Weird, strange, unique and interesting foods are what we live for here at Travel Food Atlas. If there is an odd, bizarre, gross or disgusting food being eaten in some culture in some country anywhere in the world, we will be there to document it!
Goats intestines – Buchada de Bode (Brazil)
Now the worst thing about this dish is that it looks absolutely disgusting. Buchada de bode is essentially the intestines of a kid goat that is cooked and served in the stomach. But really, cooking intestines in the stomach isn’t unique to Brazil. Haggis in Scotland is very similar to this buchada de bode recipe as it utilises the stomach as a method to hold and cook ingredients.
Kiviak (Greenland)
Kiviak is a dish from Greenland consisting of hundreds of dead auk birds stuffed into the body of a dead seal. The seal is then sealed up to be completely airtight, covered in oil to repel flies and maggots, and then fermented for three months.
The pungent, toxic smelling bird meat is said to taste a bit like very mature cheeses or liquorice. The dish is often eaten over the winter months when it is harder to catch food, and especially at special occasions such as Christmas or birthdays.
Century Egg (China)
Century egg (or hundred-year egg) is a black preserved egg of a duck, chicken or quail. Of course, century egg got its name from the art of preserving the egg for hundreds of years before eating, but more commonly they are just a few months old. Still, a very old egg doesn’t sound too delicious to me! The egg turns black with a dark green yolk after being processed in clay, ash and quicklime. The taste is of century egg course…. interesting, and has a very strong taste.
Casu Marzu (Italy)
Casu Marzu is quite simply Pecorino cheese that has been completely decomposed and occupied by maggots. It is dangerous to eat and could be fatal, which is why it is banned in most countries. It originates from Italy where it was eaten by those in desperate poverty who had little else to eat. It is now a sought after delicacy on the black market for those who wish to try the infamous illegal cheese.
Cuy Guinea Pig (Peru)
Cuy is hugely popular in Peru and is very easy to find. It is essentially guinea pig which can be cooked in a number of ways such as spit-roasting or frying. Tourists often want to try cuy as it has gained a reputation as a must-try dish when visiting the country. This means that stalls and restaurants will serve the dish to tourists all year round, even though it is mostly eaten by peruvians on special occasions.
Snake soup (China)
Snake soup is a 2,000 year old delicacy eaten mostly throughout China but also some other parts of Asia. Different snakes can be used and often a customer will pick out the snakes that they want to use. However, the most popular snakes eaten are python and water snake. It is cooked over a period of 6 hours and is considered to be healthy and full of medicinal benefits.
Surströmming (Sweden)
Surströmming is well-known as the smelliest food in the world, and for a very good reason! This disgustingly stinky fermented fish is banned on planes due to the powerful odor it emits! Swedes usually eat Surströmming with thin flatbreads and oat breads and it reportedly has a very sour, sharp, peppery taste with a salty baseline of flavor. Mostly though people say it tastes awful! This is a dish that’s only for the brave!
