The Global Menu of Most Bizarre Grub...
Admittedly the Wanderfool review of exotic Thailand cuisine was pretty harsh. The Thais were roasted enough. (Oops poor choice of words). So it’s only fair to spin the globe and highlight the weirdest food worldwide. Queasy stomachs need not apply as we explore the dishes that peg the shock and awe meter when the dinner bell rings.
United States: Before we start pointing fingers, let’s peak in our refrigerators right here at home. We have become pretty reserved in our menu options and we steer clear of extreme foods. Instead, our questionable dietary choices are made at drive thrus. That doesn’t mean we can’t shock the person across the dinner table on occasion. Case in point, Rocky Mountain Oysters.
Apparently all is fine with this offering as far as taste but….nah. I can’t. Cute name aside, just the thought of consuming the marbles from a bull or hog sends me to my room without dinner. That said, I’d choose ’em before most of the following:
Weirdest Food worldwide
Greece: Kokoretsi. Intestines are pretty common fare but there’s something about the way these grilled lamb/goat innards are stuffed full of ground organs that’s more than a tad off-putting. Maybe if there is enough tzatziki sauce?
weirdest food report.
Mexico: Mexican food seems to be everyone’s fav but that might change if the joint down the road served authentic fried Maguey Worms. Then again we celebrate the worm in the bottle of tequila. So what’s wrong with a worm taco? Well probably nothing after finishing that bottle of tequila and its soused lil appetizer. Si amigos, just add salsa and guac.
Weirdest food worldwide list.
Scotland: Haggis. Those warriors in Braveheart were no sissies and here’s more proof. They dined on Haggis, a pudding made from a sheep’s heart, lungs and liver and cooked in its own stomach. Since William Wallace fought and died for the freedom to be a Scot, you better try Haggis next time you’re in Glasgow.
bizarre cuisine
Singapore: Durian. It’s just a fruit so how bad can it be. Fruit is nature’s candy right. Well mother nature played a prank here and produced something unbelievably pungent. Of course that means someone had to go against mother’s wishes and decide it should be eaten. Durian is no joke in the foul smell category. So much so that it’s against the law to bring it on the subway.
Oddly, Durian is said to have aphrodisiac properties. Problem is no one would get within 10 yards of you after eating this stuff. Except perhaps another Durian fan. Valuable dating app tip when in Singapore.
The worlds weirdest food.
Australia: Kangaroo. The Aussies don’t make the weirdest food worldwide list because of outrage to our taste buds. They make it for outrage to our heart strings. That’s because those blokes serve up cute, loveable kangaroos.
Gotta be honest, it looks like a quality cut of steak. In fairness we have no more right to cry foul that they dine on an abundant native creature than they have over our venison. I mean it’s not like they are grilling up Koalas! (They’re not right?)
So while the ‘roos may be tasty, the Aussies do have the famous vegemite spread to register on the gross scale. It’s a love/hate thing. We bet you’d hate it.
Strangest things people eat
France: Forget the escargot. Let’s scold them for the Mimolette cheese. Oh you’re a cheese lover and it’s all good? Well try this version that’s encrusted with cheese mites. Apparently the little buggers create Mimolette’s distinctive appearance and flavor. So serve up this cheese at your next tasting, paired with a nice glass of merlot rimmed with fruit flies.
Korea: Sannakji. A picture doesn’t do this one justice. Video is required. It’s not that the dish is octopus. It’s that the fresh cut pieces of octopus are wiggling like crazy. Savage. Even Kim Jong-Un up north finds this offensive.
world's weirdest and grossest foods
Sweden: Surstromming. How bad could a canned fish be? Suffice to say this ain’t StarKist tuna. The Swedes package almost rotten fish with just enough salt water to keep it (theoretically) edible. When that metal can is opened…look out. Best done outdoors. Even the stray cats say no thank you.
Most shocking and weirdest foods worldwide.
Turkey: Khash. This traditional stew does not make the world’s weirdest food lineup because of taste. It makes it because of presentation. Imagine a big pot of soup with some of the same goodies granma threw in but with cow feet and heads bobbing at the surface. Nothing says extra helping like those big eyes staring at you.
England: A country known for some bland food steps up its game to offer jellied eels. Sounds like it could be a gummy candy but it’s not. It’s actual eels. Boiled until a gelatin forms and then served with that gelatin.
