Top 9 Most Horrifying Dishes from Around the World

Tastes can be a delicate matter. Some recoil at the sight of oysters, blood sausage, jellied pig's feet, or even the traditional Ukrainian delicacy, lard. Meanwhile, others might casually munch on a giant fried locust or less-than-fresh sea creatures instead of chips. The human palate is so vast that our stomachs (with some training) can digest food that appears more suitable for monster movies than a festive dinner table.

However, if you're contemplating how to impress your friends at a New Year's party with something truly unique, perhaps some items from our list will inspire you to diversify the holiday feast. Just don't be surprised if, a year later, none of your guests agree to visit you again. We're here to warn you.

Surströmming

Source: Wiki

If you try to take this unassuming national Swedish dish out of the country as a souvenir, you won't succeed. And if you insist, you'll likely not only have to deal with airport security but also with the anti-terrorism special forces because canned fermented Baltic herring, surströmming, is practically taboo for transportation on almost any airline worldwide. And may God help the passengers of the flight where a pressurized can of this "delicacy" might burst!

This dish appeared accidentally: in the 16th century, during the war, there was a salt shortage in Swedish cities. As a result, Baltic herring wasn't salted in barrels but rather pickled and fermented. Over time, Swedes got used to and even grew fond of the tangy taste of this dish. Although salt shortages were no longer an issue, the recipe for fermented herring spread throughout the country.

The main problem with surströmming is its awful, pungent smell, which induces an immediate gag reflex in most unprepared Europeans. This is evidenced by numerous "surströmming challenges" on social media. 

Can you imagine what will happen in the airplane cabin if someone opens such a can? The arrival of the blood-soaked ship "Demeter," on which Dracula sailed from Romania to the UK, will seem like a harmless joke compared to this flight. When the swollen can is opened, sprays of brine fly in all directions, and it's practically impossible to get rid of this smell from clothes or furniture.

However, Swedes themselves enjoy surströmming with pleasure, claiming that you just need to know what to eat it with: potatoes, onions, rye bread, and a mug of beer – finger-licking good!

Ampo (Dirt Cakes)

Source: Ensiklopediaindonesia.com

In general, there is a separate term for this type of culinary perversion – geophagy, literally "eating earth, minerals, ashes, or animal dirt by animals and humans." As with many dishes in our review, this foodstuff did not originate from a life of luxury. Geophagy is most widespread in regions facing hunger, such as African countries, Haiti, some provinces in Indonesia, and Middle Eastern countries.

Recipes and variations of earth-eating abound, from earthy bars to crackers, candies, and straws. For example, Haitians make cakes from coastal mud, adding pieces of vegetables, vegetable fat, or margarine. These "cookies" are sun-dried and then consumed. In East Java, locals use soil from rice fields for a dish called "ampo." After cleansing the soil of stones and debris, they pound it into a compressed mass with sticks. Thin strips of soil are then cut and smoked in pots. Local bakers claim that the taste of this soil depends on the quality of the "flour" and the region where it was collected. Prices for such dishes range from 1 to 5 cents.

Kopalchen

Source: Wiki

Kopalchen, for the unprepared gourmet, is like playing "Russian Roulette" with a fully loaded revolver. Yet, for the Chukchi, Eskimos, Nenets, and Khanty peoples, it is an exquisite delicacy. To prepare kopalchen, a carcass of a reindeer, walrus, seal, or even a whale is taken. If it's a reindeer, it is buried in a swamp and covered with peat for several months. Walrus or seal is left under a pile of stones at the beach for the same period. In general, it's clear why – for the fermentation of the meat, or, to put it simply, to let it rot properly.

Months later, the carcass is retrieved from the swamp or beach and consumed as a frozen snack, slicing it into thin pieces. Due to the high concentration of toxic substances in the meat, any European, after tasting a slice of kopalchen, would, at the very least, experience severe poisoning. More likely, it would end in death. However, northern peoples, who have developed the necessary enzymes to break down the poison, can safely consume this nightmarish dish.

