Top 10 Most Bizarre Foods

Yey Friday!!

I came across another interesting article on MSN this morning. Click here to read it.

I'm familiar with some of them although the only one I've ever eaten out of the 10 as it is, is Durian. A couple of them I think I've also eaten although not exactly with the same ingredients.

1. Durian
Location - Pinang, Malaysia
An extremely odoriferous (some would say noxious) fruit with custard-like flesh. Native to Malaysia, the oblong, thorny fruit can be deep fried, formed into cake and candy, or made into flavorings for ice cream, beverages, and other food items. Durian is considered a delicacy in some parts of Malaysia, and has been known to sell for $50 (U.S.) for one fruit. Many people love the taste of durian, but its powerful aroma is so offensive to some that airplanes, trains, and buses often prohibit the fruit in passenger areas.

I had no idea Durian originated in Malaysia. We have it in the Philippines too although I only eat it as a fruit and I don't really like it as an ice cream flavor or anything else. I have to agree, it does smell bad but man, it tastes good!

2. K'lia
Location - Marrakech, MoroccoAlso spelled khlea, this meat (usually lamb) is salted, dried, and preserved in its own fat. A traditional specialty of Morocco, k'lia is often served with lentils and spices at the outdoor market, Djemma al Fna in Marrakech, Morocco.

I don't think I'll like it. I'm not so huge on Lamb.

3. Mangrove Worms
Location - Palawan, Philippines
Worms that live off dead wood pulp. Eaten raw. Popular in Sabang Beach in the Philippines, these long, slimy worms are said to be high in iron and taste similar to oysters.

I have to ask, WHY? Why oh why? I wouldn't eat it even if it did taste like Oysters. I wouldn't eat it if my life depended on it! They're worms that live off dead wood pulp people! The first person to ever try it must have been extremely desperate.

4. Callos
Location - Taberna de Antonio Sanchez in Madrid, Spain
A casserole made with blood sausage and tripe, which comes from the intestines of various domestic animals. This dish is popular in Taberna de Antonio Sanchez in Madrid, Spain, where it is often served as tapas, small dishes designed for sharing.

My grandma makes this although slightly different. Not too sure if she makes it with blood sausage (whatever that is). Would I eat it? I think I already have... I knew it, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

5. Coconut Grubs
Location - Coca, Ecuador
Larvae that live in dead palm trees. Zimmern tried the dish in the home of a member of the Pilche community in the Amazon rain forest.

One word: Larvae. Can I just say yuck?

6. Menudo
Location - Motes de la Magdalena in Quito, EcuadorSoup made with tripe and beef hearts. This soup is also popular in Mexico, where it began as a peasant dish. Menudo in Mexico can refer to "raw stomach meat" as well as the stew. The recipe for menudo varies in different regions of Latin America.

My mum makes this at home although differently. Mum makes it with pork instead so no harm there! No strange, disgusting ingredients either.. just pork, green peppers, potatoes and green peas i think. Whew!

7. Goose Intestines on Bean Sprouts - Goose guts.
Location - New York's Chinatown
Served at Congee, a restaurant in New York City's Chinatown. Goose intestines are not uncommon fare in China, but then again, neither are duck feet or frogs.

Stick with chicken. I personally don't eat goose, duck nor frogs. I've heard it tastes really good but I just can't. eat. it.

8. Nutria in Sauce Piquant - a large semiaquatic rodent.
Location - Morgan City, Lousiana
Eaten in the home of a trapper in the bayou in Morgan City, Lousiana. Dining on nutria is not for the faint of heart. The rodents resemble large rats with bright orange incisors. Still, the nutria is probably safer on your plate than alive in your yard—the animals are a host for a nematode parasite that can infect human skin. Yummy!

Um... yeah.. sure.. excuse me while I go vomit.

9. Soup No. 5 (Yes, that's the real name)
Location - Balaw Balaw in Luzon, Philippines
Soup made from the back and testicles of a cow is eaten at Balaw Balaw in Luzon, Philippines. In the United States, cow testicles are also sometimes referred to as "Rocky Mountain oysters" and can be prepared in a batter and then fried in oil and eaten with hot sauce.

"Rocky Mountain Oysters"... funny. No thanks!

10. Haggis - Assorted sheep parts mixed with oatmeal and stuffed into a sheep stomach.
Location - Edinburgh, Scotland
This traditional Scottish dish was originally a common peasant meal, but can now be found in grocery stores year round all over Scotland and other areas of the United Kingdom.

Let's go take out some Chinese instead..

Maybe the foods mentioned above aren't as bad as they seem. I mean, it's different when the recipe is written down as opposed to seeing the finished product. Although I have to ask, the people who first tried/made these dishes... why? Was there a lack of food that they started eating whatever they could find??