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The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World

By Tim Cameron October 11, 2007 1,129,161 views
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Humans are like goats. We'll eat any damned thing. Just ask the people who make PowerBars.

In fact, you'll find foods in this world that don't even seem possible. Not just that they could exist, but that people would actually stick this stuff in their mouths without a gun to their head.

We've found six dishes that seemed to have sprung from Satan's own cookbook.

#6.
Escamoles

From:
Mexico.

What the hell is it?
Escamoles are the eggs of the giant black Liometopum ant, which makes its home in the root systems of maguey and agave plants. Collecting the eggs is a uniquely unpleasant job, since the ants are highly venomous and have some kind of blood grudge against human orifices.

The eggs have the consistency of cottage cheese. The most popular way to eat them is in a taco with guacamole, while being fucking insane.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Escamoles have a surprisingly pleasant taste: buttery and slightly nutty. This hugely increases the chances that, while in Mexico, you could eat them without realizing you are eating a taco full of fucking ant eggs.

Danger of this turning up in America:
We're not sure Taco Bell hasn't snuck this shit into their food already. Just make sure you know what' in that burrito. Ask at the counter if you have to. Also, watch those ads close because they'll try to dress it up in some kind of friendly-sounding, pseudo-Mexican name.

#5.
Casu Marzu

From:
Sardinia, Italy.

What the hell is it?
This, dear reader, is a medium-sized lump of Sweet Fucking Christ. Casu Marzu is a sheep' milk cheese that has been deliberately infested by a Piophila casei, the "cheese fly." The result is a maggot-ridden, weeping stink bomb in an advanced state of decomposition.

Its translucent larvae are able to jump about 6 inches into the air, making this the only cheese that requires eye protection while eating. The taste is strong enough to burn the tongue, and the larvae themselves pass through the stomach undigested, sometimes surviving long enough to breed in the intestine, where they attempt to bore through the walls, causing vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

Wait, it gets worse ...
This cheese is a delicacy in Sardinia, where it is illegal. That' right. It is illegal in the only place where people actually want to eat it. If this does not communicate a very clear message, perhaps the larvae will, as they leap desperately toward your face in an effort to escape the putrescent horror of the only home they have ever known. Even the cheese itself is ashamed; when prodded, it weeps an odorous liquid called lagrima, Sardinian for "tears."

Danger of this turning up in America:
There is significant danger here, as we're thinking the cheese companies have a lot of maggot stock in the back of their warehouse they'd like to get rid of. And, there may actually be a market for it. Self-loathing is a powerful force in this economy (see the diet section of your local supermarket) and there' times you get low enough that, damn it, you feel like you deserve nothing better than infested cheese.

#4.
Lutefisk

From:
Norway.

What the hell is it?
Ahhh, Lutefisk. After the larvae-ridden cheese, it's a blessed relief to sample a clean, down-to-earth Scandinavian recipe.

A little too clean.

Lutefisk is a traditional Norwegian dish featuring cod that has been steeped for many days in a solution of lye, until its flesh is caustic enough to dissolve silver cutlery.

Wait, it gets worse ...
For those of you who don't know, lye (potassium hydroxide/sodium hydroxide) is a powerful industrial chemical used for cleaning drains, killing plants, de-budding cow horns, powering batteries and manufacturing biodiesel. Contact with lye can cause chemical burns, permanent scarring, blindness or total deliciousness, depending on whether you pour it onto a herring or your own face. Or, so the lutefisk industry would have us believe.

Danger of this turning up in America:
IT'S ALREADY HERE! Shit!

It' true, lutefisk is more popular in the United States than in Norway. What the hell are they doing with it? They're not eating it are they? Is it because it' a cheap alternative to colonic irrigation? Seriously, how do you advertise this stuff?

#3.
Baby Mice Wine

From:
Korea.

What the hell is it?
What better to wash down your gelatinous lumps of lye fish than a nice chilled cup of dead mice? What better indeed.

Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese and Korean "health tonic," which apparently tastes like raw gasoline. Little mice, eyes still closed, are plucked from the embrace of their loving mothers and stuffed (while still alive) into a bottle of rice wine. They are left to ferment while their parents wring their tiny mouse paws in despair, tears drooping sadly from the tips of their whiskers.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Do you wince at the thought of swallowing a tequila worm? Imagine how you'd feel during a session on this bastard. Whoops, I swallowed a dead mouse! Whoops, there goes another one! Whoops, I just puked my entire body out of my nose!

Danger of this turning up in America:
Who are you going to find in America that' OK with drinking dead fetus juice as a way to improve their own health? OK, other than lawyers.

#2.
Pacha

From:
Iraq.

