National dishes from different countries of the world. The most unusual dishes in the world

Incredible facts

When representatives of different nationalities hear the word “delicacy,” they conjure up different images in their heads: from fresh and crispy locusts to hard-boiled eggs in urine. However, as the world constantly changes, so do ideas about what is acceptable to eat and what is not.

Recently, UN officials urged people to reconsider their views and start eating bugs because they are full of fiber and protein.

In many forums about food, for example, there are now heated discussions about why don’t we start eating horses on a large scale, since we easily eat cows and other similar mammals.

Below are 18 amazing photos of the most extreme dishes from around the world. It turns out that Europeans and Westerners are extremely picky when it comes to what goes on their plate, which is not the case in other countries.

Unusual food

This photo shows a Peruvian woman throwing a skinned frog into a blender. Some Peruvians believe that frog juice or "extract de rana" is a powerful aphrodisiac.

A butcher in Bolivia cuts the head of a sheep. Sheep's head soup is a very popular dish in this country.

A worker cuts up a fried cat in the technical room of a restaurant in Cote d'Ivoire. Cat meat is considered a traditional food in many countries in Africa and Asia.

Turtle meat sold at a market in one of the port cities of Nicaragua. How much does such a delicacy cost? About $1.10 for half a kilo.

This is a photo of a cobra burger being prepared at a restaurant in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. About 1,000 cobras enter Central and East Java every week, and their meat sells for approximately $1.15 per cobra.

A woman prepares a camel liver dish in Al Jazeera, Sudan. From 1996 to 2002, it is estimated that Sudan processed 72,000 – 81,000 tons of camel meat annually.

Slaughtered dogs are ready for sale in Duong Noi, a small village in Vietnam. Dog meat dishes are very common in East Asian countries.

In Canh Nau, Vietnam, rats were once eaten in cases of extreme hunger, but are now eaten as a special dish prepared at the end of each lunar calendar.

A woman in Langui, Peru, prepares a guinea pig for use in one of her gourmet dishes. Guinea pigs are a gourmet food in many parts of South America.

Snake meat is a fundamental component of one of the soups in China. Moreover, snake meat is a traditional component of many regional cuisines and is believed to have many health benefits in China.

In Taiwan, cobra eggs and embryos are eaten to maintain good health (pictured are eggs from a snake farm located in southern Taiwan).

A Chinese woman eats a dish of bull and dog penises in a restaurant in Beijing, which has more than 30 dishes based on animal penises on its menu. In China, animal penises are believed to have medicinal properties.

Strange dishes

Restaurants in Madagascar serve lemur dishes. Many endangered lemur species are being mercilessly killed by poachers, mainly due to the lack of proper law and security on the island due to the recent coup.

Eggs cooked in boys' urine are a spring snack in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province in China.

In Cambodia's Kampong Cham province, a vendor sells spiders to people at a bus stop. 10 crispy garlic-flavored spiders cost $2.

In Lahore, Pakistan, men line up to eat Siri Paya, a traditional breakfast dish made from goat's head and feet.

At a restaurant in Barichara, Colombia, a popular sauce made from extra-large ants called Culonas is in high demand.

A Saudi Arabian man eats a uromastyx lizard. It is believed that the blood of this reptile cures various diseases and strengthens the body. In Middle Eastern countries, these small reptiles are often caught with the help of sniffer dogs and used to prepare various delicacies.

Dishes that are a delicacy in some regions of the world may be considered tasteless or disgusting and even inedible and poisonous in others.

See 14 of the most outlandish dishes that are considered delicacies in the local cuisine of different countries.

14 PHOTOS

1. Casu marzu is a traditional cheese from Sardinia, also called “worm cheese”. And all because it is filled with cheese fly larvae and left in the fresh air. The larvae speed up the fermentation process and make the cheese very soft. When the katsu marzu reaches the required level of ripeness, it is cut and spread on flat traditional bread “pane carasau” and served with fortified red wine.

This cheese should be eaten with live larvae, although of course not everyone will do this. But if a daredevil still decides to take this step, he must be careful, because the larvae jump in height by 15 centimeters. If the larvae in the cheese are dead, this means that the cheese is stale.

