At different stages of our lives, we travel to various countries, and one of the first things we do to get to know them better is to try their national dishes. Of course, this is one of the best ways to broaden our taste experiences and gain new and exciting impressions. While traveling, we are always on the lookout for the best restaurants with the finest cuisine. However, there are certain foods that you will not only not want to eat — you might not even dare to taste them. Let’s take a closer look at some dishes from around the world that, according to many sources and travelers’ opinions, fall into this category.
Century Egg – China
Known across Asia as a delicacy, this dish is also referred to as the hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, or preserved egg. Despite the name, it hasn’t been aged for centuries — but it certainly smells as if it has. Duck, chicken, or quail eggs are preserved for months in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice husks. The yolk turns a dark greenish-grey, developing a pungent flavor due to hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, while the egg white transforms into a salty, dark brown, jelly-like substance.
Hákarl – Iceland
This Icelandic specialty is made from Greenland shark meat. The preparation is extremely labor-intensive: the meat is buried underground in a gravel pit, pressed with stones, and left to ferment for 6 to 12 weeks. Afterward, it is hung to dry for another 4–5 months. The process removes the toxins naturally found in shark meat, making it safe to eat. However, the resulting dish has such a strong ammonia smell that it is served only in very small pieces.
Haggis – Scotland
If you travel to Scotland, locals will recommend what they consider a delicacy: haggis. It is a savory pudding made of sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and stock, then encased in the animal’s stomach and simmered. Although beloved by Scots, many visitors hesitate to taste it once they learn what it is made from.
Casu Marzu – Italy
This Sardinian cheese, whose name literally means “rotten cheese,” is made from sheep’s milk. What makes it shocking is that it contains live insect larvae. These maggots are intentionally introduced to accelerate fermentation and fat decomposition, softening the cheese and creating a distinctive texture. Sometimes, the larvae can even jump while inside the cheese, making it a truly daring experience for anyone who attempts to eat it.
Balut – Philippines
Balut is a developing bird embryo (usually duck) boiled and eaten directly from the shell. The embryo is typically between 14 to 21 days old. It is commonly served with chili vinegar and is considered a popular street food in the Philippines. Unlike a normal egg, inside you’ll find a partially developed chick, making it one of the most unusual and controversial delicacies in the world.
It’s worth noting that while you might expect this list to be dominated by East Asian cuisine, that’s not the case. Though countries like China, Japan, and Korea have large populations who consume unusual foods, many of those dishes are not included here. Interestingly, dishes familiar to us, such as Khash and Kalla-pacha, are also listed in the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden, opened in 2018, alongside more than 100 other bizarre foods.
So, if you don’t want your travels to leave you with unforgettable — but unpleasant — memories, it’s best to steer clear of these dishes.