What the hell is it?
Of all the dishes, this is the one most likely to be mistaken for a threatening message from the mob. It' a sheep' head. Boiled.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Pacha only reveals its terror gradually. Sure, maybe you can get around the fact that you're eating face. But, the more you eat it, the more bone is revealed, until you give a final burp and set your cutlery down beside a grinning ivory skull. Its hollow eye sockets stare back at you with a look of grim damnation. "Burp while ye may," the sockets say, "for the same fate will happen to you--and all too soon."

We wonder why the Iraqis keep blowing themselves up? Wouldn't you, if every evening meal was a festival of death?

Danger of this turning up in America:
Not looking like that, it won't. But, you tell people that sheep head contains some kind of enzyme that boosts your metabolism and ...

#1.
Balut

From:
The Philippines

What the hell is it?
Behold, for our journey of horror reaches its destination. Balut are duck eggs that have been incubated until the fetus is all feathery and beaky, and then boiled alive. The bones give the eggs a uniquely crunchy texture.

They are enjoyed in Cambodia, Philippines and the fifth and seventh levels of hell. They are typically sold by street vendors at night, out of buckets of warm sand. You can spot the vendors because of their glowing red eyes, and the faint, otherworldly sound of children screaming.

Wait, it gets worse ...
... Because you're never going to look at an egg the same way. Tell yourself that every time you crack open an egg from now on you won't be half expecting a leathery wad of bird to come flopping out into the skillet.

Yes, balut is upsetting on about a half-dozen levels. Sure, all meat eaters know on some level that the delicious chop on your plate used to belong to something cute and fluffy, which gambolled in the sun during the brief spring of its life. Most of the time, it' perfectly possible not to give a shit. But, when you're biting into something that hasn't even had a chance to see its mother' face ... well, it' different.

Danger of this turning up in America:
Actually, marketed properly, these eggs could be a damn good motivator. When you've looked death in the face at breakfast time, what the hell else can the day throw at you?



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1256 Comments

where I come from, we eat sheep heads (and maybe calf heads to, Im not sure), rams testicles, fermented shark meat, haggis and all sorts of livers and hearts. Just google "slátur" and youll find some of it.

The following is a link to a picture of the fermented shark being prepared:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hakarl_near_Bjarnah%C3%B6fn_in_Iceland.JPG

P.S I'm from Iceland ;)

7/3/2009 4:26:47 AM
alligabb

baby mice wine is not from korea
even the words on the wine bottle is Chinese, not korean
i lived in korea for more than 20 years
and its the first time that iv heard of this fucked up mice wine

7/1/2009 9:46:53 PM
ginakim

I checked out the 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World and my goodness, the only one I could see myself eating is the Pacha and Balut. I myself is a Filipina and love the flavor of balut but to the ones out there who haven't tried it and would like to give it a shot, be careful. I once bought a dozen of them to take home. I boiled about 4 of them one time for me and my mother to eat for lunch... when it was finally cooked, I gave it a while to let it cool down a bit before serving. Well, I grabbed one and cracked it with a spoon, for some odd reason I smelled something awkward. It smelt rotten and the flavor tasted nothing like it should. If you ever run into this type of situation, I would get rid of it and check the other ones as well before doing so. Oh and the smell of it reminded me of a rotten seafood. If you're not familiar with this smell.. try buying a shrimp, leave it in a bag for a few days or how many ever it takes until it rots a bit but not all the way then give it a quick sniff. Not the best advice but this is the only one I can come up with at the moment. It may not smell the same but it's the closest one I can think of.

Anyways, I've had Greek food. My favorite one so far is the Lamb Shanks. They're slowly cooked then served with salad, soft flat bread.. there's a name for it I just can't remember and saffron rice. Very delicious. I also read some of the comments below and I agree with a few of them.. these 6 terrifying foods don't compare to some of the ones that were mentioned. In my own opinion, the monkey brain is nasty, specially the one about eating humans and etc. I know there are people out there very protective of their culture but damn it.. I'd quit that culture in a heartbeat if it ever involves putting my family or just any person in a plate. Let's look at it this way.. forget tradition, forget religion, cultures and etc. Just think of it this way, when you're hungry, what's the first thing that come to mind? Food duh.. but if eating your own species is involved or anything that comes from it, F*CK THAT is all I gotta say. No disrespect to anyone who is for it, it's just something I'd rather not get myself into.

6/22/2009 2:54:06 AM
Samantha1108

When I started reading this I thought to myself that this kinda s**t never sickens me out. f*****g wrong. All the odd numbers are horrifying.

6/22/2009 12:16:21 AM
shotgunhero

i live in hawaii (which, for those of you assholes you dont know, Is indeed part of the US) where balut is readily available at filipino grocers. yep. my coworker loves it. soooooo gross.

