Asian cuisine is definitely full of “tasty” surprises, especially for western tourists, and since our previous Asian “delicacies” post was such a hit, we’ve come-up with seven new juicy culinary delights from the Far East.

Horseshoe crabs

Horseshoe crab

One of the creepiest creatures of the sea, the Horseshoe crab is also a delicacy in many Asian countries. Sold for around one dollar in the US, and used as bait for eels, in countries like Hong Kong, China or Vietnam, female crabs sell for $20-$50.

The eggs found under the shell are the most appreciated part of the Horseshoe crab, but it’s an acquired taste, and most westerns say they taste absolutely horrible and wouldn’t even recommend them to people who like to try weird foods.

Dried lizard soup

Dried lizards

Just like Europeans and Americans eat a bowl of chicken soup as a tasty cure for the common cold, the Chinese eat dried lizard soup. Boiled in a broth with Chinese dates and yams, the dried lizard is said to taste like fish.

Found in medicine shops all across China, dried lizards are sometimes sold as couples, a male and a female, and many pharmacists recommend they both be cooked in the soup, to get the best results. Some Chinese also believe lizards are good for the heart and lungs.

Fried scorpions

Cooked scorpions

Chinese street cuisine became very popular during the 2008 Olympic Games, when many brave foreign tourists tried out different deep-fried bugs. Scorpions may be one of the most poisonous creatures on Earth, but they are like a magnet to non-Asians. It must be the adrenalin rush that comes with eating something that could kill you.

Scorpions are very much alive when they’re dropped in the boiling oil, but their venom is completely neutralized. The small ones are crunchier and just taste like overcooked meat, while the big ones are chewier and a lot more disgusting.

Stink bugs

Stink bug

In the jungles of Irian Jaya, Indonesia, the stink bug is considered a tasty treat by native children. They hunt for them in groups and call out “mo mo mo” when they find some, to keep them still.

The children handle the pungent smell bravely, then they pack the bugs in leaves  and hold them over an open fire to cook them. It’s not the kind of thing you’ll find on a restaurant menu, but in the Indonesian jungle food doesn’t get much tastier.

Natto (fermented soy beans)

Natto

If you can’t handle stinky cheese then you should stay away from this old Japanese delicacy. Its strong ammonia smell is the first thing you’ll notice, and then as you begin to stir it, you’ll see a lot of spider web-like strings forming, like mozzarella stretching on a pizza only not as tasty.

Natto is a very old dish and according to some sources it originated in medieval Japan, when Minamoto no Yoshiie was fighting a campaign in northeastern Japan, between 1086 and 1088. His soldiers were boiling soy beans for their horses when they were attacked. They packed the beans and only opened the bags after a few days. They had fermented but after tasting them they realized the beans were tastier this way.

Natto is normally served at breakfast, with rice.

Tuna eye

Tuna eye

Unless you have a problem with your food staring right back at you, tuna eye may prove quite tasty. You’ll find it in all the major Japanese grocery stores for no more than one dollar, and it’s very easy to cook. Just drop it in a pot of boiling water, season it with some salt and serve it with lemon juice.

The eyeball itself is surrounded by some fish fat and severed muscles that actually don’t taste half bad.

Cod Fish Sperm

Cod sperm

One of the favorite winter delicacies in Japan is “shirako”, cod fish sperm sacs. Shirako looks a lot like a piece of human brain, white soft, squishy and very slippery. Most Japanese appreciate its light, delicate taste, with enough fishiness to remind you that it’s not a dairy product.

The sperm sacks may melt in your mouth like soft butter, but it is said they have just the opposite effect on men who want to perform better in the bedroom. Despite this, very few western men rarely try this Japanese delicacy.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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