100 Bizarre and Strange Food / Dishes from around the world
From Bizarre and Strange food, Animal feces to Bat Soup, these weird foods are served and eaten proudly all over the world, and some are even considered National Dishes.
1. Century Egg – China
A Century Egg is a duck’s egg that is preserved in a mixture of ash, clay, and quicklime for several weeks. This causes the yolk and white to become a dark brown jelly. This strange food has a pungent aroma of sulfur and ammonia.
2. Balut – Philippines
This Bizarre and Strange food is Commonly sold at food bazaars in the Philippines, Balut is a developing duck embryo that is boiled inside its shell.
3. Bat Soup – Palau
One of Palau’s culinary highlights is Bat Soup, a savory broth that includes a whole, cooked fruit bat. The fur is chewed and sucked on to get the full flavors of the bat.
4. Verivorst with Mulgikapsad – Estonia
A Bizarre and Strange food eaten at Christmas time in Estonia is blood sausage. Verivorst is made with fresh pork, pig’s blood, and barley grains. The sausages are eaten with Mulgikapsad, a type of sauerkraut that is cooked with pork.
5. Mountain Chicken Dominica
Indigenous to Dominica, mountain chicken is actually an edible species of frog. Mountain chicken legs are typically coated in flour and fried until golden brown. Dominicans pair it with boiled green bananas and yams. These are called provisions.
6. Surströmming – Sweden
Deemed to be one of the most disgusting foods in the world, Surströmming is also the smelliest. These fermented Baltic herrings are soaked in brine which prevents them from rotting completely. How Bizarre and Strange is this?
7. Haggis– Scotland
Scotland’s bizarre national dish is Haggis, a flavorful pudding containing minced sheep organs. It is traditionally encased in the sheep’s stomach and boiled in water.
8. Escargot – France
A unique food to try is Escargot. These are land snails that are cooked in a sauce made of white wine, herbs, and butter. They are always served in their shells.
9. Casu Marzo – Italy
Casu Marzo is essentially rotting cheese. It is eaten along with the maggots in the cheese, which jump when they are disturbed. This unique Bizarre and Strange food is actually outlawed but can be found on the black market.
10. Fugu – Japan
Fugu is a venomous (Toxic Fish!) species of puffer fish that is prepared for consumption by trained and licensed chefs in Japan. It can easily kill a human, but the best chefs are able to prepare it with just a trace of the venom which tickles the tongue but is not enough to do serious harm to the eater.
11. Rocky Mountain Oysters – North America
Although it is named after shellfish, Rocky Mountain Oysters are actually deep-fried bull testicles. To make this strange food, the testicles are peeled and coated in a batter of flour and spices before frying.
12. Kaestur Hakarl – Iceland
Sleeper sharks are poisonous if eaten fresh, so Icelanders allow the flesh to ferment naturally, before being hung to dry for several months. This disgusting food smells strongly of urine due to the high ammonia content.
13. Escamoles – Mexico
This unique food is the perfect filling for tacos. Escamoles are the larvae of a venomous species of ant. They are harvested from the roots of agave plants which are native to Mexico. It is said that Escamoles have the consistency of cottage cheese and taste like nuts.
14. Crispy Tarantula – Cambodia
Deep-fried tarantulas are a popular snack in Cambodia and are sold as street food. This weird snack first originated during the Khmer Rouge regime, when starving Cambodians used spiders as a source of food.
15. Jellied Moose Nose – Canada
Jellied Moose Nose is a Canadian delicacy. Moose’s noses are boiled in a broth of spices, then the meat and broth are allowed to set into a jelly. This weird snack is eaten cold.
16. Airag – Mongolia
Airag is a popular Mongolian beer that is made by fermenting mare’s milk. It is fizzy and slightly alcoholic.
17. Gaeng Kai Mot Daeng – Laos
This unusual recipe calls for a mixture of fresh ant eggs which are cooked in a soup. It reportedly tastes like shrimp. Ant egg soup is a seasonal delicacy in Laos.
18. Kopi Luwak – Indonesia
This bizarre gourmet coffee is produced from partially digested coffee berries. The digested berries are collected from the feces of Asian palm civets.
19. Ikizikuri – Japan
Japanese chefs have found a way to keep seafood alive while still preparing it for consumption. This weird food is sliced, seasoned, and served alive while its heart still beats.
20. Mannish Water Soup – Jamaica
This unique recipe calls for goat offal such as intestines, head, feet, and testicles. This is then cooked into a hearty soup together with vegetables and spices.
21. Stargazey Pie – England
This strange food is a baked potato pie that features whole sardines or pilchards which are strategically placed so that their heads poke through the crust to seem as if they are looking at the sky.
