Any global traveler knows that when exploring a foreign country, it helps not to classify any types of food as ‘weird’ or ‘preposterous,’ but rather, go with the flow and try to immerse oneself in the culture by testing local delicacies. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? However, there are a few interesting rarities in the world of extraordinary cuisine, and knowing what they actually are before enlightening your taste buds can be a daunting task. I suggest using a blindfold…

1. In the Philippines, balut is a warm, crunchy snack - they are boiled, pre-hatched ducklings! The duck eggs are actually fertilized and are allowed to develop (as far as the skeletal stage, which contributes to the ‘crunch’…) until the embryo reaches a certain size to be boiled, usually totaling seventeen days. In Vietnam, most prefer their ducklings at nineteen to twenty-one days, which makes the balut much more recognisable by this stage. Munching on these high-protein ducklings actually has an aphrodisiac effect, and it is best to wash them down with a cold beer.
2. Koreans love fresh seafood, up to the point that their meal is crawling down their throats! In South Korea, baby octopus, sannakji, is served freshly chopped up and squirming, its’ tentacles latching onto anything that it can grab a hold of, even if it happens to be your throat! It may be a strange sensation to have a portion wriggling in your mouth, but some even choose to eat them whole! Watch as an entire, live baby octopus fights for its' life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T4c4g3iXv0
3. 3.In Scotland, haggis originated as a dish for the poor, since there was abundance of sheep’s parts, and when put together, turned out to be very nourishing. The offal used in haggis consists of a sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, minced with oatmeal and spices, and boiled in the sheep’s stomach bag! Served with ‘neeps and tatties,’ better known as turnips and potatoes, haggis is said to have a very savoury flavour with rich texture. Since most foreigners scoff at the Scots’ prided dish, locals have made up a myth about the ‘Wild Haggis,’ “a small four-legged Scottish Highland creature, which has the limbs on one side shorter than the other side. This means that it is well adapted to run around the hills at a steady altitude, without either ascending or descending!”
4. 4.Mexicans have been eating escamoles since their indigenous ancestors decided that there was nothing they wouldn’t eat. They are ‘black or red ant’ larvae, and have been delicately termed ‘insect caviar.’ Harvested in Hidalgo state close to Mexico City, the larvae is usually fried with onion and garlic, then served in a taco spread with guacamole (to keep the buggers from falling out!). When boiled, escamoles resemble cottage cheese. Apparently, those who have tried this delicacy, remark that it actually tastes quite buttery and creamy, once you get over the fact that you’re eating ants.
5. 5.Shark meat and blubber may not be considered a very tasty delight, but Icelanders have continued a storing tradition that goes back to the Viking Ages! They spend roughly six months preserving this fatty food in a container close to the ocean, in order to fully preserve the shark in its own juices (this includes their urine!) and sea salt. After the meat is air-dried, the result is an ammonia-high, chewy meat called Hákarl, fermented and ready to eat! The taste, as you can imagine, is anything BUT subtle. Wash it down with a shot of brennivin, their local spirit.

Nowadays, there are numerous television programs documenting brave souls who set out to learn about, discover the origin of, and most importantly, devour these ‘bizarre,’ exotic dishes. It is certainly much easier to watch somebody else eat cockroaches and squirm in the comfort of your own couch.

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