The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Willravel · 10-11-2007, 02:39 PM

Normally, I'm rather apathetic towards cracked top whatever lists, but this one had me rolling on the floor laughing. Please to enjoy, but be warned:
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF STOMACH

Quote:

#6.
Escamoles

From:
Mexico.

What the hell is it?
Escamoles are the eggs of the giant black Liometopum ant, which makes its home in the root systems of maguey and agave plants. Collecting the eggs is a uniquely unpleasant job, since the ants are highly venomous and have some kind of blood grudge against human orifices.

The eggs have the consistency of cottage cheese. The most popular way to eat them is in a taco with guacamole, while being fucking insane.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Escamoles have a surprisingly pleasant taste: buttery and slightly nutty. This hugely increases the chances that, while in Mexico, you could eat them without realizing you are eating a taco full of fucking ant eggs.

Danger of this turning up in America:
We’re not sure Taco Bell hasn’t snuck this shit into their food already. Just make sure you know what’s in that burrito. Ask at the counter if you have to. Also, watch those ads close because they’ll try to dress it up in some kind of friendly-sounding, pseudo-Mexican name.

#5.
Casu Marzu

From:
Sardinia, Italy.

What the hell is it?
This, dear reader, is a medium-sized lump of Sweet Fucking Christ. Casu Marzu is a sheep’s milk cheese that has been deliberately infested by a Piophila casei, the "cheese fly." The result is a maggot-ridden, weeping stink bomb in an advanced state of decomposition.

Its translucent larvae are able to jump about 6 inches into the air, making this the only cheese that requires eye protection while eating. The taste is strong enough to burn the tongue, and the larvae themselves pass through the stomach undigested, sometimes surviving long enough to breed in the intestine, where they attempt to bore through the walls, causing vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

Wait, it gets worse ...
This cheese is a delicacy in Sardinia, where it is illegal. That’s right. It is illegal in the only place where people actually want to eat it. If this does not communicate a very clear message, perhaps the larvae will, as they leap desperately toward your face in an effort to escape the putrescent horror of the only home they have ever known. Even the cheese itself is ashamed; when prodded, it weeps an odorous liquid called lagrima, Sardinian for "tears."

Danger of this turning up in America:
There is significant danger here, as we’re thinking the cheese companies have a lot of maggot stock in the back of their warehouse they’d like to get rid of. And, there may actually be a market for it. Self-loathing is a powerful force in this economy (see the diet section of your local supermarket) and there’s times you get low enough that, damn it, you feel like you deserve nothing better than infested cheese.

#4.
Lutefisk

From:
Norway.

What the hell is it?
Ahhh, Lutefisk. After the larvae-ridden cheese, it's a blessed relief to sample a clean, down-to-earth Scandinavian recipe.

A little too clean.

Lutefisk is a traditional Norwegian dish featuring cod that has been steeped for many days in a solution of lye, until its flesh is caustic enough to dissolve silver cutlery.

Wait, it gets worse ...
For those of you who don't know, lye (potassium hydroxide/sodium hydroxide) is a powerful industrial chemical used for cleaning drains, killing plants, de-budding cow horns, powering batteries and manufacturing biodiesel. Contact with lye can cause chemical burns, permanent scarring, blindness or total deliciousness, depending on whether you pour it onto a herring or your own face. Or, so the lutefisk industry would have us believe.

Danger of this turning up in America:
IT’S ALREADY HERE! Shit!

It’s true, lutefisk is more popular in the United States than in Norway. What the hell are they doing with it? They’re not eating it are they? Is it because it’s a cheap alternative to colonic irrigation? Seriously, how do you advertise this stuff?

#3.
Baby Mice Wine

From:
Korea.

What the hell is it?
What better to wash down your gelatinous lumps of lye fish than a nice chilled cup of dead mice? What better indeed.

Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese and Korean “health tonic,” which apparently tastes like raw gasoline. Little mice, eyes still closed, are plucked from the embrace of their loving mothers and stuffed (while still alive) into a bottle of rice wine. They are left to ferment while their parents wring their tiny mouse paws in despair, tears drooping sadly from the tips of their whiskers.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Do you wince at the thought of swallowing a tequila worm? Imagine how you’d feel during a session on this bastard. Whoops, I swallowed a dead mouse! Whoops, there goes another one! Whoops, I just puked my entire body out of my nose!

