7 Asian “Delicacies” You Probably Couldn’t Stomach
Asian food is considered one of the most delicious in the world, but there’s a lot more to it than sushi, dumplings or rice. The only problem is not many non-Asians could handle these exclusive dishes. Here are 7 “delicacies” that will probably kill your appetite: 7. Bee Larvae Not as disgusting as other Asian foods, bee larvae are very popular in China and Japan. They are either deep fried and seasoned with salt and pepper, or cooked with soy sauce and sugar. They’re crunchy and sweet and the locals eat them like popcorn, but some people just can’t get over the fact that they look like maggots. 6. Fried Spiders Insects are considered delicacies throughout South-East Asia and Cambodia can be safely called the insect-eating capital of the world. Cambodians are so fond of bugs that they’ve nicknamed the small town of Skuon, Spiderville. Here the streets are filled with women carrying large trays full of fried Skuon Spiders. They’re said to taste like crab but the fact that they are the size of a human palm doesn’t make them very popular with foreigners. Cambodians are believed to have started eating spiders during the time of the Khmer Rouge, when almost the entire population was starving. Now spiders are a national delicacy. 5. Snake Blood Like many other strange foods, snake blood is believed to enhance male potency and it’s actually used more as a panacea than as a food. Snake-blood masters simply cut off the snake’s head and let the blood flow in glasses. Then they add the bile and serve the drink to anyone brave enough to try it. Snake blood is most popular in Taiwan and in the capital of Tapei there’s a place called Snake Alley where you can find all kinds of snake super-products. 4. Fried Rats Just so you know these are not the kind of rats you see lurking around your local dumpsters; these ones live in the fields. People eat them deep fried and seasoned with all kinds of delicious spices, especially in Vietnam or Thailand. Sometimes even foreign tourists gather all their courage and have a taste, but their stomachs have a hard time digesting the meat. Doctors say rat meat can be dangerous if not cooked properly, causing diarrhea and other serious conditions, so think twice before you try it. 3. Bird’s Nest Soup The main ingredient for this exclusive Asian dish is the Swiftlet nest. The Swiftlet is a sparrow-like bird living in the southern islands of Thailand that makes its nest out of saliva. Swiftlet nests are one of the most expensive food ingredients in the world and companies in the business would go to any length to protect their investments, even killing those that get too close to their bird colonies. When boiled, the nests give the soup a gelatinous texture, so you’re basically eating water and bird saliva…delicious. 2. Kopi Luwak Kopi Luwak is the rarest, most expensive coffee in the world. That’s what most people know about it, but few know it actually comes from the excrements of an Indonesian animal called the Luwak. This cat-like creature eats only the ripest coffee berries, but because its stomach is unable to digest them, they come out whole. The stomach acids and enzymes that perform the fermentation of the beans give the coffee a special aroma. Kopi Luvak is a luxury gourmet product that can’t be bought for less than $50 for 100 grams. Monkey Brains If you think simply eating monkey brains is strange, I wonder how you feel about eating them while the poor monkey is still alive. This is a popular practice in southern China, where some restaurants have specially designed tables to allow monkeys to be restrained and their skulls opened. Sometimes monkey brains eaters use the top of the skull as a bowl where they mix the brains with alcohol. Monkey Brains are not only a weird food but they are also hazardous to your health. There’s a risk of getting spongiform encephalopathy, a disease of the brain, that could be fatal.