Weirdest food in the world.
Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun can more than hold its own when it comes to the weirdest food rankings. We will bypass their truly exotic selections and focus on awful taste. In that light we present Shiokara. It’s pieces of squid fermented in their own guts. Key word fermented. Reportedly a tough thing to stomach even for the most seasoned Japanese palate. Typically served after whiskey. Presumably lots.
Fortunately you can sweeten things up after Shiokara with a lovely Japanese wasp cookie. Yep, a cookie chocked full of wasps instead of chocolate chips. No one knows how this came about. The only logical explanation is one of the Keebler elves went mad and escaped to the Far East.
Weirdest food people eat.
Germany: Hackepeter. The Germans break a key meat rule by serving up raw minced pork. Is it worth the risk of trichinosis, the symptoms of which include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills and headaches? Then again, those same symptoms are usually present throughout Oktoberfest. So I suppose they can handle it.
nastiest things to eat
China: China is a country with so much to offer for the list of weirdest food. Hard to even narrow it down but we will pick Dragon in the Flame of Desire. Such an elegant sounding name. A novel? A painting? A flambeed dessert? Nahhh, it’s a yak’s penis. (The German entrée name above would fit much better).
Perhaps if you order a large mammal’s penis, you need a classy name to save face. Reverse psychology, kinda like a pu pu platter but opposite.
Speaking of large, there are not a lot of folks asking for seconds on this one. More likely a “to go” box. While I wouldn’t much appreciate this being ordered at my table, I do have new respect for Mr Yak. And Mrs Yak.
Bangledesh: Shutki. A dried fish entrée sounds reasonable enough but this one is fermented and particularly stinky. Real stinky. Like reverse the vowels in Shutki kind of stinky.
Extreme food
Italy: Lampredotto. Who doesn’t love an Italian sub. This Italian sub is loaded with cow stomach. Not enough house dressing in the world….
The weirdest food worldwide.
Cambodia: Fried spider. The beauty here is they cook up the giant ones, not some little crispy fried insect you saw at the international fair. Nah these are big ol arachnids, with a full serving of eight long legs and a plump, juicy center.
crazy entrees
Peru: Guinea Pig. Yes those cute little pets make a solid entrée, though it might be more palatable if they didn’t roast the whole darn thing. The real problem is when you travel to Peru and think you are proficient in your Spanish. You try to communicate to the waiter that you would like the pork…uhh how you say…pig…si si…and next thing you know it’s a guinea pig sitting in front of you. Enjoy.
Iceland: Hakarl. It’s surprising for Iceland to appear on the weirdest foods list but somehow the good people up there came up with Hakarl. They take the rotting carcasses of a local shark and bury them. The process allows poisonous fluids to drain out before making it to the dinner table. Good idea. Once dry they are served up in all their fishy, smelly glory. How smelly? Anthony Bourdain said it’s the most disgusting thing he ever tried. Take his word for it not mine.
Vietnam: Cobra heart. Badassery all the way around here. They split open a cobra right in front of you and spill out its heart into a shot glass with a chaser of blood. Slam it. Drinks on me if you take that down and hold it down.
List of worldwide weirdest food.
Thailand: Their delicacies were covered in depth in the ‘Fool’s review of Exotic Thai Food. They earned the right to be the headliner on the weirdest food worldwide list, with my personal selection of Balut. See the details if you are still reading and haven’t just eaten.
The weirdest food
It’s fascinating what people around the world have deemed edible and even a delicacy. While sometimes derived out of necessity, food options clearly evolve into an affinity for the consumption of that which is exotic and shocking. The more extreme the better as far as concept, appearance and taste. Here at home we take the nasty stuff and grind it into hot dogs and such. Serve it to the kids with some mustard and ketchup. Ignorance is bliss.
Gotta hand it to those who see the rawest of raw product and willingly take a bite…and those who stare down their dinner and get stared back at…and those who can stomach dishes that our pets wouldn’t touch. Indeed cat food would be preferable over most of the list here and I think the cat would agree. Then again, cats almost made the list themselves so whadda they know.
I hope our brothers and sisters across the globe continue to eat the weirdest food imaginable. It’s an exciting part of traveling. I won’t participate and I might not even able to watch. But I won’t judge either. Bon Appetit.