When poisoned by fugu fish, a person is paralyzed, but he remains fully conscious and understands what is happening. Most often, death occurs from suffocation. There have been reports of cases where a paralyzed person was declared dead and woke up 3 days later just before being cremated. And now in some regions of Japan, a person who died from puffer fish poisoning is placed near the coffin for 3 days to ensure his death.

There is also another type of such soup, which is prepared from the nests of swallow-like birds that live in the caves of Malaya and Indochina. Birds make their nests only from saliva, which contains a lot of phosphorus. This dish is only available to very wealthy restaurant patrons, as a bowl of this soup costs between $500 and $1,000.

This dish is served after a short steaming or baked in foil. Under no circumstances should Lutefix be eaten with silver utensils, which will simply enter into a chemical reaction with the fish. This dish has become the object of numerous ridicule because, according to those who tried it, it is not food, but a weapon of mass destruction.

Chances are that most people will refuse if they are offered fried cricket in gravy or fried pig's blood. Nevertheless, these dishes are very popular in some countries. And to be fair, these are not the most disgustingly strange dishes that people cook and eat.

25. Fish "Yin Yang"

Yin Yang Fish is a seafood dish in which the fish is served deep-fried but remains alive after cooking. The dish is especially popular in Taiwan and China, but it has come under fire around the world for being cruel to fish.

24. Moth larvae

One of the most famous foods of the Australian bush is also one of the most elusive. Moth larvae can only be found in central Australia.

23. Tuna eye

It is claimed that tuna eyeballs taste like squid and they are considered a delicacy in Japan (where even doctors vouch for their enormous health benefits). The only problem is how to eat the dish that is staring back at you.

A favorite dish in the southwestern United States is fried rattlesnake. They say it tastes a little like frog legs. Experts advise that before cooking, the meat should be boiled so that it separates from the bones. Then you need to dip it in eggs and coat it with a mixture of salt, flour and breadcrumbs, and then fry it.

21. Shirako

Shirako is a Japanese delicacy that will never become popular in the West. These are... milt or sacs of cod sperm. The dish is said to have a buttery and sweet creamy taste.

20. Sannakchi

Sannakji is a delicacy that only a few tourists who visit Korea dare to try. This delicacy consists of wriggling and wiggling pieces of small octopus, seasoned with sesame oil. A live octopus is cut into small pieces and served immediately so that the muscles still contract while eating. This dish is quite dangerous to eat, as there is a risk of suffocation (contracting muscles can block the air supply).

19. Pig blood

In Hungary, when a pig is slaughtered, its blood is not simply drained as usual. It is fried with onions and served with warm fresh bread.

18. Mongolian budog

This strange dish is popular in Mongolia. It is made from marmot or goat cooked in its own skin, with the stomach stuffed with hot stones.

17. Thousand-year egg

The name may be misleading, since these eggs are not that ancient. The so-called "thousand-year egg" in China is made by storing the egg in a mixture of ash, salt, quicklime, rice husks and clay for several weeks or even months. As you can easily imagine, this “delicacy” simply stinks unimaginably and inside is a black and green jelly.

16. Kiwiak

Kiwiak is a traditional Eskimo dish eaten by the Inuit in Greenland during the winter. It is made from auks (with feathers), which are used to stuff the carcass of a seal or walrus with its belly ripped open. After this, the carcass is buried in the ground for 7-18 months. The birds literally ferment during this time. Once the carcass is dug up, the birds are feathered and skinned and eaten raw at birthdays and weddings.

15. Jing lead

Jing lead is one of the most common insects for snacking in Thailand. These are 4 cm long crickets, deep fried and seasoned with Golden Mountain sauce and pepper. Those who have tried this snack claim that it is very tasty.

14. Fugu

This dish is not at all disgusting, like most of the ones on this list. But it is one of the deadliest foods in the world (and yet people continue to eat it). Fugu's intestines, ovaries and liver contain a poison called tetrodotoxin, which is 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide. The toxin is so strong that its lethal dose is smaller in volume than the head of a pin, and one fish contains enough poison to kill thirty people.

13. Frog legs

Few people overcome themselves and try this French delicacy. Those who have tried it claim that the texture of the paws resembles chicken, and the taste resembles fish.

