The 8 Most Unusual Foods Eaten Around the World

Casu Marzu is a traditional Sardinian cheese made from sheep's milk that has been left to ferment and become infested with live maggots. The maggots help to break down the cheese, giving it a soft, creamy texture. Despite its unappetizing appearance, Casu Marzu is considered a delicacy in Sardinia.

Century eggs, also known as preserved eggs or hundred-year eggs, are a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck, chicken, or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and lime. The process turns the egg white into a translucent jelly-like consistency and the yolk into a dark green, creamy substance. The eggs have a strong ammonia odor but are praised for their unique flavors.

Hákarl is a traditional Icelandic dish made from fermented Greenland shark. The shark's meat is toxic when fresh, so it is buried underground and left to ferment for several months. After this process, the meat is hung to dry for a few more months before being consumed. Hákarl has a pungent smell and a strong ammonia taste, making it a challenging dish for the uninitiated.

In Cambodia, fried tarantulas are a popular street food snack. The spiders are deep-fried in oil until crispy and then seasoned with garlic and salt. Despite their appearance, fried tarantulas are said to have a taste similar to chicken or crab and are considered a delicacy.

Escamoles are the edible larvae and pupae of ants, harvested from the roots of the agave plant in Mexico. They are often called "insect caviar" due to their delicate flavor and appearance. Escamoles can be cooked in various ways, including sautéed with butter, garlic, and spices or served in tacos.

Balut is a fertilized duck egg that has been incubated for around 14 to 21 days, depending on the region. The partially developed embryo is then boiled and eaten directly from the shell. Balut is a popular street food in the Philippines, and it is said to have a savory, slightly gamey flavor.

Fugu, or pufferfish, is a dangerous yet highly prized dish in Japan. The fish contains a deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin, which can be lethal if consumed. Only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare fugu, as they are trained to remove the toxic parts of the fish carefully. The delicate taste and thrill of eating fugu make it a sought-after experience for adventurous foodies.

Surströmming is a Swedish dish made from fermented Baltic Sea herring. The fish is salted and left to ferment in barrels for several months, then canned, where the fermentation process continues. The strong, pungent odor of sur