Kiwiak

Source: Wiki

If you've managed to survive kopalchen, perhaps you'd be interested in another dish from the cuisine of the Far North - kiwiak. This is truly pure evil, no matter how you look at it! Ready? Here's the recipe, it's quite simple, you could say - on the fly.

To prepare the right classic kiwiak, you'll need a crowbar, a shovel, as well as a seal carcass and a few hundred seagulls - as many as will fit into the carcass. First, clean the raw seal and then stuff it with plucked, but not feathered, seagulls. Sew up the carcass. Then take a crowbar and a shovel and dig a hole in the permafrost. Bury the stuffed seal in the hole for a period of 3 months to one and a half years, depending on how much of a "gourmet" you are. And when you feel like trying "spicy birds" or luck turns away from you in hunting due to a shaman's curse, just dig up your seal and enjoy the seagulls fermented in the seal's belly. If you're a food blogger, don't forget to take a few photos for Instagram. And of course, call your friends!

Casu Marzu

Source: Wiki

Are you looking for a sophisticated snack to accompany a glass of good brandy or light wine - how about Italian cheese? A handful of olives, nuts, and the sharp, aromatic Casu Marzu cheese from Sardinia will complement your table perfectly if... you're not frightened by the larvae of cheese flies, which literally infest this unusual "rotten cheese."

The base of Casu Marzu is pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk, albeit slightly overripe even for cheese enthusiasts with mold. Casu Marzu has such a long ripening period that it can no longer stand it on its own, and the fermentation process turns into a stage of putrefaction. That's when the cute little worms appear, speeding up the decomposition of fats, making this cheese very soft and giving it a specific taste. They recommend eating it with your eyes closed - not due to a delightful taste or a strong smell. The thing is that the larvae of cheese flies have a habit of jumping in all directions up to 15 cm away and can hit you right in the eye.

This cheese is prohibited for sale and production in many countries, including the USA, and in Italy, they recommend buying it only from verified producers who adhere to all hygiene standards (as if these standards apply to rotten cheese!). And most importantly - don't forget to make sure before the meal that the larvae crawling on the piece of cheese are alive. Because if even they show no signs of life, it means that the toxicity level of Casu Marzu has equaled the toxicity of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Live Food

Source: Wiki

This point will definitely enrage animal rights activists - and not without reason. Indeed, eating live creatures (even if they are just "seafood") is something barbaric and sadistic, yet such dishes are quite popular in Asian countries. One can even recall the famous scene from the movie "Oldboy", where the main character eats a live baby octopus in a bar. 

This Korean dish is called Sannakji and is considered a great delicacy. They cut up a live octopus and serve it to the guest, drizzling it with sauces and sprinkling it with spices. It should be chewed quickly because the tentacles, which coil in the mouth, can suction onto the tongue or cheeks.

Another option is "drunk" (or dancing) shrimp odori ebi, served in Tokyo restaurants. Before serving, the shrimp are soaked in Asian sauces and alcohol, so they end up in the gourmet's mouth already slightly intoxicated. They don't sing, but they pleasantly tickle the tongue with their whiskers and paws.

And if you have no heart at all, try frog heart. Even the description of this dish, according to modern standards, falls under the definition of "potentially unacceptable content," so sharing the recipe could easily get you banned on social media. They take a fresh frog, gut it, and serve it on a plate still alive. The head and heart are served separately, and the heart continues to pulse. Bon appétit, Dr. Lecter!

Hundred-Year Egg

Source: Wiki

In Jack London's story "A Thousand Dozen," the protagonist, David Rasmunsen, ventures into the gold-rush-ridden Dawson with a cargo of a thousand dozen chicken eggs. Rasmunsen's business plan was simple - to gain a hundredfold profit from the price difference on this rare product in Northern Canada. On his journey, he faces severe trials, but upon arriving in Dawson, the hero takes matters into his own hands as he discovers that the entire batch of eggs has gone bad.