12. Fried tarantulas

In many areas of the world, the vast majority of people are either afraid or disgusted by tarantulas. In Cambodia, however, they are a popular dish. They are literally burned on fire and soaked in oil.

11. Escamoles

Escamoles are edible ant larvae that live in the roots of the blue agave plant (from which mezcal is made in Mexico). It has been a popular dish in the region since Aztec times. But tourists usually just shy away from it.

10. Durian

The fruit, which grows in Malaysia and Indonesia, is perhaps the most controversial fruit in the world. Some people really like it, others just can't stand it. Those who don't like it describe durians as "completely rotten, mushy onions." And its smell has been compared to a mixture of pig feces, onions and a sock after the gym. The smell is so strong that many hotels and public institutions in Southeast Asia ban durians from their premises.

9. Dragon in the flame of passion

This dish may seem impressive and exotic, but the fancy name masks its true origins. The most unusual dish on the menu at Guolizhuang Restaurant in Beijing, "Dragon in the Flame of Passion," is a fried yak penis served on a large platter.

8. Crocodile

Everyone knows that crocodile skin is used to make shoes and wallets, but in some parts of the world, such as Australia and Africa, crocodiles are a popular food item. They are rumored to taste like a cross between chicken and crab.

7. Cobra Heart

This next dish is definitely not for the faint of heart. Cobra Heart is a dish from the northern part of Vietnam that includes the blood and still beating heart of a cobra (yes, no typo there - still a living and beating heart). A complete meal includes a cobra heart placed in a glass filled with blood and poison). After this, several dishes made from the remains of the cobra are served.

6. Kasu marzu

Casu marzu (rotten cheese) is a traditional sheep's cheese made by local people in Sardinia, Italy. Cheese producers leave it outside for flies to lay their eggs in. The larvae hatching from the eggs break down the fats of the cheese and lead to its fermentation. Needless to say, it is simply unrealistic to remove white worms from cheese before eating it, since kasu marzu is literally swarming with them.

5. Bushmit

The term refers to meat from wild animals that have been caught in developing regions of the world, such as West Africa. This truly strange dish is made from a variety of wild animals, including bats, rats and monkeys, whose meat is smoked, cured or salted.

Bondeks are steamed or boiled silkworm pupae, which are then spiced and eaten as a snack. Oddly enough, this is one of the most popular products in Korean cuisine.

1. Balut

This popular Filipino snack is a pre-developed duck embryo that is boiled alive in an egg and eaten with its feathers, cartilage and beak intact. Balut is considered "the most disgusting or strange food" in many countries around the world.

It’s much more pleasant to try it if, of course, you have a tidy sum.

The cuisine of the world is very diverse and unusual in its own way. It contains a huge number of dishes that are not similar to each other either in taste, appearance, or consistency. Habitual food in different countries is individual and has its own distinctive qualities and characteristics. We provide you, lovers of hearty and tasty food, with unusual national dishes from countries all over the world.

Georgia

Georgian cuisine characterized by a large consumption of various sauces, seasonings and spices (for example, suneli hops, which are added to many Georgian dishes). Vegetable and fish snacks are also popular here. Regardless of the time of year, every family serves a variety of herbs (parsley, dill, mint, etc.) on the kitchen table during meals. In addition to it, vegetables such as radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums and radishes should be present. Thanks to this, Georgian food served on the table becomes more healthy and flavorful.

A dish like hashi (broth with garlic) Served only for breakfast. It is mainly cooked from beef (beef legs, tripe and rennet). This soup is the most nutritious, as it contains proteins and extractives. Many say that this dish is intended for those who work hard, as it gives them strength, and for revelers, to get rid of a hangover the next day.

Khinkali– one of the most popular Georgian dishes in the world. In appearance and taste they resemble ordinary dumplings, only they are huge in size and have a tail. Black pepper is used as a seasoning. The filling of such a dish is very diverse: from meat to vegetable, but most often you can find broth inside the khinkali. They eat these dumplings with their hands, holding them by the tail. First, they drink the contents of the khinkali, biting it, and then start filling.

