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. ** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Interesting Food Around the World that We’ve Tried I grew up watching Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and have always shared a fascination with foods from around the world no matter how weird, interesting, or unique the food is.  I believe you should try everything once. How else are you going to know if it’s a good dish or not! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the taste of some of the more bizarre foods I’ve tried and have disliked some foods that are standard to so many people. I say it is all part of the experience, and it is fun to say, “I’ve tried that!”  Here are some of the most interesting food dishes I’ve had throughout my travels.  Asia Cambodia Tarantula: Siem Reap Eating tarantula in Cambodia is a well known and definitely an adventurous dish to try for any traveler.  During the Khmer Rouge, when food was scarce, people had to eat what they could to survive and that included tarantulas. Since then, it has kind of stuck around as a delicacy and fun thing for tourists to try, including myself!  I found a place that sold tarantula and brought it back to my hotel room, hence the fancy plate! I ate the tarantula starting with the legs as they were the least threatening looking spider part. I then worked my way to the body. Overall, taste wise, it was not great! Tasted a bit like dry cardboard even with the chili lime seasoning. But hey, Tarantula is an excellent source of protein and mierals.  Japan Natto 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!  Irabu (Sea Snake) Soup: 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.  Torisashi (Raw Chicken): Okinawa Usually, I’d never recommend eating raw poultry of any kind. But if I were to eat raw chicken, it would be in Japan, and I did.  The dish is called Torisashi and it is thinly sliced raw chicken. It’s basically chicken sashimi and it is often served in Izakaya’s in the Japanese Prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Okinawa.  I’ve tried Torisashi in Okinawa at several different Izakaya’s and honestly, I like the flavor and texture. Some Izakaya’s will slightly sear the outside, the inside is pink and slightly chewy.  Yagi Sashi (Raw Goat): Okinawa Yagi Sashi is the Okinawan word for the raw goat dish that can be found throughout the island of Okinawa.  In Okinawa, many Izakaya’s and specialty restaurants serve Yagi Sashi. It’s usually served chilled and thinly sliced with ginger and soy sauce on the side.  The raw goat has a gamey feel to it and a very distinct taste. I really enjoy the flavor and texture of it.  Philippines Balut: Cebu I’ve been wanting to try Balut for a while now and in July of 2024, I took a trip to Cebu, The Philippines and finally got a chance to try it. Balut is a fertilized duck egg. The embryo of the duck develops for several days usually between 14 and 21 days.  Most people are put off by the look of the egg once opened. It’s not your typical hard boiled egg that is white on the outside and yellow on the inside. No, instead, Balut is layered, there is a juice you suck out first, followed by a hardened white piece, yolk, and the unlucky duckling.  I found a street vendor selling Balut on the side near Carbon Market. I cracked the egg, sucked out the juices and began to disassemble the egg, biting off one layer at a time. I’ll be honest, it was not easy on the eye, looking down at what I was eating, but taste wise, Balut was actually good and I really enjoyed it! It tasted just like a hard boiled egg with a little more texture to it. I would definitely eat Balut again.  South Korea Beondegi: Busan 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! Taiwan Stinky Tofu You know how some cities have that bad city smell once in a while? You’ll walk around and smell sewage here and there. In Taiwan you’ll sense that same smell here and there and turn the corner and it’s just someone cooking Stinky Tofu. Stinky Tofu lives up to its name. The smell can be horrid! Rest assured, stinky tofu tastes better then it smells.  Locals in Taiwan, love it. You’ll find stinky tofu in restaurants, at night markets, and from people selling it at a food stall. Stinky tofu comes in many different forms. I’ve personally tried it a few times, once as a block with onion and sweet sauce, the second time in Hualien where it was advertised as Stinky Tofu Fries.  Trust me, no matter how you try it, it is going to be stinky.  So, what makes stinky tofu, stinky? It’s all about the fermentation process! It’s soaked in a brine that is made from a mix of vegetables, meats, milk, and other ingredients. The tofu will ferment anywhere from a couple hours to several months.  Europe Iceland Hákarl: Reykjavik 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! North America Mexico Ant Larvae, Crickets, and Maguey Worm at Mercado de San Juan: Mexico city 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 mix-up 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 delicious bocadillo. Scorpion: Mexico City At Mercado de San Juan, 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 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