https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APyz8Ye0IxE
9. Rocky Mountain Oysters (Bull Testicles)
Also known as bull’s eggs and cowboy caviar, bull testicles have been served by ranchers for hundreds of years. How many of their guests actually knew what they were eating is a different story. This is definitely a dish worthy of Indiana Jone’s Temple of Doom meal. From the website What’s Cooking America comes a recipe that will NOT remind you of chicken.
8. Haggis (Stuffed Sheep’s Stomach)
This dish, which is illegal in the U.S.A. (to import), starts with you washing the lungs, heart and liver of a fully grown sheep. Why legendary Scotsmen such as Connor Macleod swear by it (with an oddly French accent) we’ll never know. This recipe from the website Not Quite Nigella is impressive in its dedication to detail.
7. Kao Haixing (Grilled Starfish)
A Chinese delicacy that is a bit shocking to Westerners, this is a very simple dish to make. So don’t feel bad as you munch down on a leg, that starfish would do the same (they’re cannibalistic). From Terra Americana comes this recipe that is quick, easy and memorable.
6. Balut (Partially Boiled Bird Embryos)
This Philippine street food is called “Balut” and is made from fertilized chicken or duck eggs aged for 2 to 3 weeks. At this point you can see the feathers and beak form. Traditionally the eggs were incubated by burying them in sand or placing them in a warm, sunny location. If these conditions weren’t perfect, the embryo died and could no longer be eaten. Unlike with normal hard boiled eggs, when Balut is partially boiled the liquid inside the egg doesn’t solidify. Instead it becomes a soup-like broth rich in flavor. The Philippine version is served with salt and vinegar (Cambodia and Vietnam have their own twists). So if you’d like to make your own Balut, try this recipe.
5. Maguro no Gankyu (Giant Tuna Eyeballs)
In many cultures the eyeballs are considered the most delicious part of the fish. Though when you pop one between your teeth like a grape, the cornea reminds you of a contact lens. From Gastro Obscura comes this recipe that cooks tuna eyes the size of tennis balls!
4. Suzumebachi no Kurakka (Wasp Crackers)
80 year old Japanese farmers catch wild wasps to ensure the best flavor in their crackers! Do they remove the stingers before baking them? To see their recipe, click here!
3. A-Ping (Deep-Fried Giant, Hairy Spiders)
Popular in Cambodia, starving people started frying tarantulas during the Khmer Rouge rule in the 1970s. It tastes similar to a crab being a fellow arthropod. But how much garlic and salt does one need to add to before the terror of a giant spider approaching your mouth fades away? Back home in Asia they’re served with a cold beer or some rice wine. This recipe uses tarantulas as a substitute for North American gastronauts.
2. Casu Marzu (Maggot Cheese)
Perhaps one of the most famous cheeses in the world, the name literally means “rotten cheese.” Made mostly on the island of Sardinia, it is a pecorino-style sheep’s milk cheese infested and served with living maggots. While this cheese is illegal, it isn’t exactly difficult to make. You cut a hole in the top of the wheel, place it outside and your local flies start having sex in it. The fly babies (larvae) help to ferment the cheese as they mature by eating and pooping in it. While this recipe from Cook’s Info is illegal, and considered by some to be dangerous, it’s great to serve at Halloween parties to unwelcome guests. Play the above scene from second Indiana Jones movie at the same time if you want to drive the point home.
1. Cuy Frito (Fried Guinea Pig)
Also known as conejillo de indias frito, this dish is popular in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Much like with dogs in Korea, these animals were only raised to be eaten until Europeans started turning them into pets. Docile and easy to raise, they provide a low impact alternative to larger sources of protein like cows. Normally cuy frito are served cut in half much like you’d see with a spatchcock chicken or lobster. Click here to see the recipe from Travel Food Atlas.