Australia

Australia is a country of immigrants. It is thanks to them that it is enriched by the centuries-old traditions of different peoples, a huge part of which is the cuisine itself. People bring here a wide variety of recipes for dishes and dishes. This is where you can find national dishes of countries from China to the USA. Also here you can notice culinary techniques of European, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine. The most popular dishes here are made from seafood and meat.

Fried kangaroo– this food is preferred by the local aborigines. It is a delicacy, does not emit a substance such as methane and contains a small amount of fat, which gives it the right to be considered low-calorie. This meat is very tender. It is enough to fry it on one side and you can start eating. Kangaroo goes well with garlic, pepper and fruits like plum, red currant and orange.

Brazil

This country has long been a colony of Portugal, which has had a great influence on the traditions of Brazilian cuisine. Gastronomic preferences are well integrated into the culture of South American Indians. Soon the Portuguese also brought slaves from Africa, which led to a mixture of culinary features of Brazilian cuisine. It is this trio (Indians, Africa and Portugal) that makes up the dishes of Brazil.

Vatapi is a dish made from seafood (shellfish, shrimp) and fish that must be ground. Next, everything is mixed and fried. For a pleasant taste and aroma, coconut juice is added (this dish is poured with it). When the dish is prepared, bread and a variety of spices are served with it. And rice serves as a side dish.

Pau di Queijo- buns made from cheese. This is one of the most popular national dishes of Brazil. Most often it is served for breakfast. The recipe for buns was invented already in the eighteenth century, and it was kept secret for a long time. The chefs of Brazil created this delicacy only within the state itself and believed that this was a unique invention that should be the pride of the region. And only after the twentieth century the recipe began to spread and gained popularity.

India

Indian food is one of the most delicious collections of dishes in the world. She was largely influenced by religion, which prohibits eating certain types of meat. For example, a huge part of the Indian population is made up of people professing Islam. And they can't eat pork. The second part of Indians of the same size professes Hinduism - a ban on beef. Therefore, the main additions to the national cuisine of India are vegetables and cereals. Literally over the last few hundred years, poultry dishes (chicken, turkey, duck) have begun to appear on the culinary menu of this country.

Dhal is a thick puree soup made from various types of legumes. There is no meat in this dish, which is why it is called vegetarian. This soup contains the following ingredients: coconut milk, lemon juice, tomatoes, onions, garlic and curry. When the dhal is cooked, it is traditional to be served along with warm flatbreads. They say that this dish helps restore normal weight. And yogis claim that it should be eaten before meditation.

Sabji- This is a vegetable stew. Since curry is the most favorite spice of the people of India, and almost all dishes of this country are seasoned with it, this dish cannot do without it either. This dish is served with a portion of rice and warm flatbread. You can also add yogurt, coconut milk, Indian cheese - paneer, various spices and herbs to the vegetable stew. This dish is very satisfying, appetizing and aromatic.

Türkiye

Everyone can envy the national dishes of Turkey, because they are part of the most experienced and ancient cuisine of this country. In those distant times, the Turks elevated the preparation of any food to the level of a cult. These hospitable people organized feasts for relatives and strangers. There were even competitions to see how well they would carry out this event. The basis of Turkish cuisine is rice, wheat and vegetables.

Baklava (baklava)- a real Turkish dessert, created from a large number of layers of dough with the addition of various types of nuts (walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts). The prepared dish is poured with honey syrup. According to tradition, baklava is eaten with a cup of hot coffee, as a snack for any dish or after a barbecue. Baklava is an exclusively Turkish sweet. This information has been confirmed even at the international level.

Dolma- This is a very original and unusual delicacy. Its appearance is reminiscent of cabbage rolls, but instead of cabbage, the contents of the dish are wrapped in grape leaves. The filling of dolma consists of rice and/or minced meat.

Japan

Residents of this country almost do not eat meat dishes; they consume large quantities of rice, vegetables, fruits and seafood. Japanese cuisine is distinguished not only by its variety of delicacies, but also by the process of their consumption. In this country there are a huge number of rules that are recommended to be followed.