Danger of this turning up in America:
Who are you going to find in America that’s OK with drinking dead fetus juice as a way to improve their own health? OK, other than lawyers.

#2.
Pacha

From:
Iraq.

What the hell is it?
Of all the dishes, this is the one most likely to be mistaken for a threatening message from the mob. It’s a sheep’s head. Boiled.

Wait, it gets worse ...
Pacha only reveals its terror gradually. Sure, maybe you can get around the fact that you’re eating face. But, the more you eat it, the more bone is revealed, until you give a final burp and set your cutlery down beside a grinning ivory skull. Its hollow eye sockets stare back at you with a look of grim damnation. "Burp while ye may," the sockets say, "for the same fate will happen to you--and all too soon."

We wonder why the Iraqis keep blowing themselves up? Wouldn’t you, if every evening meal was a festival of death?

Danger of this turning up in America:
Not looking like that, it won’t. But, you tell people that sheep head contains some kind of enzyme that boosts your metabolism and ...

#1.
Balut

From:
The Philippines

What the hell is it?
Behold, for our journey of horror reaches its destination. Balut are duck eggs that have been incubated until the fetus is all feathery and beaky, and then boiled alive. The bones give the eggs a uniquely crunchy texture.

They are enjoyed in Cambodia, Philippines and the fifth and seventh levels of hell. They are typically sold by street vendors at night, out of buckets of warm sand. You can spot the vendors because of their glowing red eyes, and the faint, otherworldly sound of children screaming.
Wait, it gets worse ...
... Because you’re never going to look at an egg the same way. Tell yourself that every time you crack open an egg from now on you won’t be half expecting a leathery wad of bird to come flopping out into the skillet.

Yes, balut is upsetting on about a half-dozen levels. Sure, all meat eaters know on some level that the delicious chop on your plate used to belong to something cute and fluffy, which gambolled in the sun during the brief spring of its life. Most of the time, it’s perfectly possible not to give a shit. But, when you’re biting into something that hasn’t even had a chance to see its mother’s face ... well, it’s different.

Danger of this turning up in America:
Actually, marketed properly, these eggs could be a damn good motivator. When you've looked death in the face at breakfast time, what the hell else can the day throw at you?

http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2439

snowy · 10-11-2007, 02:52 PM

Lutefisk! I love Lutefisk. I've had it many times. Yummy!

And balut looked pretty tasty when I saw it on Bizarre Foods.

The rest...ew.

Baraka_Guru · 10-11-2007, 02:55 PM

Ugh, this has reinforced my vegetarianism. Thanks for the food lore, though.

LoganSnake · 10-11-2007, 02:58 PM

Man, the pictures make it 100% better. And when I say better, I mean disgustingly repulsive. The last one made me gag. Awesome!

Willravel · 10-11-2007, 02:59 PM

The duck has already given me nightmares and I wasn't even asleep.

The sheep could be good, though. So long as it's not just a boiled, skinned head. I mean, lamb often needs complimentary flavors. White wine, rosemary, maybe boiled in a broth. Some salt and pepper. Side salad with italian dressing.

behindalens · 10-11-2007, 06:23 PM

O man, I love balut. It is also a delicacy in Vietnam, although it is commonly eaten. I used to have it every morning when I was vacationing in Vietnam. Somehow, it's never affected me much, although I'm quite aware of what it is. It's also sold here in the states in most asian supermarkets, and sold cooked in some special places (for me it's the flea market). It tastes like a regular egg with juices (embryonic ) being absolutely flavorful.

Elphaba · 10-11-2007, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

Lutefisk! I love Lutefisk. I've had it many times. Yummy!

And balut looked pretty tasty when I saw it on Bizarre Foods.

The rest...ew.

I should have known you are a Norse goddess.

My Norwegian mother wouldn't allow it in the house.

Crack · 10-11-2007, 07:52 PM

WTf is wrong with just a steak? Not the cow's head, not fermented with mice in Lye... just a freaking steak?

Jetée · 10-11-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crack

WTf is wrong with just a steak? Not the cow's head, not fermented with mice in Lye... just a freaking steak?

Cows are not indigenous on islands, nor are they exactly easy to kill, prepare, preserve, and consume as other forms of readily-available food that others may consider 'icky' due to cultural unawareness.

*eschew processed mindsets*

Willravel · 10-11-2007, 09:20 PM

AWWW, they rexed me. Jerks.

