The world is full of some pretty unusual foods that might seem strange to some people. What’s considered ordinary food in one part of the world may seem disgusting and utterly bizarre to people on another continent.
If you are eating anything, I suggest you stop. From wriggly cheese to fish that will fight back we here on the Blind Side will take a look at 10 Unusual Foods that will Ruin Your Life. Be sure to stick around until the end of the video because you won’t believe what that girl is eating.
10- Eating Bat
What better way to start a video about foods that will ruin your life than to talk about the infamous bat soup. After all, bat soup is said to be one of the reasons for the coronavirus outbreak that’s quite literally ruining people’s lives as we speak.
This video takes us to North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where eating bat soup is a rather common practice. It is said that bat tastes like chicken, but its texture is completely different. Umm, okay. It’s not like I am gonna try it or anything.
You can also see markets selling hundreds of bats to eager locals and the one that is almost 3 feet long. As you can see, this market is home to all kinds of bushmeat caught and hunted from the jungle and bat seems to be the most popular.
9- Dogs
As a dog lover, I am deeply disturbed by the fact that dogs are still widely served and consumed in countries all over the globe. They are served roasted, in stews and soups with no part wasted. Oh my god.
The meal is prepared by being salted and dried then converted into a chewy jerky, although it’s more traditionally used in sausages. Now that’s just sad.
This process dates back centuries as there is a strong belief that dog fat can be used medicinally to treat rheumatism.
If that wasn’t disturbing enough there is a dog meat festival that’s been held in the city Yulin in China since 2010. This festival is very controversial and is widely protested worldwide. I mean, of course, it is controversial, it’s a dog meat festival for crying out loud.
This is mainly due to the cruelty that befalls the animal during preparation as the dogs are boiled alive in order to enhance the texture and flavor of the meat. Now that’s the cruelest thing I’ve ever heard. Each year over 10,000 dogs are killed and used for the purpose of this festival as it draws massive crowds each year. What’s wrong with these people? Whilst considered responsible for the increased demand of the meat it has also sparked discussion all over the globe as to whether dog consumption should continue. Oh, is that even a serious question? I can’t even. Let’s just move on.
8- Grilled RAT
If you are like most people then seeing a rat isn’t the most pleasant experience. In fact, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it now. And I have a feeling you have the same reaction. After all, rats eat garbage, carry fleas, and have been known to carry many plagues. That said you might find it a little strange that, in some places, they don’t just exterminate the rats, they eat them. Oh yes, you heard me. In countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia, for example, you can walk into a restaurant and order rat on a stick.
During the rat hunting season, these restaurants are increasing the popularity of this bizarre food. The rat is either chopped into pieces so that parts, such as the tail, can be deep-fried or simply dipped in batter and fried whole. Um, okay. Moving on.
7- Balut
Eating roast duck is normal, eating duck eggs is also normal, but balut which is an egg with a duck embryo inside is just plain bizarre.
This off-putting Filipino dish is prepared by taking a duck egg and fertilizing it for several weeks. After about three weeks the egg is hard-boiled and served to the hungry party who eats the entire embryo straight from the shell. I know I know you are cringing at the very idea. But rest assured that balut is not a dangerous food unless you choke on the beak or something.
You’re essentially eating a combination of duck and duck egg after all and gaining all the calcium and protein from both. What’s more according to local Filipino belief balut is a great libido-boosting aphrodisiac. That’s something to consider for your next dinner date. If you want to try balut you don’t have to worry about shelling out tons of money at a fancy restaurant. This is no rare delicacy but rather a normalized snack you can buy almost anywhere in the country. Expect to pay about twelve bucks for a dozen bar loot or $1 each.
6- Cheese With Maggots
If you think you have a more sophisticated taste, and the good old deep-fried insects aren’t enough for you, why not pair them with cheese? But I’ve gotta warn ya, this isn’t your ordinary cheese. As a matter of fact, it’s quite dangerous.
This dangerous cheese comes from Sardinia in Italy and it’s called Casu Marzu, which translates to rotten cheese. But I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s so much worse than you think. What do I mean?
You see, Casu Marzu is actually pecorino filled with maggots, and it’s been banned due to its health risks. So what you’re actually eating is the maggot excrement after they’ve eaten the rotting cheese, and that’s what gives it its distinctive flavor and soft texture. Yummy. Ahem.
As if that’s not disgusting enough, the cheese needs to be eaten with the live maggots still wriggling around inside it, as dead maggots are supposedly a sign that the cheese is no longer safe to eat. Good to know.
However even with live maggots, the cheese comes with some safety tips: firstly, it should be eaten with your eyes closed, not to avoid the sight of writhing maggots going into your mouth, but because when the maggots are startled, they can jump into your eyes. I am not kidding.
Secondly, it’s important to chew thoroughly, because if you don’t kill every maggot by mushing them up between your teeth, they can live inside you and rip holes through your insides. I personally think I’ll give this one a skip. How about you?
5- live frog
In Tokyo, a raw, skinned frog is a popular dish. And if that isn’t fresh enough for you, some chefs will actually cut open a live frog and pass the still-beating heart over to you for immediate consumption. Believe it or not but this is actually a popular delicacy in some areas. After that, uh, appetizer, the rest of the frog is served in its entirety on a plate to you along with some raw seafood. Oh Japan, you never cease to amaze me. Moving on.
4- live fish
If you like your food fresh, then you’ve gotta try this Japanese dish known as Ikizukuri. And while fish is the most popular ingredient in this dish, other animals such as octopus, shrimp and lobster can also be used. What they all have in common is that they continue to move in your plate even after being filleted. Whoa, that’s brutal.
First, a customer would pick out the animal they would like to eat from a tank. Then, the chef fillets the animal before the customer’s eyes without killing it. Finally, the animal is served on a plate with its flesh on top for decoration and its heart still beating. Man, that is weird.
3- Coconut Worms
This video taken in Cambodia and uploaded by a YouTube channel Primitive Culture shows us a step-by-step guide on preparing coconut worms. Yep, that’s right. Eating coconut worms is apparently a thing. The man in this video first crushes the coconut tree, breaks it in half in an attempt to find these worms. He then puts the worms in a plate and simply cooks them. He kind of looks like he enjoys eating them, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Let’s just move on, alright?
2- Spiders
No doubt a delight for the arachnophobes out there, the fried spider is just one of the many insects cooked for tourists in parts of Asia, especially in Cambodia. You can buy them individually, or in a pile to eat, you know, like french fries.
Apparently, the taste is actually quite bearable. Think of a cross between chicken and cod but with eight disgustingly hairy legs thrown into the mix. I can only imagine how terrifying it would be to consume this dish.
1- Centipede
In this video, you can see a young girl just wandering around the forest, finding and catching centipedes. Oh wow, look at these hunting skills. Impressive, huh? She then grills centipedes on clay, wraps them in leaves and eats them like they are the most delicious things in the world. Maybe they are. Just listen to that crispy sound. It’s like eating chips. I’ve gotta try these sometimes. Just kiddin’.
Which one of these foods did you find the most terrifying? Let me know in the comments