It's a pity that Rasmunsen didn't encounter a wise Chinese man who would teach the unsuccessful businessman how to profit a thousandfold from rotten eggs. Because in Chinese cuisine, this dish is a traditional delicacy. Of course, "century eggs" don't actually last for a hundred years; the recipe for their preparation is quicker and simpler. Chicken or duck eggs are immersed in an alkaline mixture without air exposure, coated with a blend of clay, lime, ash, tea, and salt, and then buried in the ground. After a few weeks, the snack is ready, although some chefs age the eggs in the ground for several months. Due to the alkaline influence, the egg white turns dark brown, becomes elastic and translucent, while the yolk becomes gray and creamy in texture.

Judging by reviews, the taste of "century eggs" is not particularly repulsive. However, this is not the only extreme egg dish in Asian cuisine. But about eggs cooked in human urine or the notorious "balut" (egg with an underdeveloped embryo inside), we'll discuss some other time.

Bug’s Life 

Source: Wiki

If you suffer from a pronounced insect phobia, it's better to skip this paragraph. Beetles, locusts, various larvae, and insects are a natural source of protein but don't look particularly appetizing in the process. Although, it depends on one's perspective...

Ahead of the entire planet in insect consumption are, of course, the countries of Southeast Asia. Scorpions, locusts, cockroaches, beetles, and grasshoppers are much more popular here than chips, peanuts, or the popular sunflower seeds in Ukraine. But there are still distinctions. For example, A-ping, or fried spiders, is a true delicacy in Vietnam, Cambodia, and several neighboring countries. Disturbed by military conflicts in the 20th century, the residents of these countries were periodically forced to flee far from the combat zone - into the jungle. And the law of the jungle, contrary to Kipling, is just one - either you or you. So spiders from the tarantula genus quickly became not just a forced food but a true national delicacy.

However, Europeans are gradually adopting Asian trends. For instance, Belgians host culinary exhibitions dedicated to the tasty and nutritious properties of locusts. The French company Micronutris has been producing insect-based food products since the early 2010s. In their assortment, you can find cookies and other sweets with crickets. The scientific community is not lagging behind: Dutch professor-entomologist Arnold van Huis from the Wageningen Institute released several books as part of his research on combating hunger and malnutrition. One of the books is called "The Insect Cookbook: Food for a Sustainable Planet." He then moved from theory to practice, starting to make desserts with mealworms. Such a dessert may look frightening, but it is undoubtedly 100% eco-friendly.

Hákarl

Source: Wiki

How to feel like a real Viking if you don't have Odin's spear or Thor's hammer at hand? It's very simple - try hákarl, the national Icelandic dish. This snack is made from the meat of the Greenland shark (fins, stomach, pieces of the carcass), which is dried to a state of molecular decay.

The raw meat of this northern sea predator contains too much ammonia and is categorically unsuitable for consumption. But if you know how to get rid of this ammonia, then such a dish no longer poses harm to the human body. The bodies of caught sharks are stored in special perforated containers, through the holes of which all harmful liquids drain. After that, all that remains is to slice the meat into strips and consume it with a glass of beer - in Iceland, this sea delicacy is a must-have in the holiday menu for Christmas and New Year's. In terms of taste, as experts claim, hákarl resembles halibut or white fish, but it smells... much stronger than any taste sensations. Therefore, during the first tasting, newcomers are advised to plug their noses with something. Whether such torments are worth it to please the gods of Asgard is up to you to decide.

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These are just nine examples of the strange and, for many, horrifying dishes from around the world. As you consider the vastness of culinary diversity, remember that while some delicacies may be an acquired taste, others might be best left to the experts or adventurous locals. Proceed with caution if you decide to introduce these dishes to your holiday menu!