopus trying to climb its way back up your throat.
Newcomers to sannakji are advised to chew the octopus thoroughly to lower their risk of choking. In some cases, the tentacles have been known to suck on to the inside of the diner’s throat and in some cases it has even resulted in death.
Sannakji has been popular with tourists in Korea because of its legendary status and the adrenaline rush that goes alongside the meal.
However, as exciting as it sounds, sannakji really isn’t worth risking your life for; many people have reported it to have a bland taste and a chewy texture.
7. 1000 Year-Old Egg
If you’re looking for something a little (or a lot) less fresh, you could try a century egg, also known as a Hundred-Year Egg, a Thousand-Year Egg and a Millennium Egg.
Despite the name, a century egg isn’t really a hundred years old; it’s an egg from a chicken, duck or quail that has been preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for up to several months. The mixture preserves the egg and alters the PH levels to break down the fats and proteins inside, which means that although its months old, it is perfectly safe to eat.
As you can imagine, the century egg has quite a strong, pungent smell and they don’t look much like a regular egg when they’re ready. The yolk of the egg becomes creamy, while the whites take on a jelly-like texture and a dark grey/green colour.
Like many of these unusual delicacies, the century egg is said to be good for the health, and especially good for curing impotence. There isn’t any real evidence to show whether or not a century egg will make you a lean, mean, lovin’ machine, but it is supposed to taste quite nice; like a normal boiled egg, only creamer.
6. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
In 2012 the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chilli was crowned the new hottest chilli in the world and naturally, chilli enthusiasts all over the world were desperate to try it, either to prove themselves or to prank their friends.
Approach with caution though, anyone crazy enough to bite in to those little balls of fire will probably regret it. Research indicates that the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chilli is around as spicy as 400 jalapeños combined, and will actually cause the mouth and throat to blister when eaten whole. It would take as long as one or two days for the mouth to feel normal again. The crazy fool who dares to eat the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion would experience this alongside all the usual reactions to extreme spiciness (hiccups, sweating, a burning mouth.)
What makes it truly scary is that just over a kilo of the pepper would cause enough stomach inflammation to kill someone and it contains the same amount of capsaicin (the chemical compound in peppers that makes them burn) as actual pepper spray. So that should give you a pretty clear idea of what it would be like to eat one.
If you’re still curious about what it would be like to eat one of these bad boys, go type “Trinidad Moruga Scorpion” into YouTube, sit back, and get ready to cringe.
5. Beating Snake Heart
Food doesn’t come much fresher than this – but it doesn’t come much gorier than this, either. In Vietnam, if you wish, you can actually eat a still-beating cobra heart.
If the very thought of eating a snake heart makes you feel faint, you certainly won’t like the way it is prepared.
It isn’t prepared much really – first, the live snake is slit open, then its heart is pulled out, and then you can pretty much just feast on it there and then. The rest of the snake doesn’t go to waste though. In fact, more or less all of a snake can be eaten – including the blood and bones, yum.
Eating a still-beating cobra heart has become something of a badge of honour, and many travellers, food-fans and chefs have been known to eat it to show how tough and manly (or crazy) they are. TV chef Gordon Ramsay even got in to a bit of trouble with animal rights groups after he ate a live snake heart as part of one of his TV shows in 2011.
Once again, eating a snake heart is said to improve a man’s sexual performance, although it does make you wonder how anyone ever discovered that. If you’re planning on trying a snake heart though, be warned – sometimes it can still be felt beating in your stomach – it’s the gift that keeps on giving!
4. Hakarl (Rotten Shark)
This next delicacy doesn’t involve eating anything that’s still alive, rather it is eating something that’s already dead and buried.
Hakarl, or fermented shark, is an Icelandic delicacy. It is made by burying basking shark meat underground for three months and then hanging it out to dry for another five. You can probably already imagine that it isn’t the most fragrant meal on Earth; the smell is said to be something like ammonia and blue cheese.
So, it stinks, but surely that doesn’t mean it tastes bad? Well actually that’s a matter of taste. Hakarl is said to have a fishy texture but it fizzes on your tongue when you eat it. When trying hakarl for the first time, people usually gag because of the high ammonia content, but they probably also gag at the thought of eating a rotten shark.
It can’t taste too bad though because hakarl isn’t an uncommon delicacy, it can be found in supermarkets and restaurants all over Iceland.
So to sum up, hakarl is eight-month-old rotten shark meat that stinks to high heaven and fizzes when you eat it. Can anybody tell me why people even eat this? And whose idea was it to bury a shark and then eat it in the first place?
3. Kiviak (Rotten Seal And Seagulls)
The whole idea of kiviak is so disturbing that it’s difficult to believe people actually eat it, but in Greenland it is a traditional Christmas food.
Everything about this dish sounds like something from a horror film, but it’s a real delicacy that has been linked to Greenland, Alaska and Canada.
Basically, kiviak is a beheaded seal stuffed with plucked seagulls. Naturally, this is buried under the frost for a few months to keep it fresh and tasty, then after the delightful flavour of rotten seagulls has mixed with the seal carcass, you can open it all up and eat the lovely seagulls within. One way to enjoy kiviak is to take a seagull, tear off the head, and suck the juices out through the poor thing’s throat. Seriously.
Despite being made of a seal and some seagulls, kiviak doesn’t actually have a meaty or fishy taste or texture, it is more often compared to a strong matured cheese.
The fermentation process in the seal means that the birds can be eaten raw but not surprisingly, it has such a strong pungent smell that it is normally eaten outside to avoid stinking the house out. I think I’ll stick to turkey for my Christmas dinner, thanks.
2. Warthog Anus
It’s pretty self-explanatory why eating warthog anus is a bit gross, anus isn’t exactly the most tempting delicacy in the world, but the way it is prepared (or not prepared) in parts of Namibia is truly revolting.
First the warthog is killed and gutted, and then you need to pull out the anus and about one foot of intestine, before you squeeze out all the faeces and throw it over some hot coals to cook.
The anus and intestines aren’t cooked for long before they’re ready to eat. There isn’t much to say about warthog anus because it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, there are no rituals involved, no way of serving it and no wine that would accompany it beautifully. It is, essentially, just a ripped out warthog anus thrown on some coals and eaten exactly how it is.
It does make you wonder if it would be easier to just roast a warthog leg, but hey, who am I to judge? I mean, the fact that its anus is bad enough, the fact that it comes from a warthog is worse, but I don’t even want to think about the fact that it isn’t cleaned properly.
1. Baby Mice Wine
Honestly, baby mice wine is probably more sad than it is scary. At least with most other delicacies you don’t have to look the poor animal in the eye while you eat it. But this rice wine, found in China and Korea, actually has tiny little mouse foetuses sitting at the bottom of your bottle.
The baby mice aren’t just put there for decoration; they are actually drowned in the wine and then left to ferment, before the wine is sold as a health tonic. They range in age from a tiny little mouse foetuses to three day old mice at the oldest, then they are left to ferment in the bottle for up to one year.
Baby mice wine has been used as a health drink in China and Korea for years and people believe that it can cure almost every illness imaginable from asthma to liver problems. Supposedly it was invented by Koreans who could not afford medical treatment, so came up with this crazy health tonic instead. It is unclear whether people ever drink baby mice wine to enjoy it, or whether they only drink it for medicinal purposes, but either way, those who have tried it claims that it tastes awful…”like petrol”.
So, do you feel sick? Or are you hungry for Pumba’s bottom? Share your observations below in the comments thread.
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