Whether you consider yourself a daredevil or you prefer to seek the most authentic experiences during your travels, eating like a local is a great way to immerse yourself in a destination's culture.
All things considered, dishes and specialties from around the world can largely differ from the food stateside travelers are accustomed to. This is especially true of delicacies (choice or expensive foods), which can sometimes seem downright odd to people who are not familiar with them. From deep-fried critters to opinion-sparking condiments, what some people find strange others find delicious.
Why not try these six daring delicacies on your next vacation?
Hákarl, Iceland
Believed to date back to the Viking age, Hákarl is a legendary Icelandic dish consisting of once-toxic shark meat. You read that right, crafted from the meat of the Greenland shark, a creature that is quite poisonous to humans, the first step to making Hákarl consists of burying a freshly caught shark in a pit of sand. Then, to expel any harmful toxins, the meat is covered with large stones and left to rest for a period of four to six months. But don’t set your table yet, after the initial four to six-month period, the shark meat is then cut into strips and hung to dry for another three to four months.
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Finally, after a long preparation period, the Hákarl is ready to serve. But, don’t be surprised if at first glance, or at first whiff for that matter, it doesn’t seem too appealing as the dried shark meat stinks of urine. Startling, we know, but don’t write the dish off yet. Icelanders swear that this flavor is something to savor when paired with Brennivin, an Icelandic liquor that dilutes the potent smell. Just try not to breathe in through your nose.
Wasp Crackers, Japan
The enemy of every summer barbeque, some Japanese locals have taken to snacking on boiled wasps. Consisting of a handful of cooked insects paired with rice cracker mix, Japanese wasp crackers tout a winning combination of sweet and savory. While the snack may seem intuitively dangerous, any harmful venom disappears during the boiling process. The result is a conversation-starting treat with a raisin-like taste.
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Historically speaking, these crispy snacks haven’t been on the menu for very long with some of the first wasp crackers on record dating back to 2012. What’s more, you won’t find wasp crackers throughout the entire country, if you want to try this delicacy be sure to make a pit stop in Omachi.
Vegemite, New Zealand and Australia
Sprawling beaches, kangaroos and shrimp on the Barbie are just a few things that come to mind when one pictures Australia. Another is Vegemite. Created in 1922 by Melbourne chemist CP Callister, Vegemite was invented to mirror Britain’s beloved cracker spread, Marmite.
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While it may look similar to Nutella, don’t be fooled, Vegemite is salty and savory, not sweet and decadent. With a flavor profile that has been compared to beef bullion, it’s fair to say that while similar in appearance, the two taste nothing alike. What’s more, the distinct flavor of Vegemite is quite divisive. Many Aussies love the spread while tourists can have a hard time wrapping their heads around it. One thing’s for certain, Vegemite is one of Australia’s most iconic brands.
Casu Marzu, Italy
Widely considered the world’s most dangerous cheese, Italy’s Casu Marzu, also called “rotten cheese,” is infested with maggots. While not necessarily appetizing, maggots play a vital role in creating this surprisingly delicious dish loved by cheese aficionados. Essentially, the cheese undergoes an advanced stage of fermentation for a period of three to four months where the maggots’ digestive systems break down fats within the cheese. The result is a velvety soft product with a liquid inner layer that’s often paired with moistened Sardinian flatbread and strong red wine.
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However, Casu Marzu is not for the faint of heart as it must be eaten while the maggots are still alive, failing to do so may be unsafe. That being said, getting your hands on a wheel of Casu Marzu might prove tricky as the delicacy has been banned throughout the EU for essentially violating every food and health regulation known to man. However, some small villages in the region refuse to give it up.
Fried Tarantula, Cambodia
Don’t be surprised if a street vendor tries to sell you an eight-legged snack during your next outing in Cambodia. Those with arachnophobia be warned, the deep-friend tarantula is commonplace and considered quite delicious in the country of Kampuchea. Rolled in sugar or garlic, the spiders are served by the handful providing an important source of protein, folic acid and zinc. What’s more, the Thai Zebra tarantula is safe to eat, and frying the poisonous spider has even become something of an attraction drawing tourists from far and wide.
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Before you think these crispy arachnids are too creepy to try, it’s worth recognizing their historical importance to the region. In fact, in the 1970s, many locals relied on the Thai Zebra tarantula as an essential food source, hunting and cooking the spider when the Khmer Rouge forced 2.5 million Phnom Penh residents from their homes. Today, the spider retains its spot on the regular menu both to people’s delight and disgust.
Excrement Coffee, Indonesia
What if we told you that the world’s most expensive coffee is made from literal crap? Seemingly too weird to be true, Indonesia’s excrement coffee, also called Kopi luwak, is brewed using coffee beans that are extracted from feces.
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We know that information is a lot to digest (pun intended), but the gist of it is that the civet — a catlike creature with face markings similar to a raccoon — is fed coffee beans which it partially digests and then poops out. While the creature’s digestive tract is seemingly unremarkable, the structure of proteins within the coffee beans are transformed by enzymes found inside the civet resulting in a less acidic and smoother cup of coffee. Plus, the flavor of the beans is enhanced by ingredients naturally found in the civet’s diet like cherries and mangoes.
Are you bold enough to start your day with a crappy cup of coffee?
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