Every backpacker has a tale about that local ‘delicacy’ which made them gasp/gag in horror. From monkey brains in Indiana Jones to snake blood in The Beach, gross foods are the stuff of traveling legend.
And then on the other hand, budget guidebooks all scream ‘eat what the locals do, it’s cheaper!’ and so once again we backpacking types find ourselves with a very suspicious-looking specialty halfway to our mouths.
There are some things, though, that we really can’t face the thought of – even if it means missing out on an amazing cultural experience, or maybe going hungry… So here it is, our top ten inedible dishes from around the world!
1. Balut. The number one spot has to go to this stomach-churning snack popular in the Philippines. Basically, it’s an egg with a dead chick inside. Enough said.
2. Natto. Almost famous amongst backpackers in Japan for its gross-out cheesy smell and stringy appearance, Natto is a traditional dish that’s often eaten at breakfast for its nutritious qualities. Made from fermented soybeans, it’s not one for the uninitiated.
3. Casu Marzu. A traditional Sardinian cheese made from sheep milk, Casu Marzu is fermented to the stage of decomposition. Anything that comes with a warning to wear eye-protection when eating for fear of larvae launching themselves at your face really shouldn’t be touched in our book. But it’s considered such a delicacy by some that it sells for around $100 per lb – luckily out of reach of the budget traveler, then!
4. Hakarl. Shark meat may be eaten across the world but over in Iceland they ferment it first for five months or so until it has an ‘ammonia-rich’ taste and smell, kind of like a cleaning product. Although it’s available all year round, Hakarl is notably part of the traditional national dish Thorramatur which is served at midwinter festivals.
5. Starfish on a Stick. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the legendary Beijing night markets as they’re stuffed so full of ‘unusual’ delicacies. But amongst the goat testicles, grasshoppers, seahorses and silk-worms, something stands out – it’s a fried starfish on a stick, like a lollipop. Surely that’s not right?
6. Ambuyat. Unique to Brunei, ambuyat is a glue-like substance that’s made from the Sago palm tree. The trunk is planed into sawdust, boiled and then eaten like spaghetti and dipped into peanut sauce as it’s completely tasteless on its own. Be sure to eat it hot, though – before it dries into something resembling rubber cement.
7. The Pie Floater. Sounding like something very dodgy indeed and looking possibly worse, this combination of a meat pie and thick pea soup has rather randomly been recognized by the National Trust of Australia as an official ‘heritage icon’ from Adelaide.
8. Nyotaimori. We like sushi as much as the next gourmet, but eating raw fish off a naked model really just sounds wrong… Originally a Japanese custom, it’s a craze that has also begun to sweep through America, Germany and the UK. Apparently, the benefit is that the sushi warms up to body temperature, allowing the diner to concentrate fully on its taste and texture.
9. Spotted Dick. No, this isn’t made of genitalia. It’s actually a traditional English suet pudding with raisins. Not the greatest tasting dessert in the world (this is British food, after all) but made far worse by the inexplicable name. Can you imagine asking for “spotted dick, please” in a restaurant?
10. Scrapple. America’s contibution to our inedible foods list is this mush of fried hog offal cooled into a gel. It’s pretty much just the waste products of other meats. When it gets to this point, maybe it’s best to throw those left-overs away…
Dinner, anyone?
AW
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