Way back before we were taught to be sensitive to all life, eating bugs was considered one of the most impressive things a person could do. Obviously, this was well before we were introduced to adult concepts like time management and responsible eating.
In fact, at the age of four, I’d think anybody that ate a fried tarantula (a food as yet unseen in India, but hey, we’re getting real friendly with our neighbours so maybe that’ll change) was awesome but also horrifying. It appears my brain has not evolved much, because I still think it’s the unholy offspring of awe and tear-inducing terror.
So here are some impressively bizarre culinary creations from across the globe, not all of them bugs but all of them creepy foods:
1. Fried Tarantulas
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
They’re really popular in Cambodia, and apparently taste yummier than grasshoppers because they’ve got more meat on them.
2. Rocky Mountain Oysters
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Fun fact: these have nothing to do with rocks, oysters, mountain oysters (though I’d like to see those) or rocky mountains. Instead, they are the testicles of sheep or bulls, deep fried in batter and a popular snack in America.
By the by, how did this one even come to be?
“Duuuuuude. You know what’ll taste awesome if we deep-fry it?”
“What?”
“Bull’s testicles!”
Ick.
3. Shirako
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
Oh god, people of the world. What is this thing with eating the reproductive organs of animals?
Shirako is another name for the sperm sacs of the cod fish. Apparently it’s rather soft and creamy.
4. Balut
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
This one actually upset me a great deal, because ducks, man. Ducks. Balut is a developing duck embryo boiled alive in its shell and sold on the streets. It’s a common dish in the Philippines, consumed with beer.
5. Snake/scorpion wine
Photo courtesy of Flickr.com
So this wine is made by drowning snakes in alcohol. Live snakes.
Yup.
Also sometimes the snakes survive for months and bite the first person to open the bottle. Other times they carry infections in their bodies and kill the drinker of the wine. Southeast Asian countries love this stuff, but thanks, China, I’ll stick to water.
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