30 of The World’s Weirdest Foods

Cockroach sushi

“Face your fears” is a thing of the past, it’s eat your fears now.

Dragon in the Flame of Desire

It’s a roasted yak’s penis. Dragon in the Flame of Desire is Guolizhuang Restaurant’s (Beijing) most popular dish.

Escamole

Often referred to as insect caviar, escamole is a dish made up of ant larvae and is a delicacy in Mexican cuisine.

Shiokara

Shiokara is a dish made up of pieces of meat from a selection of sea creatures. The dish is served raw in a brown, syrupy paste of their own fermented viscera.

Crocodile

Crocodile meat is said to taste like a cross between crab and chicken and is considered a delicacy in many places around the globe.

Mopane worm

Mopane worms taste a lot like honey barbequed chicken. Well, that’s what they say. Traditionally, they are dried or smoked to preserve. The worms are rehydrated and cooked with chilli sauce and or tomato.

Hakarl

Hakarl is native to Iceland. It is made by gutting a Basking shark or a Greenland then fermenting it to 2 – 4 months. Hakarl is often served in cubes on toothpicks and smells like ammonia.

Shirako

Shirako is cod’s sperm sac. This soft and creamy treat can either be served deep fried or steamed.

Witchetty grub

A member of the Australian bushmeat family, the witchetty grub is a staple among indigenous Australians living in the desert. They taste like almond when eaten raw.

Fugu

Fugu or pufferfish is a Japanese delicacy that has the potential to be deadly if not properly prepared. As such, only a handful of highly-trained chefs are allowed to prepare and serve fugu.

Sago grubs

Edible sago grubs are said to taste creamy when served raw. When cooked, they say it tastes just like bacon.

Fried spider

Because spiders aren’t scary enough.

Wasp crackers

This one’s pretty straightforward, it’s a biscuit filled with wasps.

Pig’s brain omelette

Known in the Philippines as ‘tortang utak’, pig’s brain omelette as its name suggests, is raw pig’s brain diced and mixed with onions, carrots, aubergines, beaten in eggs and then pan-fried. You know, omelette!

Fried brain sandwiches

Before Mad-cow disease entered the scene, fried brain sandwiches was a common item on the menus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The sandwiches are made from fried calves’ brain and sliced thinly on white bread. You can still find them in the Ohio River Valley, although they’re made into hamburgers now where the brains are coated in heavy batter then fried.

Hen’s coxcomb

Coxcombs have been used in several dishes in Italy and France for centuries. They are used to make Cibreo, a popular sauce in Italy and a filling for profiteroles and vol au vents in France.

Deep fried starfish

Not really my kind of snack, but is apparently a popular treat in China. To eat a deep fried starfish, you have to break off a leg, peel open its skin, then bite into its green-colored meat.

Frogs legs

Grilled, fried, stewed, or baked – frogs legs has the texture of chicken with a faint taste of fish. Or so they say.

Maggot cheese

Casu Marzu or maggot cheese is a traditional dish in the island of Sardinia. This delicacy is sheep’s milk cheese with live insect larvae. Apparently, the maggots are there to enhance the cheese’s flavor. But watch out, they tend to jump when they panic. I would too if someone tries to eat me alive.

Haggis

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made with minced sheep liver, heart, and lung mixed with oatmeal, salt and stock, onion, and other spices. It is then boiled in the sheep’s stomach or some artificial casing for a few hours.

Breast milk ice cream

An ice-cream parlour in London created a buzz when they served ice cream made from human breast milk and called it Baby Gaga.

Cobra heart

This one’s more of a drink. They slit the poor cobra open then place its still beating heart into a shot glass of the cobra’s own blood.

Scorpion on a stick

If you’re a thrill-seeking tourist, then this is a must-try if ever you’re in China. Scorpion on a stick is a snack in Beijing and in other cities in South East Asia.

Sannakji

Yet another one from Korea is the sannakji. The dish is done by hacking off the tentacles of a baby octopus then serve them, still wriggling, to diners.

Korean penis fish

Another popular treat in Korea is the Korean penis fish (Urechis unicinctus) which they serve up raw with either salt or sesame seed oil. It’s up to you.

Grasshoppers

The grasshoppers are seasoned with salt, pepper, and chilli then fried in a big wok.

Rocky mountain oysters

Don’t be fooled by the name. Rocky mountain oysters are actually bull testicles. They are fried in a batter of flour then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Balut

Balut is a developing duck embryo that has been boiled alive in its shell. It’s a popular delicacy sold in the streets in the Philippines. You can also find balut in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Silkworm

Silkworms are a popular snack all over Korea. Street vendors usually steam or boil them.

Urine-soaked eggs

“Tong Zi Dan” is a famous delicacy in Donyang County in the Zhejiang Province of eastern China. These eggs soaked in the urine of young boys (yes, you read that right), is believed to fend off ill-health. Vendors soak the eggs overnight in the urine they collect from local elementary schools.