22. Ceviche de Criadillas– Peru
Slices of frozen bull testicles are included in this strange variation of Peruvian ceviche. This ceviche is uncooked but lime juice is added which renders the flesh edible.
23. Feseekh – Egypt
Freekeh is sundried fish that is soaked in brine for about forty-five days. Although this gross food is an important part of Egyptian culture, it can be deadly due to botulism bacteria.
24. Fried Octopus Ink Sac – Greece
Primarily served in Kalymnos, this weird food is considered to be a delicious Greek delicacy. The octopus ink sac is carefully removed and boiled, before being deep fried.
25. Mopane Worms – Zimbabwe
One of the most unusual foods in the world is Mopane Worms. These caterpillars are gutted and sautéed with garlic and tomatoes in Zimbabwe. They are also fried and eaten as a snack. what a Bizarre and Strange thing to eat
26. Caviar of Santander – Columbia
This weird snack does not refer to seafood but to ants. Hormigas culonas are species of ant that are harvested after heavy rainfall. Toasted and salted, they are commonly sold in Columbian markets.
27. Feijoada – Brazil
This popular black bean stew contains less appetizing pig parts such as the feet, tails, and ears. It originated from the slavery era in Brazil.
28. Khash – Armenia
Khash is a hearty winter soup that traditionally contains the feet or heads of cows and sheep. It is flavored with plenty of garlic.
29. Curiles – Honduras
Curiles are a type of clam that produces dark, iron-rich blood. In Honduras, curiles are seasoned and served in a bowl of their own blood.
30. Sannakji – South Korea
Flavored with sesame oil, live octopus tentacles are sliced into small pieces and consumed while they are still wriggling.
31. Crocodile Paws – Singapore
Singapore is known for the consumption of crocodile meat, the most popular part is the paw. This strange food reportedly tastes like sea cucumber when cooked in vegetable sauces.
32. Crack Conch with Peas and Rice – Bahamas
This weird recipe calls for the succulent flesh of a giant sea snail called queen conch. The shell is cracked to remove the flesh, which is then battered, fried and served with peas and rice.
33. Cobra Heart Shots – Vietnam
One of the most bizarre foods can be found in Vietnam. Here, live cobra snakes are killed for their blood and hearts. Fresh cobra blood and vodka are served in shot glasses, along with the beating heart of the reptile. How Bizarre and Strange is that?
34. Goong Ten – Thailand
Goong Ten is Thailand’s famous raw shrimp delicacy. Also called Dancing Shrimp, the small crustaceans are served alive and tend to jump and writhe in the serving bowl.
35. Palolo – Samoa
Every year, Samoans harvest these spawning coral worms from the sea. This bizarre food is fried with eggs, baked into bread, eaten with toast, and is even enjoyed raw.
36. Drisheen – Ireland
A traditional variety of blood pudding, Drisheen is made from a mixture of cow, pig, and sheep’s blood. This bizarre food has a gelatinous consistency and is usually paired with tripe.
37. Del, Jigar, and Gholveh – Iran
Roasted kabobs of heart, liver, and kidneys are one of Iran’s most bizarre foods and they are the most popular street food in market squares and food bazaars.
38. Blood – Kenya
Kenya’s Masaai tribe consumes fresh cow’s blood with milk. This strange food is a staple part of their diet.
39. Nsenene – Uganda
Nsenene is bush crickets that are fried and eaten in Uganda. This bizarre food reportedly tastes like popcorn.
40. Czernina – Poland
This gross food is actually a Polish soup which is made from goose or duck’s blood.
41. Bat curry – Seychelles
To prepare one of Seychelles’ most unusual foods, large flying foxes (a type of fruit bat) are soaked in vinegar and then cooked in a coconut curry sauce.
42. Huhu Grubs – New Zealand
These delicious larvae are endemic to New Zealand and are consumed raw or cooked. This weird food is specially prepared for the Hokitika Wild Food Festival.
Photo by Hiakai Ltd
43. Bird’s Nest Soup – China
This unusual food is a Chinese delicacy and is made from the swiftlet nests which contain a fair amount of flavorful bird saliva.
44. Huitlacoche – Mexico
This strange food refers to corn cobs that have developed a fungus. The diseased corn is eaten in soups or quesadillas and it is reported to have an earthy taste.
45. Rabo Encendido – Cuba
This strange food is a rich stew made from the tails of oxen.
46. Ackee and Saltfish – Jamaica?
Ackee is a bizarre fruit that is poisonous if eaten unripe. The yellow aril of the mature fruit is used in the preparation of Jamaica’s national dishes; a savory stir-fry called Ackee and salted fish.
