Back
Weird Meals From Around the World

Aug 4th 2017 - J. Vigotsky Blog, 

Weird Meals From Around the World

While those living in the U.S. enjoy classic American cuisine like hot dogs, hamburgers, and apple pie, citizens of other countries are indulging in unique local dishes of their own. The following list includes an assortment of weird meals from around the world that might not exactly spark your appetite.

Chicken Feet – East Asia, Caribbean, South America, and South Africa

weird meals from around the world - chicken feet

Popular in Chinese food, chicken feet are versatile enough to be served as a beer snack, cold dish, soup add-in, or entrée. They are usually deep fried or steamed before being simmered in mouth-watering sauce. Mostly made of skin and tendons, chicken feet have a gelatinous texture that’s very different from traditional chicken meat. The dish is a delicacy in Indonesia, where it is commonly served in a spicy traditional soup known as Soto. South African chicken feet, also known as “runaways” and “walkie talkies,” are prepared by removing the outer layer of skin, seasoning appropriately, and then grilling. Caribbean and South American cuisine commonly use chicken feet in soups and stews.

Khash – Middle East, Europe, and Turkey

weird meals from around the world - khash

While Americans have no issue eating steak, they might be apprehensive about indulging in this cow-based stew. Khash contains boiled cow feet and head along with an assortment of other items. Salt, garlic, lemon juice, or vinegar can be sprinkled in, while lavash (an unleavened bread) is sometimes crumpled and added to the stew. Peppers, pickles, cheese, radishes, and fresh greens are also common additions to the dish. Traditionally a nutritious meal during winter time, Khash is now a delicacy that appears at festive winter meals. Many eaters prefer to forego the use of utensils and consume the dish entirely by hand. The stew is usually accompanied by vodka and mineral water to help wash it all down.

Haggis – Scotland

weird meals from around the world - haggis

Haggis is a Scottish pudding that features a sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs. Onion, oatmeal, suet (raw, hard fat around the sheep’s heart and kidneys), spices, and salt are also commonly used to add an extra kick. Ingredients are traditionally mixed with stock inside a sheep’s stomach and boiled for a few hours. Although the origin of Haggis is unknown, the meal has cookbook recipes dating all the way back to 1430. Folklore has it that wives of Scottish cattle drovers used to cook up haggis and store in the sheep’s stomach so that their husbands would have well-preserved, readily available food during long journeys to the marketplace. The United States outlawed imported haggis in 1971 because the dish includes sheep lung.

Hakarl – Iceland

weird meals from around the world - hakarl

This Icelandic national dish elicits a strong response from seemingly anyone daring enough to try it. Icelandic for fermented shark, Hakarl features a Greenland shark (or other sleeper shark), which is cured via a unique fermentation process and hung to dry for 4-5 months. The long process is necessary because these sharks are poisonous when fresh. Butchers ferment the meat by gutting and beheading the shark then burying it in a shallow hole beneath sand. Placing stones atop the sand ensures the poisonous fluids of the shark are forced out of its body. After fermenting like this for 6-12 weeks, the shark is hung up for drying.

Hakarl is widely available in Iceland throughout the year and is always served at Icelandic midwinter festivals. With a strong smell of ammonia, Hakarl has alienated its fair share of eaters. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain called the meat, “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he’s ever had. Some people say the meat smells a lot worse than it tastes. As a result, first-time Hakarl eaters are advised to pinch their noses while consuming the shark.

Wasp Crackers – Japan

wasp cracker

These Japanese rice crackers, also known as senbei crackers, are packed with exactly what their name suggests: wasps. With a higher percentage of protein than any other edible insect, wasps are caught in traps laid by wasp hunters. They are then boiled in water, dried, and finally added to the cracker mix. Tasting better than one might expect, these Japanese crackers are available in select stores and can be also bought online. The wasps are said to taste similar to raisins, but their flavor is a little bitterer.

Fried Spider – Cambodia

weird meals around the world - fried spider

Certainly not for arachnophobic diners, fried spiders are popular in Cambodia where they are a regional delicacy. Attracting tourists to the town of Skuon, this unorthodox snack didn’t become popular until the late 1990s. Spiders are fried in oil that’s flavored with crushed garlic and then seasoned with MSG, sugar, and salt. About the size of a human palm, a fried tarantula consists of crispy legs and a meaty center. Its taste has been described as a cross between chicken and cod.

Fugu – Japan

weird meals from around the world - fugu

Also known as the putterfish, the Fugu is a potentially lethal sea creature that is well known for making an appearance on The Simpsons. The fugu harbors poisonous tetrodotoxin that must be carefully removed before the fish is cooked. Japanese law requires restaurant chefs to complete at least three years of training before they’re allowed to prepare this fish for consumption. While the fugu’s liver is considered by many to be the most delicious part of the fish, it is also the most poisonous part and consequently has been banned from being served in Japanese restaurants since 1984.

Starfish – China

weird meals from around the world - starfish

It’s hard to imagine someone taking a bite out of a prickly starfish. But once a starfish’s hard outer shell is broken off, the green meat inside waits to be devoured. In China, starfishes are usually deep fried and commonly come on sticks. The taste of starfish is commonly compared to that of a sea urchin or river grab. Mostly a tourist attraction, starfish in China can be found at several street food vendors—especially those in the Qindao area.

While these meals may appear weird to Americans, there are surely citizens of other countries that would raise an eyebrow or two at the idea of a hot dog. If you see food on this list that you’d like to try but traveling is out of the question, try researching to see if there are any local establishments that offer the dish.