5 Creepiest Food From Around The World

What do fried brains, puffin hearts, and drunken shrimp have in common? They are all considered delicacies somewhere in the world. While most people probably do not consider the contents of their cookbooks to be too strange, to a foreigner your lunch could be the equivalent of a nightmare. So, before we dive into our culinary tour of the strangest foods from around the world you should ask yourself how much you really want to know about the eating habits of your fellow humans.

* Puffin Heart

The puffin is a species of Auk that inhabits the northern hemisphere and its heart is considered a delicacy in Iceland. We spared you the picture but next time you see a cute little puffin on the side of the road just try to imagine yourself snapping its neck and ripping out its innards. Heartless.

* Balut

Nothing more than a fertilized duck embryo, it is boiled alive and viola…the rest is up to you. Eaten in South East Asia, the filipino word balut means “wrapped”.

* Yak Penis

Someone was once quoted as saying “The Chinese eat anything with four legs, except tables. And everything that flies, except airplanes”. Apparently so. Also known as “Dragon in the Flame of Desire” this dish is famously served in the Guolizhuang Restaurant of Beijing. Although it may seem strange to Western minds, many Chinese believe that it is good for your health, kind of like spinach..

* Ying-Yang Fish

Also known as “dead and alive” fish it originated in Taiwan where it is now illegal to prepare. It has recently become popular in China after chefs figured out how to keep the fish alive as it is deep fried. Why would anyone do this? Supposedly to prove how fresh the fish is.

* Fugu

Fugu is Japanese for “pufferfish” and in case you didn’t know, yes, they are poisonous. Japanese law strictly controls their preparation in restaurants and only highly trained chefs are allowed to handle them. They are so dangerous in fact that domestic preparation has been known to cause accidental death.