6/17/2009 9:55:04 PM
shadesof_life5

Saying that "Balut is OK if you don't eat the fetus" makes as much sense as saying "rapes OK if you go in anally."

6/17/2009 8:00:27 PM
KristovK21

i have eaten BALUT,it's not that bad,but im not eating the duck fetus..its yolk and "soup" is really good! ;)

got terrified with the baby mice wine..

6/11/2009 2:16:07 AM
jaisnueve

I don't see how the Balut topped this list. When I was eight, I could eat around three of those things (yes, I'm from the Philippines). And not everyone eats the whole damn thing, most just eat the edible yellow part (also called the yolk). And no, no one swallows the beak.

Baby Mice Wine should've topped it. Reminds me of a scene in Zorro where he drink wine from a bowl with a decapitated head.

6/11/2009 1:06:41 AM
thesmartaleck

What about that rotten corn they eat in Mexico? Cuitlacoche. Look it up, you'll be glad you did!

6/9/2009 12:28:26 PM
Devilman

You forgot that Japanese (or is it Chinese? I forget) delicacy - the skin of boiled soya milk, rolled up...

6/2/2009 4:32:06 PM
DHeadshot

Hey, seriously, how can you say that balut is worse than "Baby Mice Wine" and *shiver*Sheep Head?? I'm from the philippines and you don't even have to eat the duck fetus inside. You just take it out and eat the yolk. As long as you don't look at the duck fetus while you're eating the yolk, you'll be alright.

5/20/2009 5:06:27 AM
AJV14

wow. super f'd up. I just threw up my morning coffee. I love it.

5/12/2009 6:35:13 AM
dalibero

and if recall.... Vietnamese are even worse.... they buy a case of beer..... a dozen 3-day old chicken eggs (incubated, mind you)..... and mix 'em all together...

ever drank red beer?....

i haven't :D hahahaha

5/10/2009 2:44:01 AM
RagPen

i used to eat balut when i was 6 to 10 years old.... haha.. kinda explains a lot about me :D

5/10/2009 2:41:35 AM
RagPen

this is seriously fucked up s**t

4/15/2009 5:56:40 PM
lol2muchflames

quivergirl
Ok, but a McDonalds hamburger comes from a cow! Seriously, how do people come up with these things? "Hmm...im thirsty. Let's throw some baby mice into some wine! That'll taste superb!"

Sigh.

Idiots.

Yes and it's called mad cow disease ya f******d! The only ones that bug me are the cheese and lutefisk, but then again I've eaten pigs feet (Which is f*****g disgusting by the way) so I might give it a shot... well maybe not the cheese, something about eating maggots irks me...

4/15/2009 9:21:25 AM
Seraphy

Cmon people!!! I am from the Philippines but balut is not as "hell" as you think. Sure you be grossed out just by looking at it!! It is actually tasty and even tastier with vinegar. Try some out before you judge. want some? buy one from ebay

4/13/2009 8:59:36 PM
jamm4

some of these made my stomach hurt just reading about them. lol but who am i to judge eh? This stuff may actually be good. Think of what westerners eat: the older and moldier a cheese, the more an expensive deicacy it becomes. Caviair (cant spell today)is fish eggs..... chitlins are...wiat.....what are chitlins? Our food could scare easterns just as much as their foods scare us i bet.

4/10/2009 3:08:25 PM
pacey

grsg02
this article obviously comes from a westerner. if you will ask people from the east like me, the most terrifying food is the mc donalds hamburger! it contains loads of fat, salt and preservatives that could make anyone obese and would destroy cells that could lead to cancer! :D"

This comment obviously comes from an easterner. If you will ask people from the West like me, the stupidest thing you could say is that a hamburger will kill cells that lead to cancer! Killing cells will not induce cancer, activating a gene in your DNA does that. Killing cells (called polyps) actually helps prevent cancer (see ways of preventing colon cancer), and are also ways of "curing" cancer! :D



LOL pwned.
Stupid easteners.

3/30/2009 9:24:55 PM
sexraptor

"
grsg02
this article obviously comes from a westerner. if you will ask people from the east like me, the most terrifying food is the mc donalds hamburger! it contains loads of fat, salt and preservatives that could make anyone obese and would destroy cells that could lead to cancer! :D"

This comment obviously comes from an easterner. If you will ask people from the West like me, the stupidest thing you could say is that a hamburger will kill cells that lead to cancer! Killing cells will not induce cancer, activating a gene in your DNA does that. Killing cells (called polyps) actually helps prevent cancer (see ways of preventing colon cancer), and are also ways of "curing" cancer! :D

3/30/2009 9:18:34 PM
shiftysdad

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