Sushi- one of the main traditional dishes of Japan. You could say it's her calling card. Sushi cannot be imagined without Japan, and Japan cannot be imagined without sushi (“Sushi” is what this national delicacy is called in its homeland) - this association has long been used in all countries of the world. This dish is a lump or roll of rice with various fillings: fish, vegetables, eggs, seaweed. Sushi is traditionally served with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi.

Shabu-shabu– a special plate with a deep bottom, consisting entirely of metal. It is used to heat various dishes over an open fire or in the oven. The main ingredients of shabu-shabu are: vegetable soup/broth, tofu and noodles. In addition to this dish, cold cuts (most often duck, pork, lobster and chicken fillet) are served separately on the table. These pieces of meat are dipped into hot soup before eating. This dish is especially popular during cold and rainy weather.

Mexico

Mexican cuisine very varied and spicy in taste. Often, in addition to salsa (the hallmark of Mexico) - a fiery sauce with peppers and tomatoes, cooks add various seasonings and herbs to dishes. Also, almost every dish contains corn in any form and beans.

The enchilada was invented back in the days when the Mayan tribe existed. At this time, residents of Mexico City ate tortillas made from corn kernels. In this dish, the filling was most often ordinary fish. Now they are used to wrap cold cuts, slices of cheese, seafood, beans, a variety of vegetables, or all at once. This dish, and even with chili sauce, is served to residents of Mexico for breakfast.

Quesadilla– National dish of Mexico. This is a flatbread made from tortilla (either corn or wheat). Traditionally, the Quesadilla is filled with cheese inside, but over time its recipe began to change. In this dish, ingredients such as meat fillet, various vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes and the like began to appear. Appetizers are also served along with the quesadilla. For example, this could be a vegetable side dish, hot chili peppers, coriander and fiery salsa. The main difference from other Mexican dishes of this type (burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas) is that the quesadilla tortilla is folded in half, rather than rolled into a roll.

Italy

Italian cuisine everyone knows - this is a well-known and accepted fact. Its dishes are not similar to other national dishes of the world. The cuisine in Italy is distinguished by a huge number of different spices, herbs and products, fillings in the dish itself. In the dishes you can taste the taste of seafood, vegetable and fruit slices, poultry (duck, turkey, chicken), pork, beef, slices of cheese, rice, wild berries and legumes.

Cacciucco- seafood soup. It is prepared from fish soup (fish broth), wine (preferably red) and tomato juice. In the same container with the soup you need to add shellfish, crayfish and/or various types of fish. In appearance, cacciucco is similar to goulash. There is a tradition associated with this dish: the point is that you need to add as much fish to this soup as there are letters “s” in its name (that is, five).

Lasagna- traditional national Italian dish. In its appearance it resembles a layer cake. For lasagna, you must use durum wheat flour. The filling between the layers of dough can be minced meat, mushrooms or vegetables (they must be applied one at a time). The top of the “pie” is covered with Parmesan cheese. Bologna is considered the birthplace of lasagna, so this dish cannot be made completely without such an ingredient as Bolognese sauce.

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Traveling is often a great way to learn the culture of other countries and peoples. After all, they provide an opportunity to try the food that the locals eat.

By the way, most dishes considered in a number of countries do not at all meet the taste requirements of some of us. But there is no arguing about tastes! And although at first glance such dishes may seem to be the result of extreme cuisine, in fact they are quite natural for those who eat them.

Bird's nest soup is quite expensive.

You don't have to think that all bird's nests are edible. The Chinese use the nests of swiftlets to make a soup called "Caviar of the East." Now you might be picturing a nest made from twigs and leaves, but swiftlets make their nests primarily from saliva.

This adhesive gives the soup a unique gel-like texture. Swiftlet nests are one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. They are so highly prized because the birds build nests during the 35-day breeding season and can only be collected about three times a year. In addition, nests are usually located in coastal caves, and can only be obtained by people who are able to take risks and have climbing skills. All this also affects the price of the resulting product.

With the increasing demand for bird's nest soup, artificial nests have also emerged. Hong Kong and the US are the largest importers of bird's nests. A serving of soup can cost from $30 to $100, while the cost per kilogram of nests can well exceed $2,000 and reach up to $10,000! Soup has been a traditional dish in China for centuries. It is believed to be able to enrich the body with proteins and minerals. In addition, the dish is considered an excellent aphrodisiac.