Shauk · 10-11-2007, 09:35 PM

looks like they are doing maintence on the site or something at the moment.

Titan_Uranus · 10-11-2007, 10:47 PM

some ideas for fear factor or survivor.

ItWasMe · 10-11-2007, 10:50 PM

There are a few youtube vids on balut. One video was enough for me.

YouTube - Tasty treat- Balut!!!!

LoganSnake · 10-12-2007, 06:01 AM

Aw comon, how can you eat this?

Redlemon · 10-12-2007, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elphaba

I should have known you are a Norse goddess.

My Norwegian mother wouldn't allow it in the house.

My wife is mostly Norwegian, but her family won't touch the stuff. However, they keep pulling out something at Christmas called "fish pudding". I won't try that either.

Willravel · 10-12-2007, 08:14 AM

I can't eat Huey, Dewey or Louie. At least not until their adults.

snowy · 10-12-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elphaba

I should have known you are a Norse goddess.

My Norwegian mother wouldn't allow it in the house.

The Norwegians I spent my youth with brainwashed me, via an annual event known as a "Lutefisk Feed." I miss the Lutefisk Feed. All-you-can-eat lutefisk, and lefse for dessert!

Willravel · 10-12-2007, 09:37 AM

Lye is too potent for me. Still, it's one of the two things on that I would consider eating. The lamb is looking better and better.

snowy · 10-12-2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willravel

Lye is too potent for me. Still, it's one of the two things on that I would consider eating. The lamb is looking better and better.

Their information about lutefisk is a bit misleading. You don't actually eat any lye. First, dried fish is soaked in cold water for 5-6 days, then the fish is soaked in a 50% cold water, 50% lye solution for several days, and then it is soaked in just cold water for several days more, with the water being changed daily. The final product isn't caustic at all. It is a bit like fish-flavored Jell-o.

Yum.

ktspktsp · 10-12-2007, 10:28 AM

The lamb reminds me of the singed lamb heads (svið) you find in Iceland. They're available in the supermarket. I haven't tried those yet, I probably will at some point. Same with Hákarl (shark meat buried for a few months, then dried for a few more). It's rotten and reeks of ammonia. I'll have to try that too.

I can't mentally handle eating bugs. But meat is usually fine.

Lucifer · 10-12-2007, 10:31 AM

I need that smilie that looks like a guy barfing

Willravel · 10-12-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

Their information about lutefisk is a bit misleading. You don't actually eat any lye. First, dried fish is soaked in cold water for 5-6 days, then the fish is soaked in a 50% cold water, 50% lye solution for several days, and then it is soaked in just cold water for several days more, with the water being changed daily. The final product isn't caustic at all. It is a bit like fish-flavored Jell-o.

Yum.

I've had it before and yo can taste the lye (unless mine wasn't prepared correctly). It did have the consistency of jello, which is probably something some people like and others don't.

Lucifer:

pig · 10-12-2007, 01:45 PM

this thread makes bad things happen in my head. fucking grody.

casual user · 10-12-2007, 04:20 PM

the sheep's head doesn't seem too bad to me as long as it's cooked right, but the rest looks fucking nasty

they had an eating challenge on survivor once and it was all those balut things. the last guy wolfed down 3 in like 10 seconds.

Titan_Uranus · 10-15-2007, 11:04 PM

Sheep's heads are a delicacy in S.A they called 'smiley's' by the locals ,as are chicken heads & feet "walkie talkies" though enjoyed mostly by the black community.

Charlatan · 10-16-2007, 03:04 AM

A popular thing to eat here is Fish Head Curry. People love to suck out the eyes and brains...

Me? Not so much.

Pacifier · 10-17-2007, 06:17 AM

I would try the first two (ant eggs and that cheese)

and you forgot Surströmming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surstr%C3%B6mming

In germany a renter was kicked out of the apartment because she opened a can of surströmming.
the court approved it after a can was opened in court

beowulf · 10-18-2007, 02:18 AM

It would be interesting to see if we would eat any or all of those things to survive. I take solace in being able to picture my children, if need be, reaching under a rock, pulling out a lizard, and stuffing it into his or her mouth to survive. Besides, we do not know what we are getting in processed food anyway. Some of us, me included, do not eat meat that secretes, like liver. I can seem me eating anything if starvation was an issue, though.

