Top 10 weird food items

Have you ever heard of cheese made of maggots? Well, you will now. There is tons of wacky, weird, and even good food around the world. These kinds of food are most known to come from ancient countries, religions, and people who didn't have much to eat. Hope this article shudders you!

1. Fried Tarantulas, Cambodia

This creepy big fried tarantula is sold in Cambodian street vendors. If you suffer from arachnophobia, you might consider not eating it! These spiders aren't the usual small house spiders—no, they are big, eight-legged tarantulas. They were first discovered to be edible by starving Cambodians in the bloody, brutal days of the Khmer Rouge rule. The tarantulas taste like chicken or kinda like fried maggots for many others. It has a gooey inside and a crispy outside. It only costs a few cents; they taste delicious plucked straight from the burrow and pan-fried with a bit of garlic, salt, and lime.

2. Fertilized Eggs, Philippines

Have you ever heard of Balut? Well, that's good. But that doesn't mean you won't read about it now. A Balut is still a fertilized egg in its egg. The egg could be a duck or a chicken. They are cooked when the fetus is anywhere from 17 days to 21 days, depending on your preference. Although, when the egg is older, the fetus begins to have a beak, claws, bones, and feathers. The egg is full of protein, but let's be honest, if you come from the western side of the world, you would think it’s kinda disgusting.

3. Maggot Cheese, Sardinia

You may have heard of the beautiful country called Italy. You know, the country with fresh wines, delicious food, and… Maggot Cheese! Yes, it is a cheese roll filled with delicious, cheesy cream. But the cream isn’t made of the cheese itself; it is made from the maggots. The creamy cheese occurs as the larvae digest the cheese fats, and the texture becomes very soft with some liquid seeping out. The cheese is made from goat's milk and is soaked for a couple of months. Today, this kind of cheese is banned in many places in Italy, but it is still made by small farmers across the country. However, they are not allowed to sell the cheese; they just make it to enjoy the flavor of it.

4. Dried Baby Crabs

At Epcot’s Japan Pavilion, you can find these at the back of the Mitsukoshi Department Store with other popular Japanese snacks like Pocky and dried squid. Yes, dried crabs and squid. It is a Japanese delicacy and is often seasoned with salt and pepper.

5. Silkworms, China

Various insects are considered a delicacy in many cultures. In China, silkworms are one of those insects, and they are enjoyed by the locals. Silkworms can be found in local markets cooked in several ways or stocked frozen and canned. They can even be found in local 7/11 stores around China. It’s normally served with rice or noodles, or the pupae can be deep-fried and served with your choice of dipping sauce.

6. Sauerkraut, Norway

You may not have heard of the amazing sauerkraut, but it is a Norwegian dish and tastes amazing. Many people around the world are kinda skeptical about the dish because it mainly contains the lamb's leftovers, except for its head and throat. I am from Norway myself, and I love sauerkraut. It has a little acidity, it's salted, and it's served with cabbage and potatoes. The reason Norway eats sauerkraut is mainly that they were influenced by the Danish to eat sauerkraut, but the Danish sauerkraut contained duck meat. The Norwegians at that time didn’t have a lot of duck, so they replaced the duck meat with mutton, which they already had.

7. Pi Dan, Philippines

Pi Dan can be preserved for up to five months if the eggshell remains unbroken. During the process of making these eggs, a chemical reaction turns the egg white transparent, and a snowflake pattern may be visible on the outside. They can be served in cold dishes such as salads or paired with soy sauce and green chilies for a spicy lunch. Century Eggs (Pi Dan) are also a popular gift for friends and family during the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.

8. Bird Spit Soup, China

One of the more bizarre foods the Chinese eat is bird’s nest soup. This famous soup is made from a swiftlet’s actual nest. This small bird is found in Southeast Asia and lives in dark caves like a bat. Their nests are made from their own gummy saliva produced by glands under their tongue. The nest of saliva hardens as it is exposed to the air. It is boiled in steamed water, so it gives the saliva a more gummy, jelly-like texture.

9. Sushi Donut

Who doesn't like sushi, and who doesn't like doughnuts? Well, why not combine these tasty treats? At Disney World, you can find this bizarre “Sushi Donut.” It is sushi, but just combined together to look like a doughnut.

10. Sheep Penis, China

For the final item on the list of weird foods, it is very unusual to see this dish every day. It is a sheep penis, and it originated in China. Sheep penis, along with other animal penises and testicles, is served as a remedy for certain problems. A restaurant in China, Guolizhuang, is dedicated to serving all types of dishes with animal genitalia, such as sheep gonads on a bed of curry and steamed sheep penis. People come to the restaurant to eat the food because they believe it will help with sexual health. The Chinese have many wacky things in their country, but I think “sheep penis” tops it all.