9 Strange Things That People Actually Eat

Folks, when you eat Doritos for breakfast that’s pretty damn exotic right there, especially if you squirt some guac on top. But in this huge, vast planet that we share with billions of other people, there are plenty of weirder things that people shove into their mouths when the sun comes up and the roosters do their cock-a-doodle-doo thing. But snake eggs aren’t just for breakfast anymore; you will find that no matter the time of day, people have an appetite for all sorts of things that could scientifically be classified as “yucky.” But keep an open mind because once the world runs out of chicken nuggets and Cheetos, we might not have any choice but to subsist on the strange foods on this list.

Rotten shark

Most people go to Iceland to experience its scenic beauty. But for you, it’s all about feasting on some delicious Hákarl, or shark carcass that is covered in sand and stones and left to sit for a few weeks until it ferments, at which point it is cut into strips and hung in a barn for a few months until it tastes nice and cleaning product-like. The late Anthony Bourdain, who wasn’t one to shy away from a peculiar dish, described Hákarl as the most disgusting thing he had ever eaten. As you eat it, you are encouraged to down a shot of Brennivín, a type of unsweetened schnapps that Icelanders really dig, and so will you.

Kopi Luwak

The most expensive coffee doesn’t come from some beautiful, scenic plantation in the Kenyan mountains; rather, it’s crapped out of a catlike critter known as the civat. Native to southeast Asia, civats crave these coffee cherries, which are then collected, cleaned, and sold for as much as $350 per pound. On a personal note, a friend brought over a bag from Vietnam, and while drinking a cup my thoughts were, “Meh. Tastes like the generic stuff you’ll find at any grocery store.”

Mopane Worms

First of all, these caterpillars in southern Africa are a delight to prepare. You pluck them from a tree and then expel their green, gooey innards the same way you’d squeeze a tube of toothpaste. You can dry them out in the sun and enjoy them as a crunchy snack, or you can fry them with onions, tomatoes and spices as the locals do.