If you think eating mopane worms was adventurous, wait until you discover what people enjoy in other parts of the world. From animal-processed coffee to cheese that literally moves on its own, these unusual foods show just how wildly different global food traditions can be.
Food connects us across cultures, but it also highlights how wildly different our ideas of normal can be.
Ready to test your limits with these bizarre food choices? Here are 10 unusual foods you’ve never tried that might surprise you, but someone, somewhere, swears they’re delicious.
10 Weird Foods from around the world you probably haven’t tried yet
If you enjoy testing the limits of your taste buds, here are some South African delicacies to try, and if that doesn’t scare you off, wait until you see what’s next. These are some of the weirdest foods enjoyed around the world, proof that normal is just a matter of perspective.
1. Kopi Luwak: Coffee with a twist (and a tail)
This luxury coffee from Indonesia comes with an interesting history. It is made from beans that have passed through the digestive system of an Asian palm civet. The animal eats the ripest coffee cherries, digests them, and out comes beans said to be smoother and less acidic. It is known as the world’s most expensive coffee, and it is probably an unusual food you have never tried.
2. Balut: The ultimate dare snack (Philippines)
This delicacy might leave some to think twice about food culture. Imagine a fertilised duck egg containing a partially developed embryo, boiled and eaten straight from the shell. It’s a beloved street food and often considered an aphrodisiac.
3. Hákarl: Fermented shark (Iceland)
A whiff of Hákarl is enough to make even strong-stomached travellers pause. This Icelandic national dish is made by fermenting Greenland shark, which can’t be eaten fresh due to its toxic levels of urea and trimethylamine oxide. After months of curing and drying, it develops a powerful ammonia smell. Icelanders enjoy it with national pride, combined with Brennivín, their signature distilled spirit.
4. Casu Marzu: Maggot cheese (Sardinia, Italy)
Casu marzu is a sheep milk cheese containing live fly larvae that break it down until it’s soft and spreadable. It’s banned from commercial sale under European Union regulations, but still consumed locally. Those in the know say it’s creamy and rich. It is one of those strange foods from other cultures that most of us would probably think twice before eating.
5. Century egg: Aged to perfection (China)
If you think regular boiled eggs are boring, maybe this Chinese delicacy is a step up. Chicken or duck eggs are preserved for weeks or months in a mixture of clay, ash and salt. The yolk turns dark green to grey and creamy, while the white becomes a translucent amber jelly. The smell is sulphuric, but the flavour is rich and savoury.
6. Snake wine: The spirit with a bite (Vietnam & China)
Around the world, people enjoy unusual foods you’ve never tried, and this is one of those bizarre food traditions. Imagine rice wine infused with an entire, sometimes venomous, live snake. Locals believe this delicacy has healing powers and boosts vitality. The venom neutralises in alcohol, but the image of a coiled cobra in your bottle is enough to sober anyone up.
7. Escamoles: Ant egg caviar (Mexico)
These ant larvae, harvested from agave plants, have been eaten since ancient times and are still considered a delicacy in Mexico. They’re buttery, nutty and surprisingly rich. Would you say no, or give this delicacy a try? This unusual food item you’ve never tried might not be the worst to try.
8. Shirako: Fish sperm sacs (Japan)
Yes, you read that correctly. Shirako refers to the milt, or sperm sacs, of fish like cod or pufferfish. It’s served warm or raw, with a creamy texture that seafood lovers describe as delicate. If you have adventurous taste buds, you probably won’t be too squeamish to try this strange delicacy. To many, this would be one of those bizarre food traditions to skip.
9. Surströmming: Fermented fish that clears a room (Sweden)
Surströmming is smelly, and some YouTubers and influencers approach it with fear. There are many online videos about experiences. Canned fermented herring caught in the Baltic Sea that’s so pungent it’s often opened outdoors or submerged in water. The smell alone has sparked viral reaction videos online, yet Swedes pair it with crispbread and potatoes as if it’s no big deal.
10. Honeypot ants: Nature’s candy (Australia)
These special ants store sweet nectar in their abdomens, so they look like tiny golden berries. Indigenous Australians enjoy them as natural sweets. You literally bite the ant’s belly and taste honey. If the idea of biting into an ant sounds wild, remember: someone somewhere calls it a childhood favourite.
Hungry (or horrified) yet?
These weird foods you probably have not tried remind us that comfort food looks different everywhere, shaped by history, tradition and survival. What seems outrageous to you may be someone else’s Sunday treat, and that’s the beauty of global cuisine. If you prefer more kitchen adventures with a toned-down approach, try these exciting dishes instead.
