The World's Weirdest Foods

A big part of living and working abroad is broadening your horizons and trying new things. What you may not know is that the most popular destinations for UK-TEFL graduates are also home to some of the world's weirdest dishes. Here we take a look at six strange foods you might want to try on your travels...if you've got the stomach for them!


1. Huitlacoche

Known in English simply as corn smut, this fungus causes huge blackened growths to appear on the plant's surface. Mexicans consider it something of a delicacy and use it to to add a mushroomy flavour to quesadillas, tamales and soups. It is believed to get its name from the old Nahuatl language and roughly translates as 'sleeping excrement'.


2. Snake Wine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, snake wine has great medicinal properties and can be used to treat poor vision, hair loss and  increase sexual performance. It is made by infusing whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. Snake wine is also popular in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries.


3. Sannakji

This is not a dish for the faint hearted. Sannakji is basically chopped baby octopus, seasoned with sesame oil. That might not sound too bad until you realise they are still moving! Sannakji is served as soon as it has been sliced, so your food will continue to wriggle around on the plate for a good ten minutes. There have been cases of people choking to death on Sannakji, as the tentacles can stick to the back of your throat on the way down. If you're going to try this one then make sure you chew before you swallow!


4. Fugu

Fugu is another food reserved for the more adventurous among you. A Japanese dish made from puffer fish, it can be lethally poisonous, meaning its toxic parts must be carefully removed before consumption. The intestines, ovaries and liver of the fish contain a poison called tetrodotoxin, which is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide. The preparation of Fugu is strictly controlled by Japanese law and only those who have undergone rigorous training are licensed to make it. With prices starting at around £150, you could be forgiven for giving this one a miss.


5. Casu Marzu

Casu Marzu, which means 'rotten cheese', is native to the Italian island of Sardinia. It is made with sheep milk and contains live maggots which are introduced to advance the fermentation process. The result is that the texture of the cheese becomes very soft and has a strong taste of ammonia, which stays on your tongue for hours. Because of European Union food hygiene regulations, Casu Marzu is currently outlawed although lovers of the cheese are desperately trying to overturn the decision. When in Rome...


6. Black Ivory Coffee

Last but not least we have Black Ivory Coffee, which is one of the world's most expensive drinks, coming in at around £35 a cup. It has lacks the bitterness of normal coffee thanks to its special method of production. Black Ivory is made from beans which have been eaten by Thai Elephants and then plucked from their dung a day later. The animal's stomach acid is said to break down the protein resulting in an 'earthy' and 'fruity' flavoured coffee.