Around the world in 10 strange dishes
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When on holiday, do you enjoy eating like the locals and sampling your destination’s delicacies – whatever they may be? If so, take a journey around the world with us in 10 stops, finding out about 10 of the most unusual dishes to be sampled…
1. Australia: witchetty grubs
For many Brits, Australian food is linked to the ‘I’m a Celebrity’ famous bushtucker trials, and strange cuisine in Australia is plentiful – although many of these unusual dishes are actually quite tasty and good for you too.
The strangest dish I discovered when I lived in the country was Central Australia’s love of witchetty grubs. These bugs are often found in the roots of witchetty bushes (named after the bugs) and can be eaten raw or lightly cooked over hot coals, which makes them tastier giving their insides a scrambled egg taste – said to have a delicious almond taste.
2. Bali: bats
Many of the foods we consider strange are completely normal in Bali, and there are many unusual dishes to choose from. The strangest I discovered was bats. And, if the thought of a bat landing on you terrifies you, just imagine how intense it would be to have one on your dinner plate!
The most common way to eat bats in Bali is by grilling or deep-frying them and then eating them whole – bones and all. Another common way to eat bats is to cut off the head and wings, skin them, and then cut them into neat pieces that are then added to a soup or stew.
3. Thailand: kai khao
When you think of Thai food, you may think of dishes with a seductive appearance and sensational aroma. But, in fact, there are quite a few dishes where this is not the case – making not just foreigners but many Thais gag at the thought of eating them. A fine delicacy but extremely strange is the kai khao.
Kai khao is a Thai version of a fertilised duck egg. What appears to be a normal hard-boiled egg actually takes you on a crunchy journey through odd textures that sometimes lead to regurgitation and the act of having to pluck feathers out of your teeth. People say it tastes just like a hard-boiled egg but is a lot more interesting to eat given the diverse flavours and textures.
4. Japan: wasp crackers
Japanese cuisine offers a very large variety of dishes and regional specialities.
The strangest and most bizarre dish I have come across is Japanese wasp crackers. These are becoming very popular – with a factory in Omachi opening in 2007 solely for the production of them. They are eaten like a biscuit and said to taste very similar to honeycomb cereal. How these don’t sting you I’m not sure….
5. India: yak butter tea
You’ll be spoilt for choice between different local delicacies in India, with each region famous for its own type of tasty cuisine.
One of the most unusual delicacies I discovered is yak butter tea. Believed to have originated from Tibet, this tea is made from a mixture of yak butter and salt. The yak’s milk itself has a distinct sweet flavour and this tea is very famous in certain regions.
6. Africa: antelope jerky
Africa is such a large and varied continent that there’s a huge assortment of textures, flavours and aromas available for travellers to sample when eating out. You get lots of rich, spicy flavours from the north, nearly no meat in the east and lots of meat such as crocodile, monkey, chicken and beef and rice dishes in the south and west.
The strangest dish I have come across here is antelope jerky – something of a South African speciality, made from wild antelopes such as springbok and kudu. Antelope jerky is said to be seriously delicious, especially when it’s spiced up with peppercorns and hot sauce.
7. Greece: kohli bourbouristi
Being a Mediterranean hotspot, Greek food holds many similarities with other cuisines in the region with the locals using lots of fresh vegetables in their cooking. Some of the most popular dishes are the classic moussaka, tzatziki (a famous creamy garlic dip) and souvlakia (pitta bread filled with beef, lamb or pork).
But the most unusual food I discovered while in Greece was a traditional Cretan dish called kohli bourbouristi, otherwise known as fried snails, olive oil, salt, vinegar and rosemary.
8. France: frog’s legs
Frog’s legs are one of the better-known delicacies of France, tasting mild in flavour, with a texture similar to chicken wings. Normally they’re served in a sauce and some of the most popular sauces seem to be garlic and parsley or a tomato and basil. Perhaps you may choose to have them served caramelized instead…
This doesn’t make them any less strange in my opinion, but the French manage to nibble their way through 4,000 tonnes a year.
9. Scotland: haggis
Being from the UK myself, I consider most foods as quite normal. Perhaps you disagree, but the one dish I find very strange while many enjoy it is haggis originating from Scotland.
The way the Scottish prepare haggis is by taking a sheep, removing the heart, liver, and lungs and then boiling them in the stomach for about three hours with lots of salt.
10. South America: cuy chactao
After recently visiting South America and sampling some of the continent’s strange but delicious dishes, the Andean specialty cuy chactao (or fried guinea pig) has to be the most bizarre dish I have come across. Guinea pigs are known as part of the rodent family and are common pets in the UK, but originated in the wild, and indigenous people have raised them for food for thousands of years.
Cuy chactao takes an hour to cook on a spit before it is fried. It is usually served with potatoes and vegetables, tasting slightly sweet and smoky, quite similar to duck.
I hope you enjoyed this journey around the world with us – it wasn’t for the faint hearted. We would love to hear what the strangest dish you’ve come across while travelling is!
Please leave a comment below and let us know.