Interesting Food Around the World that We've Tried

Exploring a cultures culinary traditions has become one of the motivating factors and reasons we travel. Plain and simple, it is fun to try authentic, new, and down-right weird food. I always say, I am willing to try everything at least once! Living by that rule, the two of us have become adventurous when it comes to local cuisine. What may seem bizarre in our culture can be a daily diet in others. I mean here in the United States we eat beef right? While the cow is sacred in some states in India. Did you know that over 80% of the world’s population eats insects, yet the sound of that disgusts most Westerners. Lets face it, they are rich in protein, low in fat, and there is an abundance of them. I say it is all part of the experience, and it is fun to say, “I’ve tried that!” In no particular order here is a list of some of the most interesting food around the world that we’ve tried.

Table of Contents

Ant Larvae, Crickets, Maguey Worm, and Scorpions at Mercado de San Juan in Mexico city, Mexico

Mercado de San Juan in Mexico City is paradise, that is if you are looking for unordinary food to try. This market is full of fresh meat, fish, and produce. I read about this market while researching and came here to explore the unique and interesting foods. There is a vendor here that even sold rare tiger and lion meat along with tarantulas and other creepy critters.

You have to start somewhere, my plan was to start small and work my way up. I found a vendor selling a variety of insects that included grasshopper, crickets, and ant larvae. I wanted to try a few of each, there was a slight translation error and I ended up with a mixed sack full. Thankfully there was a bar next to this vendor, I washed the bugs down with a local beer and even shared them with the bartender, he loved them. To be honest, the bugs were dry, salty, and not that great!

On a side note, Mercado de San Juan had some other great restaurants and normal eats. We went to a small Italian vendor and ordered a bocadillo which is a sandwich. Umm it happened again, the server brought out appetizers, and another sandwich and unlimited sangria. Although very good, I need to work on my Espanol!!

I wanted to try something I knew would be tough to come by in the states, so I was torn between trying a tarantula or a scorpion. Both choices were very intimidating. I know eventually I’ll go to Cambodia and tarantulas are sold there, so I opted for the scorpion. I thought to myself, “how the hell am I going to eat this thing!” For starters, remove the stinger not because it is poisonous, but because it is sharp and can get lodged in your throat! After a deep breath, I took my first bite, Crunch! Hm, it wasn’t that bad, especially after eating the dry bugs. I managed to eat the whole scorpion, pinchers and all. It tasted fried and a little smoky most likely due to the way it was prepared, I was shocked, I would definitely eat scorpion again if the opportunity ever comes around again!

Beondegi in Busan, South Korea

Next stop while trying interesting food around the world is Busan, South Korea. While in Busan, we visited the Haedong Yonggung Temple right outside the city. The temple lies along the coast and is considered to be one of the most well known in all of South Korea. To our surprise, there was a small food market right before the entrance to the temple. Several vendors had huge steaming pans full of something we’ve never seen before.

Turns out, these pans were full to the top of a popular snack item known as Beondegi, otherwise known as Silkworm pupae. You get a cup full of them, at a cheap price! In the images below you can see what Jill’s reaction was to eating Beondegi. I found the flavor to be a little nutty and very juicy, almost to juicy. Unfortunately, a cup was a little much, so we decided to share our Beondegi with the local wildlife!

Cuy in Peru

Considered a cute pet in our culture, the Peruvians have been eating these furry guys for the past 5,000 years. Cuy or Guinea Pig, can be found in Peru and Ecuador. Natives will generally eat cuy on special occasions, but restaurants usually have it on the menu for tourists. It is somewhat sad seeing them in the back of restaurants in pens playing around in hay knowing they could be your next meal!

While in Peru, I had the opportunity to try cuy twice. My first go at cuy was in Cusco at a local restaurant. It is pricey comparing normal Peruvian dinner options, but when in Peru! While enjoying a nice cold Cosquena, my cuy arrived on a platter, fully in tact head, claws, teeth, everything but the fur. I had no idea where to start, so I took the head off and used a mix of fork and fingers to get all the meat off. They don’t have a ton of meat and taste very gamey, I kind of expected it to taste better.

My second opportunity to try cuy was high in the Andes while on the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. Our tour group stopped at a coffee plantation and the owners grilled us up some very fresh cuy. They roasted them on a wooden spit over an open fire, and brought them fresh to our table. Our personal chef cut them into pieces, and I found this method of cooking to be superior, they were quite enjoyable.

