European cuisine may not be considered as exotic as Asian cuisine, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got its own special dishes. You may not think that yet, but we’ve prepared a set of seven tasty treats that are sure to change your opinion. Here are seven of Europe’s weirdest foods:

Blood Sausage

Known as Blood Pudding in the UK, Boudin in France and Blutwurst in Germany, blood sausage is a delicacy made of blood, fat and minced meat. It is usually prepared when an animal is slaughtered because the sausage tastes better when it is made with fresh blood that has not coagulated.

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Every region has its own recipe of blood sausage, but all variants are considered delicacies fit only for strong stomachs. They are considered disgusting by some people due to the blood, but there are many others who appreciate their strong taste.

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Although it can be frozen, blood sausage is considered very delicate and it will only keep for a few days.

Casu Marzu

Casu Marzu literally translated means “rotten cheese” in Sardinian, but is commonly referred to as maggot cheese. This traditional sheep milk cheese is full of insect larvae and is therefore considered one of the most disgusting foods on the planet.

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To be transformed into Casu Marzu, Pecorino cheese goes way past the fermentation process and straight to decomposition. Larvae of a cheese fly are introduced into the cheese to break down its fat. The larvae look like translucent worms, 8 mm long and can jump up to 15 cm when disturbed.

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Some remove the larvae before consuming Casu Marzu, other prefer to eat them as well. This traditional Sardinian cheese has been banned due to health concerns, but it can still be found on the black market.

Escargot

Not all species of snails are edible, but leave it to the French to find the ones that can actually be eaten, and turn them into delicacies. Actually, I’m only joking, archeologists have found evidence that snails have been consumed since prehistoric times and the Romans were crazy about them

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Before they are cooked, snails are fed ground cereals, to make sure their digestive systems contain no decayed matter or other leaves that may be toxic to humans. They are then removed from their shells, gutted, cooked and then inserted back into their shells with butter, garlic and a special sauce.

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Eating snails can sound disgusting to some people, but you should know they’re excellent in diets, since they are 15% protein, 2.4% fat and 80% water.

Hakarl

Hakarl is a traditional shark dish from Iceland. The meat of a basking shark undergoes a special fermentation process and is then hung to dry, for a period of 4-5 months. Although it can be found in many Icelandic food-stores, all year round, because of its strong taste, many Icelanders never even try it.

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To make Hakarl, the gutted and beheaded basking shark is placed in a shallow hole in the sand and covered with rocks, so the fluids are pressed out of the flesh. After 6-12 weeks the fermented shark is removed from the hole and hung to dry. When it’s ready, Hakarl is cut into small cubes and served with toothpicks.

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With a strong ammonia smell and taste, Hakarl is definitely not for everyone. Most people are advised to pinch their nose when they try their first piece of Hakarl and, even so, tend to gag involuntarily.

Dormouse Stew

Considered a delicacy by the Romans, who consumed them as an appetizer or a dessert (covered in honey and poppy seeds), dormice are still eaten today in countries like Slovenia, Croatia and Italy.

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In Italy, the edible species of Dormouse (Glis glis) is protected by law and many restaurants you may find it as rat stew. In reality, the demand for cooked dormice is so high that 20,000 specimens are hunted every year and they’re fast becoming and endangered species.

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Before cooking, the dormouse is skinned, placed under running water for 24 hours, placed in a mixture of vinegar and water, rinsed and only then added into the cooking pot.

Criadillas

I knew some Spaniards love fighting bulls in the arena, or at least watching others fight bulls, but eating their testicles? That’s definitely news to me.

Known as Prairie Oysters, in Canada and Rocky Mountain Oysters, in the US, criadillas are cooked testicles of bull or lamb. Their protective membrane is usually peeled off, they are covered in flour and deep-fried.

Criadillas might sound like a disgusting dish, but those who have tried it say it tastes delicious and people only react negatively after they learn what they just ate.

Frog Legs

You know how the English sometimes refer to their longtime rivals, the French, as “Frogs”? Well, you’re about to learn why.

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Frog legs are one of the most well-known delicacies of French cuisine and there are eaten especially in the areas of Dombes and Lyon. They are usually cooked with butter, parsley and garlic, just like escargot, and served with salad or steamed rice.

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Frog legs are said to taste a lot like chicken but the weird thing about them is that sometimes the muscles twitch due to the heat from the cooking process. So don’t be alarmed if you see your food trying to make a run for it right before you stick a fork in it.

Don’t forget to check out even more disgusting delicacies from Asia and Africa.

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