10 Bizarre Foods To Try While Traveling Through Asia

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As most world travelers know, Asia offers a great deal of cultural diversity.  With that diversity comes some of the most unusual and interesting cuisine anywhere on the planet.  While many of these popular dishes may seem bizarre to western sensibilities, the adventurous traveler will enjoy the chance to try something a little outside the scope of their experience.

Balut

Travelers who include flights to Manila in their plans can begin with trying Balut.  On the surface, this dish seems somewhat tame, since it is simply boiled chicken or duck eggs.  However, these eggs have a twist.  In order to prepare Balut, the eggs must be half fertilized.  This means the chicken or duck in the shell is already visible.  People who actually try the dish find it has a more pleasant taste than they anticipated.

White Ant Eggs

Found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, white ant eggs are served as a side dish or sometimes as a main ingredient in a spicy soup.  At times, the eggs are combined with baby ants that have been fried lightly and cooked with spices.  The texture of the eggs is very soft and will pop easily when chewed.  The slightly sour flavor of the eggs is tempered with the use of spices in the broth of the soup.

Smelly Tofu

This type of fermented tofu has an extremely strong aroma.  Some tourists and even fans of the dish have likened the smell to that of rotting garbage.  Found in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, smelly tofu is usually fried and served with sauces that include an eclectic mix of spices.  For people who can get past the smell, the flavor is said to be satisfying.

Tuna Eyes

If you plan on including Japan in your travel itinerary, make it a point to try tuna eyes.  The eyes are a popular food that can be consumed raw or be boiled or steamed.  The modes of preparation are not unlike the methods used to prepare oysters in the west.  Typically, the eyes are served with some sort of sauce to help temper the fishy taste.  If you like, you can also get tuna eyes that have been fried and mixed with different types of herbs and spices.

Durians

Adding a little fruit to your diet never hurts.  While in Malaysia or Singapore, give durians a try.  This pungent fruit is roughly the size of ping pong ball and sports yellow flesh that is protected with sharp spikes.  The spikes are removed and the yellow flesh is consumed.  Keep in mind that the aroma of the durian is just as strong as the taste.  This means you can smell them from a long distance off.  In addition, the smell will linger on the hands for some time.  Durians can be sweet or bitter, so always specify the type you want to try when ordering.

Beondegi

Beondegi is silkworm larvae that have been steamed or boiled, using various types of seasonings to help bring out the flavor of the larvae.  This dish is native to South Korea and is considered an excellent snack.  The exterior is somewhat crunchy while the inside is soft.

Fugu

Known to westerners as blowfish, fugu is a Japanese delicacy that requires very careful preparation. This is because of the presence of tetrodotoxin in the fish.  Tetrodotoxin can wreak havoc with the nervous system and can even lead to death in a short period of time.  The process for preparing the dish is detailed and very specific.  One wrong move and the meal could turn deadly.  This dish is not for the faint of heart and is only prepared in authorized restaurants.

Rooster Testicles

Native to Taiwan, the testicles can be boiled and dipped into sauces, or stir fried with other ingredients.  The texture is somewhat like that of a sausage on the outside while the inside is somewhat soft, with a consistency that is similar to fried tofu.

Fried Grasshoppers

Another Thai favorite, the grasshoppers are washed then deep fried to crunchy perfection.  Typically, the fried grasshoppers are then flavored with spices to add a little extra kick.  They can be consumed as a snack or used in stir fry dishes.

Isaw Manok

After return flights to Manila, you may be up to trying this dish, which is composed of chicken intestines and sometimes has a little liver, heart or other organ meat included.  The meat is speared on a skewer and then cooked over open flames or boiled.  Spices are added to help enhance the flavor.