You may be a foodie who enjoys trying delicious and exotic dishes while traveling to satisfy your culinary exploration needs across the globe. However, we can safely say that 95% of you would refuse to try the dishes listed below due to their grotesque and terrifying nature.
Unusual Dishes That Not Everyone Dares to Try
1. Sannakji
You might see a bowl of delicious dipping sauce and pieces of octopus garnished with finely chopped green chili on a plate. However, don’t be too excited, as this dish will likely horrify you.
Live Octopus
This is Sannakji, also known as live octopus, commonly served in Korean restaurants for those daring enough to try it. Once a customer orders the dish, the chef begins to prepare it. First, the wriggling tentacles are chopped into small pieces and seasoned, and then served at the table immediately. However, because the suction cups of the tentacles are still active after being chopped, diners must chew them carefully before they stick to the roof of their mouth; otherwise, they could choke and suffocate.
2. Yak Penis
Yak Penis is very popular in China
This dish is quite common in China and is made from a yak’s penis (the reproductive organ of a yak). The Chinese believe they can eat anything with four legs (except tables) and all flying creatures (except planes). Therefore, it is not surprising that they consume yak penis. Moreover, those who eat this dish claim it is very healthy and enhances performance in the bedroom!
3. Tuna Eyeball
Tuna eyeball is a beloved delicacy in China and Japan, requiring only a brief boil for enjoyment, often served with garlic and sauce. The best part of the tuna eyeball is when it is removed from the fish while still keeping the eyeball and the surrounding fat intact.
Tuna Eyeball after being removed from the fish
This dish is highly nutritious, rich in omega-3 and DHA, which are beneficial for the eyes and brain. However, not everyone can eat tuna eyeballs because they look as if they are still alive.
4. Balut
Balut – a dish loved by many Vietnamese
Balut is one of the popular street foods in Vietnam and is considered a nutritious dish. Outside of Vietnam, this dish is also popular in several other Asian countries such as China, the Philippines, and Cambodia. However, it is a horrifying dish for many people around the world who cannot understand why one would eat 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. First, the brain of a cow (which can be replaced with calf or pig brain) is fried and then placed in a sandwich with tomatoes, onions, and sauce for enjoyment.
6. Rocky Mountain Oysters
Rocky Mountain Oysters are actually bull testicles
The dish known as Rocky Mountain Oysters is not about fried oysters but rather bull testicles, which are peeled, flattened, and then deep-fried.
7. Fugu
Fugu – a dish with deadly risks
Fugu is a type of fish that contains the extremely toxic Tetrodotoxin, which can kill a person with a dosage of 2-3 mg. This toxin is typically found in the fish’s internal organs but can also be present in its flesh, so only experienced chefs are allowed to prepare this dish. When exposed to Tetrodotoxin, victims experience numbness in the mouth and fingers, followed by impaired speech, difficulty breathing, and eventually complete body paralysis, loss of consciousness, and death. Despite preparation, it is difficult to guarantee that Tetrodotoxin is completely eliminated from the meal.
8. Haggis
Haggis is a traditional dish from Scotland
Haggis is an ancient dish from Scotland. It is a combination of sheep’s offal (heart, liver, and lungs), finely chopped with onions, oatmeal, sheep kidney fat, spices, and salt, mixed together and stuffed into the sheep’s stomach, then boiled for about three hours. Although Haggis is considered the “national dish” of Scotland, few people know that this dish originated from poor people who could not afford meat and had to utilize the discarded parts of the sheep for cooking.
9. Fried Black Spiders
Fried Black Spiders sold in markets
Fried black spiders have long been a popular delicacy among locals in Cambodia, but they truly pose a challenge for foreign tourists. The spiders are mixed with monosodium glutamate, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic, then fried in oil until golden brown. The spider meat does not have the foul and grotesque smell people might expect but has a distinct flavor that is quite nutty and crunchy, similar to crab meat. However, not everyone has the courage to bring them to their mouths.
10. San Zhi Er (Live Rat Stomach)
The dish San Zhi Er from China is also known as “Three Screams”. This dish is considered one of the most horrifying and brutal among the bizarre foods worldwide. The main ingredient of San Zhi Er is newborn rats. These baby rats are first fed honey to enhance their sweetness, then served alive and wriggling on the plate.
In addition to the rats, this dish also includes other spices like herbs, but the key factor determining the taste of San Zhi Er is the specially prepared sauce used for dipping the rats before consumption.
Live rats ready to be prepared
The name San Zhi Er “3 Screams” originates from the belief among the Chinese that when using chopsticks to pick up live mice, the mice will scream out of fear, producing the first scream. When dipped into a bowl of sauce, they emit a second scream. The final scream, reflecting the utmost terror of the newborn mouse, occurs when it is placed in the eater’s mouth. After this scream, the mouse will be entirely “dead,” allowing diners to fully appreciate the dish’s sweetness and flavor.
The Chinese also believe that dishes made from animal fetuses or newborn animals have significant effects on enhancing vitality for both men and women. Centuries ago, emperors of 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, consumed daily as a typical breakfast dish or included in lunch menus. Made from fermented soybeans, natto has a slimy texture and a strong odor. Many Japanese people often add karashi mustard or soy sauce on top to mitigate the unpleasant taste.
However, natto contains many valuable nutritional components beneficial for health, including amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, and is often served with rice, used in soups, or as sushi filling.
12. Century Egg
Congee is a very popular breakfast dish in China, Vietnam, and some other Asian countries. To make the dish more diverse, various ingredients such as vegetables, tofu, corn, mung beans, and meat are added to the bowl of congee.
However, not everyone can “swallow” the unique Chinese congee with a “century egg”.
A delicacy favored in China and some Southeast Asian countries, this dish is known by several names, such as “century egg,” “hundred-year egg,” “preserved egg.” The preparation involves preserving chicken, quail, or duck eggs in a mixture of ash, clay, salt, rice husks, and quicklime for a long time, ranging from several weeks to several months. Afterward, the egg white transforms into a dark brown jelly with a salty taste, while the yolk turns dark gray or greenish-black, with a strong flavor due to ammonia and hydrogen sulfide production.
13. Mouse Wine
A strange beverage made by soaking rice wine with mice and letting it ferment for about a year. After the fermentation period, the wine is said to taste similar to gasoline.
In China and South Korea, where this specialty drink is produced, mouse wine is believed to be a health tonic. Many people think it is a remedy for asthma and some liver diseases, although no research has 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, or sheep’s head soup, with the commonality being that the dish is served with the whole head intact.
15. Grilled Bat
The country of Indonesia boasts many fascinating dishes, but grilled bat will certainly shock you! Many consider this a bizarre dish as nobody thinks bats are edible.
Grilled bat is sold at restaurants and street food stalls in Indonesia. While some find bats to be a challenging and terrible dish, others appreciate the deliciousness of bat meat. The bats are usually cleaned, with the wings and heads removed. Depending on the size of the bat, they may be cut into smaller or larger pieces for grilling. To reduce the gamey smell, they are marinated with garlic, pepper, and chili beforehand!