47. Turtle Jelly – Hong Kong
Made from boiling turtles in herbs for several hours, this bizarre food is considered to contain medicinal properties.
48. Pabellon Criollo – Venezuel
Although beef is the main choice of meat in this national rice and bean dish, Venezuelans also use capybara meat especially during Lent, as Venezuelans consider this large rodent to be a tasty meat substitute.
49. Chuños – Bolivia
This weird food is made by naturally freezing and thawing potatoes on blankets of straw for several days, then trampling them by foot to remove the skins.
50. Cuy – Ecuador
Roasted guinea pig or cuy is one of Ecuador’s most unusual foods.
51. Bread Soup – Latvia
The main ingredient in this bizarre food is stale rye bread, which is crumbled and cooked in a thick brown soup, together with dried fruit, spices, and water.
52. Karoo Roast Ostrich Steak – Swaziland
The recipe for Swaziland’s national dish calls for giant slabs of fresh ostrich meat, which are marinated and flash fried.
53. Banana and rice – Somalia
Ripe banana slices are typically eaten together with cooked rice and pasta dishes in Somalia.
54. Kibbeh Nayeh – Lebanon
Lebanon’s national dish is Kibbeh but another variation of this bizarre food contains uncooked lamb and beef.
55. Caltabos – Romania
This unusual food is a Romanian sausage made from minced pig organs, particularly the liver.
56. Chaprah – India
This strange food is a savory Indian chutney which is made from dried red ants and their eggs.
57. Cow’s Tongue – Guatemala
Guatemalans prepare this bizarre food by cooking it in a stew containing olives, capers, and tomato sauce.
58. Spam Musubi – Hawaii
Spam Musubi is a nori-wrapped roll containing a slab of grilled Spam and sticky rice. Hawaiians invented this strange food due to the influx of Spam to the islands.
59. Pickled Herring Salad – Germany
One of Germany’s most unique foods is Pickled Herring Salad which is made by tossing the pickled herrings with onions, pickles, and sour cream.
60. Salo – Ukraine
White pork fat also, called Salo or lard, is one of Ukraine’s national dishes and it is eaten raw or cured.
61. Pig’s Blood Rice Cake – Taiwan
This weird snack is made from pig’s blood, rice, and spices. It is molded onto a stick before being boiled and coated in a mixture of crushed peanuts and coriander.
62. Stuffed Camel – United Arab Emirates
Also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s biggest meal, this strange food is made by stuffing the carcass of a camel with lamb, chickens, fish, eggs, and rice. The entire thing is roasted and served at weddings.
63. Kokorec – Turkey
This weird food is prepared by stuffing goat or lamb intestines with a combination of minced animal organs before roasting it. It is sliced and served on half a baguette.
64. Rosquillas – Nicaragua
This weird snack is a traditional Nicaraguan cookie that contains pig and beef lard.
65. Boiled Locusts – Iraq
Eaten predominantly by the Bedouin peoples of Iraq, female locusts are boiled, dipped in salt, and eaten. This bizarre food reportedly has a flavor similar to green vegetables.
66. Bofe – Panama
This bizarre food is a savory mince of cooked cow’s lung.
67. Palusami – Kiribati
Palusami is Kiribati’s most bizarre food, which is prepared by wrapping taro leaves into a little package and stuffing it with coconut cream and onions. This is baked in a traditional earth oven.
68. Shashuka – Libya
Usually served for breakfast, this unique food is made by poaching eggs in a spicy stew made of tomatoes and dried meat such as lamb or beef.
69. Octopus Curry – Mauritius
Octopus tentacles cooked in a spicy curry sauce are considered to be the national dish of Mauritius.
70. Chorizo de Teror – Canary Islands
A unique food to try is Chorizo de Teror, a type of Canarian sausage which is strongly flavored with garlic and leads to an unavoidable case of bad breath.
71. Lap Lap – Vanuatu
This bizarre food is a type of baked casserole made from grated root vegetables. Some variations include the flying fox, a large type of fruit bat.
72. Dormouse Goulash – Croatia
Another unique food to try is Gulas od Puh, a hearty mouse stew that is so popular in Croatia, there are dormice festivals held every year to celebrate this bizarre food.
73. Carbonnades Flamandes – Belgium
A bizarre dish served in Belgium is Carbonnades Flamandes which is a hearty stew made of beef and beer.
74. Smalahove – Norway
This bizarre food is a smoked sheep’s head which is boiled for several hours. Diners are served half a head and typically begin eating the eyes and ears first.