Fried tarantulas, Cambodia (Deep-fried tarantulas, Cambodia)

If you suffer from arachnophobia, you probably won't even want to try these eight-legged monsters. These are not tiny house spiders, but rather large tarantulas that can be bought on the streets of the village of Skuon in Cambodia.

Tarantulas are fried whole, neither the legs nor the head are torn off, not even the chelicerae are removed. The dish was first discovered by starving Cambodians during the reign of the bloody, brutal Khmer Rouge. Then these spiders saved many lives, becoming the main food of the population. Now this dish is considered a delicacy, which tourists from the most remote corners of the world come to try.

The black, hairy arachnids, which live in the jungle near the village of Skuon, have become a source of fame and fortune for the region. Lots of people stop here to grab a snack for the road. Spiders cost only a few cents and are supposedly delicious, because they are fresh from the mink and immediately fried with salt and garlic. Deep-fried tarantulas with a crispy crust are very tender inside and taste a little like crickets or chicken.

Puffer fish, Japan (Fugu, Japan)

You must be very careful with this delicacy, otherwise you may lose your life. The poisonous dogfish, or fugu, is a delicacy in Japan, even though its skin and innards contain tetrodotoxin, which is 1,250 times more potent than potassium cyanide.

This is why in Japan, only professional chefs who have undergone special training and received a license can cook fugu. Otherwise, after eating improperly prepared poisonous fish, a person can be paralyzed, after which he will die from suffocation, because science does not yet know the antidote.

Unfortunately, fifteen people in Thailand have died from puffer fish that were sold to them as salmon.

Balut, Phillipines (Balut (Balyut), Philippines)

This dish is somewhat reminiscent of Kinder Surprise. But if you break the shell, you won't find the toy inside. Your surprise will know no bounds when you find a fully formed boiled duckling there. After all, Balut is nothing more than a boiled duck egg.

Fertilized eggs are boiled a little before the chicks begin to hatch. This usually happens on days 17-21. Be prepared for the fact that the older the fruit, the more clearly its beak, claws, bones and feathers are visible.

In the Philippines, Balut is almost as popular as the hot dog in America. Often on the streets you can hear sellers shouting: “Balu-u-ut!” and see many shopping carts with this delicacy. It is popularly believed that a boiled duck egg increases libido. In addition, this snack is rich in protein. Balut is usually consumed with lemon juice, coriander and black pepper, washed down with beer. There are also those who like to season it with chili pepper and vinegar. First, you should pierce a small hole in the shell, drink the broth (amniotic fluid), and then peel the shell completely, salt it, pour it with a special sauce and eat the fruit. It's certainly not as easy as drinking a cup of tea, but judging by the reviews, it's very tasty.

Casu Marzu, Sardinia

This is a traditional Sardinian cheese. It differs from ordinary cheese in that the larvae of cheese flies live inside it. Translated into Russian, Casu Marzu means “rotten cheese”, and is most often called cheese with maggots. Currently, it is a prohibited product due to the fact that it can cause harm to health. However, it can be purchased on the black market in Sardinia and Italy.

Sheep cheese is a member of the Pecorino family of Sicilian cheeses that is injected with cheese fly larvae. The larvae help accelerate the process of decomposition and breakdown of fats contained in cheese. As a result, the texture of the product becomes very soft. It even secretes a little liquid, which the Italians call lagrima (Italian for “tear”). The cheese must be eaten while the larvae are alive. After all, when they die, the product is considered toxic.

Because the larvae can jump (up to 15 cm) if disturbed, visitors should protect their eyes. You can place the cheese in a sealed paper bag - the larvae will be deprived of oxygen and die. It is worth remembering that by eating Kazu Marza, you can seriously ruin your health. The fact is that eating this cheese in some cases causes poisoning (if the larvae are alive, the risk is reduced) and allergies. In addition, there is a possibility of larvae entering the intestines, since not all of them necessarily die in the gastric juice. If the larvae find themselves in the intestines, they try to drill through its walls, and this causes terrible pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (often with blood) and other serious complications.

Surstromming, Sweden

One of the unusual and even strange dishes can be found in Sweden. Surströmming is pickled canned herring. It can be bought anywhere in the country in a supermarket.

