Caspost Not For The Faint Hearted | Do You Like Your Food Rotten Or Shaking?

4| Live Octopus

This video actually made us gag. Yes, that’s a live octopus, and yes, people are eating it still very much alive. It’s not for us to judge other people’s customs, but wow. We’ll leave it at that.

3| Shiokara

This Japanese dish looks, well, interesting. It’s made from the guts of various marine animals that are heavily salted and left to ferment for up to a month. It has a strong flavor; even natives are known to turn their noses up at it. Often, diners down a serving in one gulp, followed by a shot of straight whiskey.

2| Yin Yang Fish

A slight variation on the eating-fish-while-still-alive concept is seen with this ‘ying yang’ dish, which involves plunging a living fish into hot oil and frying it from the gills down. It’s widely considered to be a cruel practice, which has led to it being banned in Taiwan, Australia and Germany.

1| Casu Marzu

Casu marzu is a cheese that might gross out even the most seasoned connoisseurs. The Sardinian dish, which translates to “rotten cheese,” is infused with the larvae of a cheese fly and left to ferment to a stage many consider decomposition. As the larvae grow, they break down the fats in the cheese, making it very soft with a strong odor. Although some people remove the insects, which by the time the cheese is ready are small translucent worms, but many don’t. Check out Andrew Zimmern braving a few bites in this clip.

Bonus |Unlaid Eggs

See those orange balls? Those are unlaid eggs, or unfertilized eggs from butchered hens. Considered a delicacy by some, a 2007 New York Times article said they had a “deep, concentrated flavor, a hint of sweetness, but not overly rich.”