The world’s most unusual culinary specialities

Feeling a bit hungry? We’ve found the most unusual culinary specialities from all over the world! From grilled guinea pig to snake soup, all these dishes will surprise you but, believe it or not, they are real traditional recipes! So, are you ready to try them?

Casu marzu

In Sardinian, casu marzu means “rotten cheese”… Very tempting, isn’t it? This cheese, derived from pecorino sardo, is brought to a higher level of fermentation and infested by the larvae of the “cheese fly”. Although it is not allowed to be sold, it is still a very popular Sardinian speciality that can be found in every gourmet’s shop. Be careful, when tasting it, it is advisable to protect your eyes: the larvae can jump up to 15 cm outside!

Grilled guinea pig

While the guinea pig is a pet in Europe, it is not at all so in Peru, as illustrated by the famous Inca saying: “Raise guinea pigs and eat your fill”. The Peruvians see it as an everyday animal, just like a cow or a pig.

Fried or stewed, guinea pigs are often served on special occasions such as weddings or christenings and this one of The world’s most unusual culinary specialities.

Frogs’ legs

Cock-a-doodle-doo! One of the most unusual specialities in the world is French and it is of course frogs’ legs. Along with the baguette and the beret, they are certainly one of the country’s emblems! The English call the French “froggies” in reference to this dish. But France is not the only country to eat frogs. In Italy, in the region of Milan, but also in the United States, in Louisiana, the small amphibians are part of the local cuisine.

Snake soup

Although not very tasty, snake meat is a very popular dish in China and Vietnam! You can taste this meat in Taiwan, for example. The meat is served in soup, while the blood, venom, bile and sperm are served in small glasses. A digestive?

Kopi luwak

Kopi luwak is the rarest coffee in the world. Produced mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines, it is harvested from the excrement of the luwak, an Asian civet cat. This small animal feeds on coffee cherries, digesting the pulp but not the pit. It is the latter that is found in its faeces and which is used to produce the coffee. The price per kilo of this sweet beverage exceeds €1,000. So maybe black gold is not the one you think it is!

Fried tarantulas

A speciality of the Skuon region of Cambodia, fried tarantulas are apparently delicious! Fried in oil and garlic and then dipped in lime juice and pepper sauce, they are eaten whole, although the head and abdomen are preferred.

Legend has it that the people of Skuon started cooking tarantulas during a food shortage before they became a local speciality. Today, it is the main source of income for the village, as locals and tourists alike come in droves to taste these little creatures!

Haggis

Haggis is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most unappetising specialities! This Scottish dish is nothing more than a sheep’s stomach stuffed with the lungs, heart and liver of the sheep.

Served with mashed potatoes, it is a typical dish and a national pride in Scotland!

Coconut worms

Coconut worms, or silkworms, are very common in Asia and are eaten throughout the day. Cooked in oil, they are often skewered before being sold as snacks.

They are part of Asian street food, just like cicadas or giant locusts.

Balut

Originally from Asia, balut is very popular in the Philippines, China and Cambodia. It is an embryo of a chicken, duck or even a duck that is already developed but still in its egg considered by far on the top of The world’s most unusual culinary specialities.

Boiled with vinegar and salt, it can be enjoyed as an aperitif with a good beer! And what’s more, it is said to have aphrodisiac properties!

Shirako

Do you like sushi? Are you sure you do? Because this one is a bit special… It is indeed made of milt, small bags of sperm secreted by fish.

We generally use cod shirako but it is not uncommon to find monkfish, salmon or even fugu shirako.

Served with a dish of rice, it is a very fine dish that should be tasted during a stay in Japan.

Have You tried any of these unusual culinary specialities? Let us know in the comment section below.