75. Boshintang – North Korea
This unusual food is a savory soup that primarily contains dog meat.
76. Rattlesnake – United States of America
Although venomous, rattlesnakes are one of America’s strangest foods. The reptile is deep-fried, baked, stewed, or roasted on skewers.
77. Bear Meat – Finland
This unusual food is popular in Finnish cuisine. Diners can try this unique food in a variety of ways such as in meatballs, steaks, and burgers. Bear meat is also sold in a can.
78. Souse – Trinidad and Tobago
This bizarre food is made by pickling boiled chickens’ feet in a spicy broth of lemon juice, onions, hot peppers, and cucumbers. Pigs’ feet are also made into souse.
79. Bajan Black Pudding – Barbados
This bizarre food is made by stuffing pigs’ intestines with a mixture of mashed sweet potato and pigs’ blood.
80. Lamprey Stew – Portugal
This strange Portuguese food is made by marinating and cooking sliced lampreys in their own blood.
81. Rooster Cockscomb – Spain
In Spain, this bizarre food is known for its arthritic and skin healing properties. The red cockscombs from rooster heads are either cooked into rice paella or in a stew.
82. Aqutak – Alaska
This weird snack is a type of ice cream that is enjoyed by Eskimos. Served cold, it is a mixture of whipped animal fats and berries. Fat from moose, caribou, or seals is normally used to prepare Aqutak.
83. Kuyrdak – Kazakhstan
One of Kazakhstan’s most unique foods is Kuyrdak. It is prepared by boiling the organs (hearts, livers, and kidneys) of horses, cows, and sheep.
84. Tree Mutton – St. Kitts and Nevis
Tree Mutton refers to the meat of the Vervet Monkey. This bizarre food reportedly tastes like mutton when cooked.
85. Duruka – Fiji
Duruka is unopened sugar cane blossoms. This unique food is commonly known as Fijian asparagus and is usually curried, roasted over an open fire, or consumed raw.
86. Mud Cakes – a Bizarre and Strange food of Haiti
This weird food, locally called ‘galette,’ is a small pancake made of clay soil, water, and sometimes salt or margarine. Newly-made mud cakes are hardened under the sun and typically eaten by the poor.
87. Stir-Fried Hornets – Bhutan
This unique Bhutanese delicacy is prepared by stir-frying hornets with garlic and ginger.
88. Träipen – Luxembourg
Träipen is a type of sausage that is made with cabbage, minced pig’s head, pig’s blood, and along with other offal such as lungs, kidneys, and tongue. It is fried and eaten with apple sauce.
89. Grilled Rat is a Bizarre and Strange food from East Timor
In East Timor, whole rats are gutted and cleaned of fur, then grilled over an open fire.
90. Baak Bpet – Thailand
Marinated in soy sauce and then deep-fried, duck beaks are one of Thailand’s most unique street foods.
91. Swikee – Indonesia
This strange food is actually a savory dish made with frog legs.
92. Langue de Boeuf – France
This unusual food is actually the tongue of a cow. It can be cooked in several ways, usually boiled or in a stew.
93. Kokë Quenji – Albania
This unusual food is served to the guest of honor at the dinner table in Albania. It is a whole, spit-roasted lamb’s head. The brains, cheeks, tongue, and chewy cartilage are consumed with white bread.
94. Kitfo – Ethiopia
This bizarre and strange food is raw minced beef which is seasoned with chili peppers and butter.
95. Elephant Soup – Burundi
This unusual dish is prepared by boiling sun-dried elephant meat into a savory soup.
96. Cazuela de Llama is another Bizarre and Strange food from Argentina
This strange food is an Argentinian casserole made with llama meat.
97. Puffin Heart – Iceland
A unique food eaten in Iceland is the heart of a freshly killed puffin. The bird is killed, skinned, and sliced open. Most importantly, Icelandic hunters eat the heart while it is still warm.
98. Kiviak – Greenland is a Bizarre and Strange food
Kiviak is prepared by fermenting whole auk birds in a bag made of seal skin. The birds are covered in seal fat and left to ferment for 3-18 months. This bizarre food is served on special occasions and reportedly tastes like matured cheese.
99. Witchetty Grubs – Australia
These moth larvae are rich in protein and are largely eaten by the Aborigines people of Australia. They are eaten either raw or roasted and taste like scrambled eggs.
100. Iguana – Guyana Bizarre and Strange food
A bizarre food eaten in Guyana is Iguana. The lizard is usually curried, stewed, roasted, or boiled in a soup. The Iguana eggs are also eaten by the Guyanese people. | How to make Oven Baked Jollof Rice
No Comments