Nowadays hamburgers and hot-dogs are so common everywhere around the world you might think there’s nothing exotic about American cuisine. You couldn’t be more wrong and the seven US “delicacies” you’re about to discover will convince you there’s nothing ordinary about Yankee food.

Alligator on a Stick

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It’s an “eat or be eaten” world out there and no one seems to know that better than the Americans. Tired of playing the victim to alligators, the people of South Louisiana decided to beat the reptiles at their own game and found their meat tastes a lot like chicken.

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Alligator on a Stick is basically a shish kabob. Pieces of deep-fried alligator tail, battered in corn meal and richly seasoned with Cajun spices are placed on a wooden skewer and served while fresh. Sounds a bit strange but those who have tried it say it’s quite delicious.

Squirrel Brains

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In Southern US and especially around Kentucky, Squirrel Brains is considered a delicacy and have nothing to do with poverty. Squirrels shot during the hunting season and even those killed on the road are used to prepare this unusual dish.

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Traditionally, Squirrel Brains is a gift-food. Someone kills the animal, cuts off the head and brings it to a friend’s home. The woman of the house accepts the delicious present, shaves off the fur and boils the head whole. When it’s done, the skull is cracked at the dinner table and the contents sucked out. Another way of cooking Squirrel Brains is scrambled in white gravy with eggs.

Geoducks

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A true delicacy, geoducks are considered aphrodisiacs and are highly praised in Asian countries like China and Korea. Native to Northwest USA, the geoduck is one of the largest clams on earth and famous for its unusual shape.

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Strangely enough, the geoduck’s meaty neck strongly resembles a large penis, complete with a small whole at its tip, from which water squirts. There are several ways you can cook a geoduck, including stir-fried or in chowder. One thing you don’t want to do is overcook them because they become too chewy.

Fried Green Tomatoes

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The name says it all. All you need to cook this simple dish is green tomatoes, cornmeal, vegetable oil and a frying pan. Slice up the veggies in thin slices, coat them in cornmeal and dump them in the hot oil. Now all you have to do is cook them to a golden brown.

A popular side-dish in Southern US States like Louisiana, Fried Green Tomatoes are sometimes cooked in grease or bacon fat, for added taste and higher cholesterol, of course.

Chitterlings

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Basically cooked hog intestines, Chitterlings date back to colonial times. When pigs were slaughtered, masters fed their slaves with the animal parts they considered inedible, like the snout, feet and intestines. They were boiled in a pot and consumed.

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The dangers of eating Chitterlings are not to be ignored. Bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella often reside in the animal’s intestines, so they should be washed with baking soda and rinsed several times with cool water. An onion is usually thrown in to the boiling pot, to cover the pungent smell of Chitterlings as they begin to cook.

Kaolin

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Most people don’t think of clay as edible, but in poor communities from Southern states like Alabama and Georgia eating kaolin is quite common. This allegedly delicious mineral is either dug up from the earth or purchased from local stores.

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Some kaolin mongers say they eat it because they like the taste while others use it to settle their stomach. Delicious as it may be, kaolin often causes constipation and sometimes even colon ruptures.

Rocky Mountain Oysters

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Also known as Prairie Oysters, these culinary delights are actually cooked bull or buffalo testicles. When the young animals are castrated, the testicles are thrown into a bucket of water, then washed and peeled. They’re usually coated in flour and deep fried whole, or sliced and cooked in a frying pan.

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Common in Western states like Montana, Idaho and Kansas, Rocky Mountain Oysters were invented by cowboys who used to throw them whole on a stove and cook them until they popped. Nowadays this delicacy can be savored at Testicle fairs and festivals, as well as in many Western restaurants and diners.

Make sure to check out our lists of Asian, African and European delicacies you probably could not stomach.

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