The Most Unusual Food Items That You’ll Ever Come Across

Like everything else in the world, food comes with variations (and sometimes weird variations). The first thing that comes to our minds when we read the phrase “unusual food” is bugs. For most (normal) people, the mere existence of bugs and creepy crawlies is a challenge in itself. But humankind never fails to surprise. When you’re ready to travel for food, you also must make up your mind to come across some of the most bizarre dishes. Then again, weird food or unusual food is a relative concept. What’s weird for you might be completely normal or even yummy for the other person. Being Pakistanis, our standards are pretty high tbh so we can easily find some of the most unusual foods eaten around the world.

Tuna Eyeballs

Eating tuna eyes is definitely not a normal concept. Even the people who are absolute fans of tuna do not usually consider consuming it with their eyes! Turns out this is a very famous and beloved food in Japan since it is easily available in the superstores. Japan, in this case, must be admired for its no waste policy but this is a bit too much, right? Tuna eyes are not only easily available at grocery stores but are also served at bars and pubs as a snack. Upon cooking, the tuna eyeballs reportedly become soft, but they don’t really have any taste.

Airag – Fermented Horse Milk

Despite the popularity of cow milk and even goat milk, horse milk is not something that you come across often. Airag or fermented horse milk is the national beverage of Mongolia. Unusual right? Well, it’s true. The fermentation process of horse milk removes the lactose from the milk by combining lactic acid and yeast. The beverage takes two days to get ready and needs to be stirred regularly during this period. The stirring will ensure even fermentation in the milk which is necessary to prepare the desired beverage.

Silkworm Larvae

Silkworm larvae also known as bundaegi is another most weird food from South Korea. This food is easily available in canned form in the local markets and is also prepared fresh at markets by aged women who cook it in aromatic brow broth. This food is gross, both in smell and looks. The taste of silkworm larvae is surprisingly disgusting, the right term for it would be “offensive”. One good thing about this food is that these larvae are quite rich in protein, and they are super cheap. So, if you can go lengths to consume the cheapest source of protein, silkworm larvae are just for you!

Balut

We are used to eggs, we have had them literally throughout our lives, but I’m sure most of you are unaware of balut. Balut is a very common food in the Philippines which is a fertilized egg of a duck (an embryo). Despite the fact that these fertilized duck eggs are an excellent source of protein, this food is not for the weak-hearted. Most of us won’t be willing to eat this duck embryo but it is a special item among the locals of the country. After fertilization, this egg is boiled and then becomes boney and feathery. This unusual plus unpleasant food will definitely give me nightmares for a long time.

Haggis

The national dish of Scotland, haggis is surprisingly better tasting as compared to the other foods that we have discussed till now. A fusion of heart, lungs, and liver of sheep, haggis is a crumbly sausage. The crumble part comes from oatmeal which is added to give a certain texture to the sausage. The traditional way of preparing haggis is in the sheep’s stomach however there have been some innovations in this process. It is now prepared in a synthetic casing which gives it the required taste and texture. Usually served with mashed turnip or mashed potato, haggis is savored in Scotland.

Birds Nest Soup In China

Thinking of nests, the first thing that comes to our mind is the loads and loads of twig. But this is not what birds’ nest soup is made from. This dish is prepared using the edible and hardened saliva from the nests. This soup is a Chinese delicacy and is only served by some high-end local restaurants. This is one of the most expensive foods served in Chinese restaurants so think again before you make puking faces.

Fried Brain Sandwiches

The details about this mid-western dish are as disturbing as the name suggests. The fried calf brain is served on a bun. Very few restaurants still serve these sandwiches, but this dish is worth noting weird food.