There’s a lot of good food in the world and there’s a lot of bad food. Then there’s the weird and bizarre food. Stuff so strange, so odd colored, from such odd animals, you’ll wonder how anyone can eat this? Who would even think of making this? Well, if you’re looking to try a local delicacy that’s unique, bizarre, and exotic, look no further than these five dishes:

Haggis
Haggis is the traditional dish of Scotland. There are many recipes but most contain sheep’s ‘pluck’ (heart, liver and lungs), onion, oatmeal, spices, and salt. After this is all mixed together, the dish is stuffed inside the sheep’s stomach and cooked for three hours. Delicious!


Maggot Cheese
This cheese from Sardinia, Italy is known locally as “casu marzu.” It’s is famous for the cheese fly larvae found inside. The cheese goes beyond the normal fermentation process to near decomposition, a result of the digestive action of the larvae. The insects are introduced into the cheese in order to get it to this stage. Some people clear the larvae before eating but some enjoy this cheese with a side of larvae. Seconds anyone?

Bird’s Nest Soup
This soup is a considered a delicacy in China. Built using the nests of cave swifts, this soup uses the bird’s saliva to give it its texture. The nests are rich in nutrients and believed to help digestion, sexual prowess, alleviating asthma, increasing concentration, and boosting the immune system. Bird’s nest soup is a real health panacea. Who knew bird saliva could be so healthy? Forget Chicken Noodle Soup, Bird’s Nest Soup is the new “it” dish for what ails you.

Thousand Year Eggs
Thousand-year eggs are another Chinese dish made by preserving duck or chicken eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months. After this is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green substance with a strong sulfur and ammonia smell while the egg white becomes dark brown and jelly-like. This dish is considered a delicacy and is usually found at special events, such as weddings.

Muktuk
Muktuk is a traditional Eskimo dish of frozen whale skin and fat. Usually made from the skin and blubber of the Bowhead Whale, this dish is eaten raw. However, it is occasionally diced, breaded, deep fried or sometimes pickled. Conservation laws limit the number of whales that can be caught each year, but that doesn’t mean this dish is expensive. It can be found all over Alaska and is a food for the true adventurer.

So next time you are looking for something different on your plate, try one of these bizarre foods.

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