Eating the pizza that’s been chillin’ and growing fuzz in the corner of your dorm room for who-knows-how-long is dangerous enough. I mean, if that’s not living life on the edge, I don’t know what is. But for those of you who need even more adrenaline, here are 13 deadly foods, ranging from the seemingly normal to the outright strange, that some brave souls actually eat.
Fugu (Pufferfish)
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Eaten: In Japan
Cause of death: Poisoning
You can’t start off a list of deadly foods without the iconic deadly food. If you eat an unskillfully-prepared plate of these spiny suckers, well, deuces to you. The neurotoxins contained in their organs will cause you to first suffer from paralysis and respiratory failure, then death will follow shortly after.Despite regulations established in Japan that bar unlicensed chefs from serving the fish,
Despite regulations established in Japan that bar unlicensed chefs from serving the fish, more than 20 people have died of fugu poisoning since 2000. But hey, look on the bright side. There are many who have tried it and lived to tell the tale, and apparently, it leaves a tingly sensation in your mouth.
Ackee Fruit
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Eaten: In Jamaica
Cause of death: Poisoning
This rich, buttery-tasting fruit is a beloved part of Jamaican cuisine and is even one-half of their national dish, ackee and saltfish. However, it lives up to its menacing appearance; it is one of the most toxic fruits on the planet. If you eat the seeds, the pods, or an unripe fruit, you’ll likely develop a little something called Jamaica Vomiting Sickness. Symptoms include: vomiting (duh), loss of consciousness, and seizures.
Casu marzu
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Eaten: In Sardinia
Cause of death: Intestinal complications
We don’t judge here at Spoon. You like your cheese with maggots? I’ll pass, but you do you. Made from sheep’s milk, Casu marzu is aged cheese left uncovered during the ripening process, encouraging flies to lay their eggs inside.It’s then
It’s then eaten straight or as a spread, live maggots and all. Props to you if you’re gutsy enough to try it, but be warned: the larvae can burrow into your intestinal walls and cause severe illness. There’s a reason why it’s banned from markets in its own homeland of Sardinia.
Blood Clams
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Eaten: In China
Cause of death: Viral or bacterial disease
I feel bad for these little guys. They’ll never know the joy of eating Peanut Butter and Oreo-Stuffed Brownie Cupcakes or piping-hot bowls of Pho. Because they live in low-oxygen environments where few other organisms can survive, blood clams are relegated to feeding on measly viruses and bacteria for nutrition. Tragic, right?The stuff that they subsist on, including hepatitis, typhoid, and dysentery, can cause those who eat the clams to become infected. A whopping
The stuff they subsist on, including hepatitis, typhoid, and dysentery, can cause those who eat the clams to become infected. A whopping 15 percent of people who eat blood clams become afflicted with disease.
Monkey Brains
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Eaten: In Asia
Cause of death: Creudtzfeldt-Jakob Disease
The irony here is that eating brains can cause your own brain to essentially turn to goop. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is an incurable and fatal degenerative neurological disorder that can infect humans when monkey brains are ingested. If you want to try it, you’re going to have to go to Asia, where it’s served raw, cooked, or baked.
Starfruit
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Eaten: Globally
Cause of death: Poisoning
This one surprised me; I never thought starfruit could be dangerous in any way. It’s pretty commonplace to eat in Hawai`i, and I personally think it’s delicious. Luckily, it’s only dangerous for those with bad kidneys. Just 100 milliliters of starfruit juice can be poisonous if your kidneys aren’t working properly, but if they’re healthy, the toxins can be filtered out of your system.
Hákarl
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Eaten: In Iceland
Cause of death: Poisoning
If you’re willing to withstand a full-on assault on your nostrils, and you don’t mind that it can be dangerous to eat, go ahead and try hákarl. Greenland sharks, the star ingredient in this dish, filter waste through their skin due to a lack of urinary tracts and kidneys.
Those who prepare the hákarl bury the sharks under gravel, sand, and heavy stones for a period of up to three months, allowing the pressure to squeeze out the toxic waste. The sharks are dried for another six months before they’re ready to eat in all of their stanky, fermented glory.
Bullfrog
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Eaten: In Africa
Cause of death: Poisoning
I just want to say I’ve encountered too many frightening close-ups of warty, slimy, frogs during my research for this article. So as to refrain from grossing you out, I’ve only included a picture of the frog booty. You’re welcome.
Bullfrog is enjoyed as a celebratory dish in Namibia. The entire frog is usually eaten, not just the legs. Young bullfrogs that have not yet started to mate are the most lethal because unlike their older counterparts, they contain toxins that can cause kidney failure.
Hot Dogs
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Eaten: Globally
Cause of death: Choking
I guess if you know how to properly eat a hot dog, they shouldn’t pose much of a problem. If you’re a little tyke who’s a bit too excited for his first day at the ball park, however, they pose a significant choking hazard. In a study spanning two decades, 17 percent of 450 choking fatalities in children were caused by hot dogs.
Sannakji
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Eaten: In Korea
Cause of death: Choking
Having tentacles trying to climb their way out of your throat may sound like a situation from a bad horror/sci-fi movie, but it’s not too far from what could happen if you eat a plate of sannakji. The dish is made by dicing up live baby octopus, and is served immediately with a sprinkling of sesame oil. The tentacles continue to move and retain their suction abilities, which could cause them to stick to the walls of your throat and choke you to death. Now that truly sucks.
Cassava
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Eaten: In Africa and South America
Cause of death: Poisoning
While this root is a staple of African and South American cuisine, here in the US, we’re more familiar with it in tapioca form. Tapioca is made from extracts of cassava, as are some kinds of juice, chips, and cake. However, it’s only to be eaten cooked; raw cassava contains a toxin similar to cyanide that can kill you when ingested. Sadly, in 2005, 27 schoolchildren in the Philippines died after eating it as a school snack. Sorry if I’ve ruined boba for you.
Potatoes
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Eaten: Globally
Cause of death: Poisoning
No need to worry; your run-of-the-mill McDonald’s spuds aren’t going to kill you. Glycoalkaloids, a group of toxic compounds, only accumulate in old potatoes and in the parts we don’t usually eat, like the leaves and stems. It’s still nothing to scoff at, though; it is said that just 3 to 6 milligrams of glycoalkaloids per kilogram of body weight can be fatal.
Raw Cashews
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Eaten: Globally
Cause of death: Poisoning
If you see an item marked “raw cashews” at the supermarket, it’s a lie. Cashews cannot be eaten truly raw because of the toxic chemical, urushiol. The ones at the store are actually steamed to remove the poison, so we are able to enjoy them in this delicious cashew milk.