Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'weird asian food'.
-
Asia is well-known for its colorful and interesting cuisine. It’s a fact that if you have a meal in an Asian country you’ll be surprised, most often in a positive way… Being in love with Asian food, I’ve researched about Asian cuisine, from recipes to spices, but sometimes I’ve came across things I’m not sure I’d eat. Now, even if most of us find them disgusting, all the foods listed below are considered delicacies. Up to you to decide if you’d have the guts to try them. ;D 10. Century eggs, China You might think these eggs are 100 years old, but no, their name is a bit misleading. ;D However, they are stored in a salty solution for a few months, just enough to turn the yolk almost black and the white dark brown. 9. Fried tarantula, Cambodia If you have arachnophobia, you’d better look away now. During the years of terror under the Khmer Rogue (a communist party which is considered to have orchestrated the Cambodian Genocide – a 4-year period when over 2 million people lost their lives due to executions, starvation and forced labor), people began eating anything they could get their hands on, spiders making no exception. However, it seems Cambodians have developed a taste for tarantulas, as the huge spiders are heavily consumed even these days, more than 30 years after the regime changed. Actually they are considered a delicacy, being described as having a delicate meat, tasting like a cross between chicken and fish and served with a lime and black pepper dip. 8. Habu Sake, Japan, South-east Asia It’s not really a food, but still worth mentioning. Also called Habushu or Okinawan Snake Wine, Habu Sake is a Japanese beverage that can either be made by submerging a venemous snake in rice wine and seal the bottle, thus drowning the snake or by mixing snake blood with the alcohol. Habu sake is believed to have medicinal properties, as well as a positive effect on the male libido. Habu snakes are known for being able to mate for as long as 26 hours at a time, which causes some people to believe that drinking Habu Sake may help sexual dysfunction in men. 7. Fugu, Japan One of Japan’s most famous dishes is the fugu (putterfish), which is very dangerous due to its high tetrodotoxin content, which paralyzes the muscles so the victim, though fully conscious, is unable to breathe and eventually dies from asphyxiation. Since fugu is lethal if its toxic parts (the organs and the eyes) aren’t correctly removed, this dish is served strictly in licensed restaurants. 6. Shiokara, Japan Shiokara is a Japanese dish made from small pieces of marine animals such as squid, which are fermented in their own viscera (basically a paste of the animal’s organs). The taste is pretty similar to that of cured anchovies. It doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s most often gulped down and followed by a shot of whiskey. 5. Beondegi, Korea Beondegi literally means ‘pupa’ in Korean. The dish consists of boiled or steamed silkworm pupae which are traditionally served as a snack inKorea. Being one of the most popular snacks, beondegi is found basically everywhere inKorea, from markets to restaurants, so if you’re tempted in trying it, you won’t have troubles finding a fresh share of beondegi. 4. Tuna Eyes, Japan If you can handle your food staring back at you, eating tuna eyes might be an option to consider. Apparently it tastes pretty much like squid and the eyeball comes surrounded by fish fat. Some prefer to eat it raw, others would rather have it cooked. To cook, you just boil or steam and season to taste, generally with soy sauce and garlic. 3. Shirako, Japan This slippery, soft, white creamy blob is a popular winter delicacy inJapan. Shirako, which literally means ‘white children’, is actually cod milt (a fancier word for fish sperm). Shirako is served in winter because the sack must contain sperm and fish seminal fluids are in season during winter. Despite the fact that it doesn’t look very appetizing, the cod fish sperm sack is said to melt in your mouth just like butter and it is compared to pig brains, but with a lighter texture. It can be eaten both raw and cooked. Which way tempts you more? 2. Sannakji, Korea Sannakji is a traditional Korean hoe (raw dish). The octopus is cut into small pieces and served while the tentacles are still moving, with a spinkle of sesame and sesame oil. So, if you fancy trying a food that is squirming when you eat it, Sannakji is definitely for you. Since the fact that the food actually moves is the odd thing about this dish, it would make no sense to post a static picture, so, here is a short video so you can get the idea. 1. Balut, Philippines If the century eggs didn’t seem appealing enough, maybe you’ll get tempted in trying Balut (also called Balot), which is a fertilized duck or chicken egg, boiled in the shell. It doesn’t exactly look inviting as the semi-developed chicken/duck is already visibly formed. However, the Balut is very popular throughout the Phillipines and it’s believed to be an aphrodisiac. Don’t ask me why. So which of these weird food delicacies you’d most probably try and which would be the last on your list?