Bizarre Food from Around the World

Love is said to come through the stomach, and the same applies when traveling! If you're researching great destinations for your next vacation, you might want to take a look at the local cuisine as well. Because alongside the foreign trends that are also conquering Germany, some menus may surprise you.

As the saying goes? Different countries, different customs - or also different cuisines? You can't even imagine what other countries serve for lunch or which lifestyle drinks have created a real hype! From 'terrible' and 'inedible' to delicious and 'I want to try that too...' there's a bit of everything! Here are a few examples of truly bizarre food from around the world.

No, not at all! But actually, bat is considered a delicacy in West Africa. When I was in Togo some time ago, I actually found this - let's call it a delicacy - on the menu. It was served with delicious rice on the side, and yes - people in West Africa actually find it completely normal to eat bat. I didn't dare to try the bat, but I must say that the cuisine in Togo, apart from that, is really excellent.

I've also spotted guinea pig on a menu before. In Peru, around 65 million of our cute pets are consumed annually. Guinea pig is also on the menu in Ecuador and Colombia and is very popular. This goes so far that the guinea pigs are specially bred and fed with kitchen waste so that even the poorer population can enjoy guinea pig. For people in Peru, this is completely normal, much like chicken is for us. So, bon appétit!

Sheep stomach, also known as 'Haggis,' is an absolute specialty of Scottish cuisine. But it gets even better, because the stomach is stuffed with heart, liver, lungs, and kidney fat. Well, who just lost their appetite? Then I have something for you: monkey brains! Have you ever heard the myth that the Chinese spoon the brains of live monkeys? One might think it's total nonsense, but it's not entirely untrue. Officially, the consumption of monkey brains is banned, yet there are actually Chinese people who enjoy eating monkey brains. They believe that consuming them is beneficial for their own brains... This is something I haven't heard of in a while and find it incredible, but as the saying goes? There are some things you just wouldn't believe!

What initially doesn't sound very unusual can end in disaster. Fortunately, the consumption of blowfish is completely banned in Germany. However, if you travel to Japan, you'll need to be a bit more careful. There are few chefs who have trained for several years to prepare blowfish correctly. They know exactly which parts of the blowfish are edible and which are not. The roe or liver of the blowfish must not even touch a knife. They are the most toxic parts of the blowfish and can lead to death after initial paralysis of the limbs. Non-toxic blowfish sashimi is then offered for consumption in Japan. My advice: stay away from it, because despite well-trained chefs preparing the fish, dozens of people still lose their lives each year from poisoning due to eating blowfish. The blowfish, also known as fugu, should also not be served to members of the royal family... Disturbing, isn't it?

China: One of the few countries where live animals are still eaten in secret. Besides monkey brains, live frogs, fish, and snakes are consumed. Although the animals are killed shortly before consumption - this 'preparation' doesn't keep the nerves from twitching during consumption. Even when frogs are ordered off the menu, you don't wait for the little creatures to finally die... but well, let's not delve too deeply into that! So, always be careful in China about what you order at the restaurant, otherwise, you might unintentionally end up in Jungle Camp 2.0. Before you judge all Chinese people for their eating habits: it's actually a very small minority that supports eating live animals. Most Chinese are shocked by these extreme gourmets. Many are even vegetarians.

In direct contrast are the following drinks and foods that are slowly but surely making their way to Germany. Food from around the world doesn't have to be disgusting or extraordinary at all. Often, it's a matter of years of upbringing and food culture - who knows what tourists think about our eating habits... Even though most of you might not want to touch the dishes mentioned above, I have reassuring news: a lot of dietary trends and true health boosters have been borrowed from vacation spots by us Germans.

The lifestyle drink in America is Fiji Water. This is mineral water from an artesian spring in Fiji. It's bottled on the island of Viti Levu and thus escapes all the dirt created by our industry. Due to this process, Fiji Water is considered particularly clean and pure and is said to promote health. More and more Hollywood stars have been spotted in recent years with Fiji Water in beautiful plastic bottles, and American TV shows aren't spared either.

Fiji Water is now also available in Germany, but only in select supermarkets. If you want to convince yourself of the supposedly extraordinary taste of this water, you can also find it on Amazon. A little tip: I personally couldn't identify an extraordinary taste in the water, and the price for it is also quite high... Cool souvenir, but never forget with trends: not everything that glitters is gold.

At the moment, really every other person seems to have a smoothie in hand. The green smoothie is particularly popular, which is also a huge trend in Hollywood. Whether homemade or from the supermarket: the green smoothie is a real weapon against disease and provides the body with nutrients. By combining healthy fruits and vegetables (preferably spinach, cucumber, kale, and lettuce along with kiwi, banana, mango, or strawberries) a super tasty and healthy drink with a high fiber content is created. A little budget tip: Mix it yourself! If you're in a hurry, you can of course treat yourself to a tasty smoothie at the supermarket, but at home mixing it yourself is just much more enjoyable and tastier. After all, you can decide which ingredients go into your smoothie.

Refreshing coconut water is not just delicious, but also super refreshing and a great addition to regular water. For all health-conscious individuals, it's an absolute must. If you don't like the taste of natural coconut water, you can choose from various flavors and mixes such as mango or pineapple. Give it a try!

The classic on airplanes: tomato juice! In everyday life, this rather dull juice isn't that popular. This is probably because our sense of smell and taste changes at low pressure on flights, and suddenly tomato juice doesn't smell dull but rather pleasant and fruity. Tomato juice with salt and pepper is therefore not only the in-drink on the plane but also replenishes your vitamin levels... something that's often needed after bland airplane food.

Chia seeds were once the healing seeds of the Maya and were a must at every meal. This trend has now come back to us because these tiny seeds are a true energy source with super healthy ingredients. Generally, they can be eaten with anything, but they are particularly popular over yogurt or muesli or on salads or with the green smoothie. They also help prevent some diseases.

Goji berries can likewise enrich our health and are considered one of the best superfoods in the world. This is largely due to the healthy and vital ingredients of these little berries, which enhance our health. In the past, goji berries were famously consumed in China for ailments. They are also very popular in muesli or fruit salad. And the best part: they taste incredibly delicious!

There you have it: What we might wrinkle our noses at makes some locals on the other side of the world drool. Perhaps our eating habits are indeed largely shaped by upbringing and culture? Conversely, this is also the reason why culinary experiences rightfully count as one of the criteria for many when traveling. Thus, I hope to have warned a few of you about nasty surprises. Just as much, the same vacation spots brim with real clean eating secret ingredients. Which have you come across in your travels?