You may be a foodie who enjoys trying delicious and unique dishes and loves to travel to satisfy your culinary exploration needs across the globe. However, we can confidently say that 95% of you would refuse to taste the following dishes upon seeing them due to their frightening and horrific nature.
Extreme Dishes That Not Everyone Dares to Try
1. Sannakji
You might see a bowl of savory dipping sauce and slices of meat garnished with chopped green chili. However, don’t be too excited, as this dish may horrify you.
Live Octopus
This is Sannakji, also known as live octopus, commonly served in Korean restaurants for those adventurous enough to try it. Once ordered, the chef begins to prepare the dish. First, the wriggling tentacles are cut into small pieces and seasoned before being served immediately. However, due to the suction cups still being active, diners must chew carefully to avoid them sticking to the roof of their mouth, which can lead to choking.
2. Yak Penis
Yak Penis – a famous dish in China
This dish is quite popular in China and is made from yak’s penis. The Chinese believe they can eat anything with four legs (except tables) and anything that can fly (except airplanes). Therefore, it’s not surprising that they consume yak’s penis, which is claimed to be very healthy and enhances performance in the bedroom!
3. Tuna Eyeball
Tuna eyeball is a delicacy in China and Japan, where it is often boiled slightly and served with garlic and sauce. The best part is when the eye is removed from the fish while keeping the eyeball and surrounding fat intact.
Tuna Eyeball after being removed from the fish
This dish is highly nutritious, rich in omega-3 and DHA, which are great for the eyes and brain. However, not everyone can eat tuna eyeballs, as they appear as though they are still alive.
4. Balut
Balut – a favorite dish among many Vietnamese
Balut is one of the popular street snacks in Vietnam and is considered a nutritious food. Besides Vietnam, this dish is also favored in several other Asian countries like China, the Philippines, and Cambodia. However, it is deemed horrific by many around the world who cannot fathom eating an egg with a developed embryo inside.
5. Fried Brain Sandwich
Fried Brain Sandwich
Fried brain sandwich is a popular dish in India, Central, and South America. The brain (which can be substituted with calf or pig brain) is first fried and then served in a sandwich with tomatoes, onions, and sauce.
6. Rocky Mountain Oysters
Rocky Mountain Oysters are actually bull testicles
The dish known as Rocky Mountain Oysters is not about fried oysters but actually refers to bull testicles that are peeled, flattened, and then deep-fried.
7. Fugu
Fugu – a dish that poses a deadly risk
Fugu is a type of fish that contains the highly toxic substance Tetrodotoxin, which can kill a person with just 2-3 mg. It is often found in the fish’s organs but can also be present in the meat, so only experienced chefs are allowed to prepare this dish. When poisoned with Tetrodotoxin, victims experience numbness around the mouth and fingers, followed by difficulty speaking, breathing, and ultimately paralysis, unconsciousness, and death. Even after preparation, it is very difficult to guarantee that Tetrodotoxin is no longer present in the dish.
8. Haggis
Haggis is a traditional dish of Scotland
Haggis is an ancient Scottish dish. It consists of sheep’s offal (heart, liver, and lungs) minced with onions, oatmeal, sheep kidney fat, spices, and salt, mixed together and stuffed into a sheep’s stomach, then boiled for about three hours. Although Haggis is considered the national dish of Scotland, few know that its origins stem from poor people who couldn’t afford meat and had to use leftover parts of sheep for their meals.
9. Fried Black Widow Spider
Fried Black Widow Spider sold at markets
Fried black widow spiders have long been a popular delicacy among the locals in Cambodia, but they pose a true challenge for foreign tourists. The spiders are mixed with MSG, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic, then fried in oil until crispy. Contrary to what many may think, spider meat doesn’t smell foul or horrific; it has a unique, nutty flavor and a crunch similar to crab meat. However, not everyone has the courage to put them in their mouths.
10. San Zhi Er
The dish San Zhi Er from China is also known as “Three Screams.” It is considered one of the most horrific and cruel dishes among the strange foods worldwide. The main ingredient of San Zhi Er is newborn mice. These baby mice are fed honey to sweeten their flesh before being served alive and wriggling on a plate.
In addition to mice, this dish also includes other spices and herbs, but the key to the deliciousness of San Zhi Er lies in the specially prepared sauce used for dipping the mice before consumption.
Newborn mice ready for preparation
The name San Zhi Er, meaning “3 screams,” originates from the Chinese belief that when using chopsticks to pick up mice, the creatures will scream out of fear. The first scream occurs when they are picked up, the second when they are dipped in a bowl of sauce, and the final scream, representing the ultimate terror of a newborn mouse, happens when it is placed in the eater’s mouth. After this final scream, the mouse will be completely “dead,” and the diner can savor the delightful taste of the dish.
Chinese people also believe that dishes made from animal fetuses or newborn animals have a significant effect on enhancing vitality for both men and women. Hundreds of years ago, emperors from various Chinese dynasties, such as Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Qianlong, favored dishes made from fetuses or newborn animals to boost their “bedroom performance”!
11. Natto
Natto is popular throughout Japan and is consumed daily as a typical breakfast dish or included in lunch menus. Made from fermented soybeans, natto has a sticky texture and a distinctive strong smell. Many Japanese people often add karashi mustard or soy sauce to reduce its unpleasant odor when enjoying natto.
However, natto is rich in valuable nutrients that are beneficial for health, including amino acids, enzymes, and vitamins, and it is often served with rice, in soups, or as sushi filling…
12. Century Egg
Congee is an extremely popular breakfast dish in China, Vietnam, and some other Asian countries. To enrich the dish, various ingredients such as vegetables, tofu, corn, green beans, and meat are added to the bowl of congee.
However, not everyone can “swallow” the special Chinese congee with a “century egg.”
A delicacy favored in China and some Southeast Asian countries, this dish is known by many names, including “century egg,” “hundred-year egg,” “preserved egg.” The method involves preserving chicken, quail, or duck eggs in a mixture of ash, clay, salt, rice husks, and quicklime for an extended period, from weeks to several months. Afterward, the egg whites turn into a dark brown jelly with a salty taste, and the yolk becomes gray-black or dark green, with a strong flavor due to the production of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.
13. Rat Wine
A peculiar drink made by soaking rice wine with rats and letting it ferment for about a year. After this period, the wine is said to taste similar to gasoline.
In China and South Korea, where this specialty drink is produced, rat wine is believed to be a health tonic. Many people think it is a remedy for asthma and some liver diseases, although no studies have confirmed these claims.
14. Sheep’s Head
Sheep’s head has long been a beloved dish worldwide, especially in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Common recipes may vary, including roasted sheep’s head, smoked head, or sheep’s head soup, with the commonality being that the dish is served with the head intact.
15. Grilled Bat
Indonesia has a plethora of interesting dishes, but grilled bat is sure to shock you! Many consider this a bizarre dish as no one thinks bats are edible.
Grilled bat is sold at restaurants in Indonesia and street food carts. For many, bats are a difficult and terrible food to eat, but some enjoy the delightful taste of bat meat. The bats are usually cleaned, and the wings and head are removed. Depending on the size of each bat, it is chopped into smaller or larger pieces for grilling. To reduce the odor from the bat meat, garlic, pepper, and chili are added as marinade!
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