10-11-2007, 02:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Lutefisk! I love Lutefisk. I've had it many times. Yummy! And balut looked pretty tasty when I saw it on Bizarre Foods. The rest...ew. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-11-2007, 02:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Ugh, this has reinforced my vegetarianism. Thanks for the food lore, though. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

10-11-2007, 02:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
LoganSnake We work alone Location: Cake Town	Man, the pictures make it 100% better. And when I say better, I mean disgustingly repulsive. The last one made me gag. Awesome! __________________ Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

10-11-2007, 07:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	WTf is wrong with just a steak? Not the cow's head, not fermented with mice in Lye... just a freaking steak? __________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx

10-12-2007, 06:01 AM	#14 (permalink)
LoganSnake We work alone Location: Cake Town	Aw comon, how can you eat this? __________________ Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

10-11-2007, 02:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	The duck has already given me nightmares and I wasn't even asleep. The sheep could be good, though. So long as it's not just a boiled, skinned head. I mean, lamb often needs complimentary flavors. White wine, rosemary, maybe boiled in a broth. Some salt and pepper. Side salad with italian dressing.

10-11-2007, 06:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
behindalens Upright	O man, I love balut. It is also a delicacy in Vietnam, although it is commonly eaten. I used to have it every morning when I was vacationing in Vietnam. Somehow, it's never affected me much, although I'm quite aware of what it is. It's also sold here in the states in most asian supermarkets, and sold cooked in some special places (for me it's the flea market). It tastes like a regular egg with juices (embryonic ) being absolutely flavorful.

10-11-2007, 09:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	AWWW, they rexed me. Jerks.

10-11-2007, 09:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
Shauk Confused Adult Location: Spokane, WA	looks like they are doing maintence on the site or something at the moment.

10-11-2007, 10:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
Titan_Uranus Insane Location: South Africa	some ideas for fear factor or survivor.

10-12-2007, 08:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I can't eat Huey, Dewey or Louie. At least not until their adults.

10-12-2007, 09:37 AM	#18 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Lye is too potent for me. Still, it's one of the two things on that I would consider eating. The lamb is looking better and better.

10-12-2007, 10:28 AM	#20 (permalink)
ktspktsp Addict Location: Reykjavik, Iceland	The lamb reminds me of the singed lamb heads (svið) you find in Iceland. They're available in the supermarket. I haven't tried those yet, I probably will at some point. Same with Hákarl (shark meat buried for a few months, then dried for a few more). It's rotten and reeks of ammonia. I'll have to try that too. I can't mentally handle eating bugs. But meat is usually fine.

10-12-2007, 10:31 AM	#21 (permalink)
Lucifer Husband of Seamaiden Location: Nova Scotia	I need that smilie that looks like a guy barfing __________________ I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls. - Job 30:29 1123, 6536, 5321

10-12-2007, 01:45 PM	#23 (permalink)
pig pigglet pigglet Location: Locash	this thread makes bad things happen in my head. fucking grody. __________________ You don't love me, you just love my piggy style

10-12-2007, 04:20 PM	#24 (permalink)
casual user Crazy Location: everywhere and nowhere	the sheep's head doesn't seem too bad to me as long as it's cooked right, but the rest looks fucking nasty they had an eating challenge on survivor once and it was all those balut things. the last guy wolfed down 3 in like 10 seconds.

10-15-2007, 11:04 PM	#25 (permalink)
Titan_Uranus Insane Location: South Africa	Sheep's heads are a delicacy in S.A they called 'smiley's' by the locals ,as are chicken heads & feet "walkie talkies" though enjoyed mostly by the black community.

10-16-2007, 03:04 AM	#26 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	A popular thing to eat here is Fish Head Curry. People love to suck out the eyes and brains... Me? Not so much. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

10-17-2007, 06:17 AM	#27 (permalink)
Pacifier undead Location: Duisburg, Germany	I would try the first two (ant eggs and that cheese) and you forgot Surströmming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surstr%C3%B6mming In germany a renter was kicked out of the apartment because she opened a can of surströmming. the court approved it after a can was opened in court __________________ "It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death — Albert Einstein

10-18-2007, 02:18 AM	#28 (permalink)
beowulf Upright	It would be interesting to see if we would eat any or all of those things to survive. I take solace in being able to picture my children, if need be, reaching under a rock, pulling out a lizard, and stuffing it into his or her mouth to survive. Besides, we do not know what we are getting in processed food anyway. Some of us, me included, do not eat meat that secretes, like liver. I can seem me eating anything if starvation was an issue, though.