Food is something that we eat every day. We eat it to fuel our body, we eat it when bored, we it when sad for comfort. It’s a big part of our everyday lives.
When we think of food, we think of hamburgers, pizza, salad, sandwiches, spaghetti, and so on. Food that is not only tasty but also appealing to the eye.
Nowadays, people love to try new things and restaurants are always trying to spice their menus up by adding new and unusual items to it. In some countries, there are food dishes that some wouldn't touch with a 10-inch pole, while those that are brave enough have tried and found them to be absolutely delicious.
Here is a list of 13 food dishes that may look gross but are actually surprisingly delicious for some.
13 Live Squid (Not Really Alive, But Its Muscles & Nerves Are Still Active)
There are a lot of questionable dishes in Japan that we wouldn’t dare try, but they consider delicacies. One dish that is a big hit over there is live squid. Now before anyone freaks out for eating a live creature, the squid isn’t actually alive. What happens is, the muscles and nerves are still active in the once-living squid, so when soy sauce or salt is sprinkled on top, the tentacles start to move, giving it the appearance that it's still alive.
12 Stink Bugs (A Spicy Snack That's Sprinkled With Salt)
This is one horrifying dish that we can’t believe people actually eat. We all know that stink bugs have a repulsive odor, thus their name, which makes it extremely hard to believe that people consider them a delicacy. In Mexico though, these little creepy crawlies are actually eaten as a spicy snack with salt. Don’t worry though, they remove the stink glands first. For an extra kick, some will even crush them up and add them to salsa.
11 Fried Calf Brains (Exactly What It Says, Fried Calf Brains)
Another disgusting food dish that we can’t believe people are brave enough to eat is calf brain sandwiches. That’s right, calf brain sandwiches are a delicacy, or so locals say, that can be found down in Midwestern restaurants, specifically St. Louis. Just know this before trying it though, no matter how much someone deep-fries it, it will still have that squishy brain texture in the middle, which makes it even harder to forget that it’s actually a fried animal brain that is being ingested.
10 Khash (Boiled Cow's Feet)
Ever wake up after a night of partying and instantly wish there were a miracle hangover cure? Well, there is one, but it takes a lot of guts to try. This popular Armenian dish is a soup made from ingredients such as onion, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and finally, simmering cow hooves. That’s right, cow hooves. This dish has been used for centuries as the perfect way to detox the body after a night of drinking.
9 Nutria (Meet From A Creature That Resembles A Beaver)
This dish may look like pig slop, but its actually a popular food dish found on menus down in Louisiana. Nutria is actually a large rodent that is very similar to a beaver and the meat that comes from this animal is said to taste just like the dark meat that comes from a turkey. Some even serve the Nutria up for Thanksgiving as a main dish, while others will pair it with vegetables and serve it as a stew.
8 Casu Marzu (Known As The Most Dangerous Cheese In The World)
This dish will most likely even gross-out the most devoted of cheese lovers. There is a reason it’s called the most dangerous cheese in the world, and it's even been banned in the EU because it's so dangerous. This “Italian delicacy” is literally rotten cheese filled with maggots. The trick to eating it is that the person brave enough to try must crush up the maggots beforehand, otherwise, they can live in the digestive tract and potentially end someone’s life.
7 Tuna Eyes (Tuna Eyeballs Braised And Served Over Rice)
For anyone who hasn’t been to Japan, one of the creepiest things locals and tourists will see while visiting a Japanese fish market is huge eyeballs just sitting there staring at everyone who walks by. Said to taste like squid, tuna eyes, which are known to be the size of tennis balls, are a huge delicacy over in Japan and are usually served braised over white or brown rice with soy sauce drizzled on top.
6 Durian (One Of The Smelliest Fruits In The World)
This type of food not only takes guts but also nose plugs. Native in Southeast Asia, the Durian is known as THE smelliest fruit in the world. Some have described its horrible smell as old garbage sitting out in the sun for weeks. In fact, it smells so bad that some public places have even banned it. However, if someone can get past the horrible smell, the inside is so sweet and light that it tastes almost like a creamsicle.
5 Cobra Heart (A Still Beating Cobra Heart Dropped Into A Shot Of Rice Wine And Snake's Blood)
In Vietnam, this dish is a favorite with men who are hoping to improve their virility. For Gordon Ramsay though, he was not a fan and even was reported saying, “I think I’m going to become a vegetarian. This how this dish works. First, a living cobra is killed right there on the table in front of diners, then it’s still-beating heart is dropped into a shot of rice wine mixed with the snake’s blood.
4 Bushmeat (Meat From Animals Such As Lemurs, Crocodiles, Gorillas, Etc.)
In certain parts of Africa, food is scarce for some people. Because of this, they must do what they can to survive. In the Congo, bushmeat is a popular type of food for the locals. The name bushmeat basically means a mixture of wild animals such as gorillas, crocodiles, chimpanzees, lemurs and more. This type of meal is typically bad for the environment and can spread fatal diseases, but in certain areas, it’s the only choice they have.
3 Duck Embryos (A Hard-Boiled Duck Egg That Had A Fetus Growing Inside)
For the sake of our audience, we decided not to show what this meal really looks like.
Out in the Philippines, there is a dish called balut that can be found in restaurants and is known to not only be an aphrodisiac but to also help boost the libido. This dish is a hard-boiled duck egg. Sounds innocent enough right? Think again. Before being boiled, the embryo inside is not only fertilized but also allowed to develop for 16 to 20 days. Basically, diners are eating a duck fetus with feathers, beak, and all.
2 Bamboo Worms (Deep Fried Moth Larvae)
Who needs Chex mix when there are bamboo worms? Out in Thailand, a great late-night party snack that can be found in a lot of bars is rot duan, also known as deep-fried bamboo worms. For those who don’t know, bamboo worms are actually moth larvae and they are harvested from bamboo groves. Packed with 9 grams of protein and different kinds of vitamins, this fried delicacy tastes like a regular potato chip.
1 Cherry Blossom Meat (Horse Meat)
Just by reading the name and looking at the picture, some might be confused as to why this dish is listed in an article about gross looking delicacies. Well, it’s because this meal is actually horse meat. Due to a horse’s high hemoglobin levels, the meat turns a much deeper red hue then meat from other animals, thus the name. Packed with lots of protein, and low in calories and fat, this dish is a popular dish found throughout Japan.