Usually caught in the spring when it spawns. First, it is cleaned, then salted, placed in barrels and left without covering. Herring ferments in barrels for 30-60 days. Then it is rolled into jars, where the fermentation process continues for several more months. Therefore, containers often swell during transportation and storage.

Some airlines have banned such canned food from being included in the menu on airplanes, because they create a lot of pressure, which makes them dangerous because they can explode. When you open the canned food, the first thing you notice is a sharp and very unpleasant smell. Surströmming is usually eaten with Swedish flatbread and boiled potatoes. Sometimes they drink it with milk, but in this case beer and water have no competition.

Live Octopus, Korea

In Korea, Sannakji is a dish made from live octopus. The animal is cut into pieces and served immediately, seasoned with a little sesame oil. In the plate, parts of the octopus are still moving.

For many, eating a live octopus is not only an emotional problem, but also a physical difficulty, since it fights for its life to the last, holding onto absolutely any surface with its tentacles. You literally have to fight the food before you can enjoy its taste.

The first obstacle is trying to grab the octopus. And as soon as the octopus is in your mouth, it will desperately try to break free, grabbing your teeth, palate and tongue with its tentacles. They say that this is the most pleasant moment - to feel how the tentacles wriggle inside you and with the help of suction cups, of which an octopus, by the way, has thousands, the animal tries to linger so as not to be chewed. But such octopus activity can be not only interesting, but also deadly. After all, if it blocks the supply of oxygen, you will die from suffocation. Therefore, do not enjoy for a long time, but chew each piece thoroughly so that it does not stick to your throat.

Kopi Luwak, Indonesia (Kopi Luwak, or Kopi Luwak, Indonesia)

Think twice before agreeing to drink a cup of this drink. Kopi Luwak is the rarest and most expensive. It is appreciated by gourmets all over the world. Sounds divine, right? In fact, coffee is made from the excrement of an Indonesian cat, which is called luwak, or musang.

Luwak eats only ripe coffee cherries (the fruit of the coffee tree), but his stomach cannot digest the beans, so they are passed out intact through bowel movements. Coffee is said to have a special taste. And all because the gastric juice and bacteria of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract contribute to the breakdown of certain proteins. As a result, the grains acquire a unique aroma.

Coffee creation takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian archipelago. The price of the product is very high - somewhere between $120-$300 per 450 grams. So if you want to try this gourmet coffee, start saving now.

Puffin Heart, Iceland

This bird is sometimes called the Atlantic clown or sea parrot. The puffin, with its colorful beak and comical appearance, is considered an adorable bird. In flight, they can reach speeds of almost 90 km/h by rapidly flapping their wings.

In Iceland, by the way, these seabirds have been a source of livelihood for centuries. The country is home to the world's largest colony of puffins, and the best place to catch them is the Westman Islands. The most popular sport here is aerial fishing, which allows you to catch low-flying birds with nets.

First, the head of the puffin is cut off and the feathers are removed, and the heart is immediately eaten raw while it is still beating. Puffin meat can be smoked, pan-fried or grilled. It tastes very similar to duck or chicken. This is a traditional Icelandic delicacy.

Snake Wine, Vietnam

Just imagine a little wine, but with some peculiarity - a bouquet of a snake with its own blood. Is it possible? Snake wine is a bottle of rice wine with a poisonous reptile inside. It has medicinal properties, but is probably more useful for making an impression than for drinking.

The whole snake is placed in rice wine for many months so that the poison dissolves in the drink. Ethanol denatures the poison and makes it harmless to humans. According to producers, snake wine is very healthy. The drink has a slightly pink color, reminiscent of a beautiful rose. And all thanks to the blood of the snake.

The birthplace of this unusual wine is Vietnam. There it is believed that the reptiles have medicinal properties. From there, the miracle wine spread to other parts of Southeast Asia and Southern China. There is another way to prepare snake wine with snake blood: the reptile's belly is cut, the blood is released into the wine and served immediately.

So, if you want to experience a truly thrilling experience, be sure to try one or more dishes from our list. Even if it does not bring aesthetic pleasure, you will have something to remember and boast about.