Hákarl in Reykjavik, Iceland

Our next interesting food around the world takes us to Iceland. We’ve all heard of Hákarl (Fermented Shark). Based on stories and the media I’ve heard that Hákarl is potent and has a very unique flavor. After trying Hákarl I came to the conclusion that it was not as bad as I was expecting. Not that I’ve ever tasted smelly feet, but I kind of describe the flavor that way, mixed with a little ammonia, still not terrible tasting!

It’s not found all over Iceland, but I did my research and saw that Kaffi Loki served it as an appetizer. You get a few cubes served in a small dish with an Icelandic Flag toothpick! Would I try it again? Sure!

Irabu (Sea Snake) Soup in Okinawa

Irabu (Sea Snake) soup, probably the most nerve-racking food I’ve had in my life. I’m seen so many sea snakes while diving and snorkeling around Okinawa, I’d never think I’d actually eat one! In a way, I felt bad eating Irabu soup, I’ve grown quite fond of these snakes. Yes, they are deadly. Yes, they can be terrifying to swim with. But at the same time, they are peaceful to watch as they glide through the water. I love watching them swim up to get air and see their tiny heads pop out of the water.

At the same time, I love trying local cuisine. Irabu Soup is found in restaurants around Okinawa and it is a local delicacy, especially on Kudaka Island. I found a restaurant on the island that specializes in Irabu Soup, so I had to try it for myself.

On Kudaka Island, the sea snakes are caught bare-handed. Keep in mind, these are highly venomous snakes and are deadly. But they are shy and gentle creatures unless harmed. Once caught the snakes are killed, boiled and then smoked before being turned into soup. The soup generally consists of broth, pork, konbu (which is a type of kelp), and a piece of snake.

I placed my order, once finished the waiter called me up to pick up my soup. I double checked with him that Irabu was in fact safe to eat. He assured me it was safe. Not only is Irabu safe to eat but it is full of nutrients, protein, and vitamins. The soup was fantastic! I ate the snake, skin and all and it tasted nothing like chicken! It had its own distinct taste, it was a bit chewy but had a nice flavor. If given the opportunity to try Irabu soup again, I would eat it without question.

Natto in Japan

Natto is a Japanese dish that consists of fermented soy beans. This is definitely an interesting dish that I’ve had twice, once as an appetizer over rice with a raw egg and the second time at a sushi go round where it was wrapped in seaweed. Honestly, I think I would rather eat Hákarl again then eat Natto. Natto has a distinctive smell and a slimy gooey texture. It is definitely an acquired taste, people here love it! It just wasn’t for me. The benefit of Natto is that it is very healthy to eat, it is said to help against strokes and is great for people on diets and helps manage stress, so that is a plus, it just isn’t for me!

Pig Snoot Sandwich in Kansas City, MO

Next on the list of interesting food around the world, we head to Kansas City, Missouri. This one I did alone and after watching Andrew Zimmern’s episode of the area, I had to stop by the Tenderloin Grill and order a Snoot Sandwich. Ok, this is most definitely the weirdest thing I’ve eaten in the States.

The Tenderloin Grill has been in business for over 80 years and keeps traditions alive with adding only mustard, hot sauce, horse radish, onion, and tomato to their sandwiches. I ordered the snoot sandwich and had no real expectations, I sat down, opened the wrapper, looked down, and a full pig snout was sandwiched between two buns, if you squeeze it, mustard comes out the nostrils! I had no real plan of attack, I mean this is not part of any traditional menu, so I went straight for the snout. To be honest, it tasted pretty damn good. A little fatty with strong pork flavors, I was a fan! The Pig Snoot at the Tenderloin Grill was tasty but definitely odd.

Seasoned Grasshopper Guacamole in Guanajuato, Mexico

Guanajuato, Mexico is one of my favorite cities. It is very unique because of the cities geography and many of their streets are underground. While touring around this lovely city, we found a restaurant called Los Campos that had Guacamole Azteca on the menu. Jill loves guacamole, we make it at home all the time, but we tend to leave out a key ingredient found in Guacamole Azteca, the grasshoppers and worm salt, whatever that is!

Our appetizer arrived, and it looked like any other Guacamole you can get at a Tex-Mex restaurant. That is until you look closer and realize that there are grasshoppers in it! You are supposed to mix them in so you get a crunch in every bite. Actually it tasted really good, a bit salty, but added a nice texture to the guacamole. We just had to make sure to floss the antennas and legs from our teeth before leaving!