Exploring different cuisines from around the world can be an exciting adventure, but sometimes it leads to encounters with foods that might seem bizarre or unconventional to outsiders. From exotic delicacies to culinary oddities, here are five unusual foods from various cultures that you might want to add to your culinary bucket list – or perhaps avoid altogether.
1. Balut (Philippines)
Balut is a popular street food in the Philippines that is not for the faint of heart. This traditional delicacy consists of a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten directly from the shell. While some find the concept of eating a partially developed duck embryo off-putting, balut is prized for its unique texture and flavor. It's often enjoyed with a sprinkle of salt or a dash of vinegar and is considered a nutritious and energy-boosting snack.
2. Hakarl (Iceland)
Hakarl is a traditional Icelandic dish made from fermented shark meat. The Greenland shark used to make hakarl contains high levels of urea and trimethylamine oxide, making its flesh toxic when fresh. To prepare hakarl, the shark meat is buried in sand and gravel for several weeks to ferment and break down the harmful toxins. The result is a pungent, ammonia-scented delicacy that is an acquired taste for many. While hakarl is considered a national dish in Iceland, its strong odor and intense flavor may not appeal to everyone.
3. Casu Marzu (Italy)
Casu Marzu, also known as "maggot cheese," is a traditional Sardinian cheese that takes fermentation to a whole new level. Made from sheep's milk, casu marzu is left to ferment in the open air, allowing cheese flies to lay their eggs inside. As the larvae hatch and consume the cheese, it develops a soft, creamy texture with a distinctly pungent aroma. While casu marzu is considered a delicacy by some, its consumption is banned in the European Union due to health concerns associated with eating live insect larvae.
4. Century Egg (China)
Century eggs, also known as "preserved eggs" or "thousand-year-old eggs," are a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck, chicken, or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months. During the preservation process, the eggs undergo chemical changes that give them a dark green or black color and a gelatinous texture. Despite their unappetizing appearance, century eggs are prized for their rich, savory flavor and are often served as a condiment or appetizer in Chinese cuisine.
5. Surströmming (Sweden)
Surströmming is a fermented Baltic sea herring that is notorious for its strong odor, which has been likened to rotten eggs, ammonia, and garbage. This Swedish delicacy is traditionally prepared by fermenting whole herring fish in brine for several months before canning. The fermentation process produces a pungent smell caused by the release of volatile compounds, including hydrogen sulfide. While surströmming enthusiasts praise its unique taste and texture, it is often considered one of the smelliest foods in the world and is banned from being opened indoors in some places due to its overpowering odor.
The world is full of culinary delights, and trying new and exotic foods can be an exciting and memorable experience. Whether you're adventurous enough to sample delicacies like balut, hakarl, casu marzu, century eggs, or surströmming, or prefer to stick to more familiar fare, exploring different cuisines allows you to expand your palate and gain insight into the diverse culinary traditions of cultures around the globe.
