Each year, new foods hit the streets that we have never seen or eaten before, and it doesn’t take long for them to become a trend that everyone is rushing to try. All around the world, people create weird and wonderful delicacies, and although they might appear strange at first, they can in fact be great culinary discoveries.
Let’s take a look at six of the world’s craziest and strangest delicacies, and how likely we are to be sampling them anytime soon:
- Tuna Eyeball, Japan
A very popular delicacy in Japan and South East Asia, apparently it tastes like squid. It is very simple to cook – simply boil and add light seasoning. I don’t think we will be seeing this on the supermarket shelves anytime soon.
- Haggis, Scotland
This will be the delicacy that you have most likely heard of, or perhaps even tried. Traditionally served in animal stomach lining, it contains sheep’s heart, liver and lungs. Although it may sound unappealing, it apparently has a lovely, savoury taste. Traditionally haggis is eaten on Burn’s Night at the end of January each year, but if you can’t wait until then I’m sure your local supermarket will stock it.
- Witchetty Grub, Australia
Famous for its yearly appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! This is an aboriginal delicacy which is found in Australia. Usually eaten alive, the taste has been compared to scrambled eggs. If you are not brave enough to try it raw, it can be cooked over a fire. Unless you are visiting Australia, it’s unlikely that you’ll pick it up in any shops near you.
- Chicken Feet, South America
Eaten in Mexico and Peru, as well as parts of Asia, this is the chewiest part of the chicken. It might be best to shut your eyes before eating this one, ask your local butcher if they have any spare.
- Casu Marzu, Italy
This is a very odd one – purified cheese with live maggots inside! The cheese fly is encouraged to leave its eggs in the cheese, and when they become maggots, they release an enzyme as they eat through it. This leaves the cheese with a unique taste, and is eaten with the creatures still inside! Would anyone really want to try this?
- Smalahove, Norway
This delicacy is simply a sheep’s head, which is boiled or steamed for several hours, and served with potatoes and turnip just before Christmas. Nowadays, it is only allowed to be cooked using a lambs head. It is often seeked out by tourists, so perhaps if you’re in Norway, why not give it a try?
So there are six of the world’s craziest delicacies. Have you tried any? Would you like to? Have I missed anything off the list? Please let me know in the comments below.
WritingSuzanne 
Haggis is weirdly tasty – especially if you have it canape style as ‘haggis bonbons’. I’m too much of a wuss to try it straight up but in that format I was blown away by how tasty it actually was! I tried dried grasshoppers, but wasn’t a huge fan. There’s another Scandi one that scares me to bits: lutefisk. Not sure what would be scarier – that or your sheeps head one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everyone I know who has tried Haggis has said the same – that they were surprised at how tasty it is. Lutefisk looks… interesting! I think the problem with Smalahove (sheep head) is that you can see the actual head clearly on your plate that would put most people off I think!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eugh. Good point….
LikeLike
I’ll stick to the poutine.
Poutine: Canada
French fries (or chips if you prefer the term), cheese curds and gravy.
hardly scary at all….except probably to your arteries.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, I think ‘poutine’ should have been on the list! Cheese and gravy I just cannot imagine going together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, give poutine an honourable mention 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a poutine on the way home tonight…hard to find a haggis place around here though
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ll have to visit Scotland! While you’re there… try a deep-fried Mars bar!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a fish & chips shop here in town that does the deep fried Mars bar. Funny, that actually came up in conversation at work last week.
LikeLike
I’ve also had haggis, which was very good. Like sausages there are good ones and bad ones, so if anyone has a bad one, don’t be put off. Try again. I wouldn’t eat anything that stares back at me from the plate (even if there’s the only the eye left) and definitely wouldn’t eat anything that’s still moving. On the subject of eating insects, I’ve often thought a prawn, when it’s still in the shell, is a pretty disgusting looking sea insect, but shelled and cooked they’re delicious.
I think if we had to eat stuff in its natural form we’d pass on a lot of things. Cow’s tongue anyone?
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘I think if we had to eat stuff in its natural form we’d pass on a lot of things.’ Completely agree with that – I know a lot of meat-eaters who say they couldn’t eat a hog-roast, and even some who won’t eat chicken if it’s still in the shape of the chicken!
LikeLiked by 1 person