Sushi Tuna Salad

Top Ten… World’s Wierdest Foods

Inspired by the thought of drinking cups of Palm Civet poo coffee (see the story here), we have put together this list of the world’s weirdest foods.

We’re not interested in your average bugs’n'beetles that can be found in every Thai market-stall. We’re interested in bizarre concoctions from ramshackle restaurants; local delicacies that nobody has ever heard of. Things that make you wonder ‘who on earth was the first person to try that?’

We’d like to try some of them ourselves, and others we wouldn’t even wish upon the most eager ‘I’m a celebrity’ contestant. Some of them are the most calorific and sweat inducing plates of food we’ve ever seen.

So, for the strong of stomach only, tuck in that napkin. Here they are…

Natto: Served at street stalls and eateries all over Japan, this stinky gloop consists of fermented soy beans. It’s a great source of protein, but when you are eating something that looks like snot and smells of strong cheese, nutrition is probably the last thing on your mind.

Jellyfish: Known almost exclusively for being floaty, tentacle-y and sting-y, jellyfish are a delicacy in asian restaurants worldwide. Choose from jellyfish salad, blanched jellyfish, or jellyfish in sesame dressing. Try the sliced jellyfish at the Wukong Restaurant, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Sliced and ready for savouring – fresh jellyfish

Cassava: It’s a vital staple in northern South America and central Africa that feeds millions upon millions of people, but that doesn’t stop cassava from being highly toxic. Similar to potato, the root is the part that’s eaten, and the larger roots (‘bitter’ cassava) contain lethal amounts of cyanide if the stuff is not properly washed.

Deep fried everything, Scotland: Ahh the Scots…inventors of the television, the fax machine and the kaleidoscope. Oh, and let’s not forget the Stonner – a sausage wrapped in kebab meat and then deep-fried. It’s accompanied with a salad (that’s chips to you and me) and a health warning. Walk into most chippies in Glasgow and they’ll deep fry anything from cream eggs to pizza.

Chicken fried steak with ice cream: This grammatical conundrum of an artery-clogging dish comes to you straight from Texas. It’s a battered steak fried in bacon fat served with savoury ice-cream made with fat and scraps from the pan. Our guess is that this won’t go anywhere towards your five-a-day.

Hope that’s not the healthy option: chicken fried steak and ice cream…

Chitterlings aka Chitlin’s: For tripe and sweetbread lovers everywhere, this one isn’t that strange. When you order chitlin’s you are eating pig’s intestines, and you are most probably in the southern USA, where they are common. They come either fried, grilled or served in broth and are so popular that there’s a festival dedicated to them held every year in Salley, South Carolina.

Scandinavian salty liquorice: It’s pretty much always the last sweet left in the packet and quite possibly the most bizarre flavour combination ever invented. Some bright spark in Scandinavia decided to roll the black candy in salt to make it more appealing. It didn’t work. It’s widely available in Scandinavia and Northern Germany. It’s also one of the most appalling tasting things ever created (in our opinion).

Kangaroo sushi: This can be found in some of Tokyo’s sushi bars – if you search hard enough. Kangaroo is tender and tasty, with a texture very much like certain types of tuna – making the meat ideal for sushi dishes. One of the tastier looking morsels on the list.

There must be a couple of kangaroo rolls in this delicious platter

Hogs head cheese: It’s not quite cheese, and it’s not quite pig…it’s hogs head cheese, straight from the Deep South. You know you are on to a weird food gem when the ingredients include one hog head, split and cleaned, four pig feet, scraped and cleaned, and four pounds pork butt. Try it at the New Orleans Rib Room

Raw goat: Goat? Delicious. Raw goat? We’re not so sure. The commonly eaten mezze dish Kibbeh Nayyeh is popular in Lebanon and Syria and consists of raw goat meat mixed with bulgur wheat and spices. We imagine it to be a bit like steak tartare, but a bit more goaty.

About the Author

I’m a freelance travel writer who works for the British travel website www.travelmail.co.uk

Sashimi Tuna Salad – Meijer Mealbox Recipe

Tuna Tataki – 72W x 48H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $115.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…

Kewpie Mayonnaise 17.64 Oz. $4.57 Kewpie Mayonnaise, or Japanese Mayonnaise, is the undisputed king of mayonnaise. First made in Japan in 1925 and sold in glass jars this mayo is yellower, richer and more creamy than the standard American or European mayonnaise. Made with rice vinegar, instead of distilled vinegar makes it especially complimentary to Japanese cuisine….

Sushi, Frozen, All Natural, Spicy Tuna Salad Roll – 18 x 6.4 Oz Logs $58.26 Spicy cooked tuna and fresh red bell peppers wrapped with seasoned rice and nori (seaweed). Seasoned Rice, Cooked Tuna, Red Peppers, Chili, Garlic, Sugar, Vinegar, Salt, Seaweed…