Sheep's eyeball juice from Mongolia
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Sheep's eyeball juice from Mongolia: the pickled eye is popped into a glass of tomato juice, a combination that is said to combat headaches and hangovers. Photo by AnjaBarte Telin -
Casu marzu from Sardinia: a whole pecorino cheese is cut open and left outside so flies can lay eggs in it. The fly larvae feast on the cheese and their enzymes break down its fats, and the larvae excrement becomes a partially digested semi-liquid soft cheese, which also contains live maggots. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Century egg from China: duck or quail eggs are preserved for a few months in a solution that uses clay, ash or quicklime and salt. Consequently, the yolk becomes grey, with a cheese-like texture, and the whites turn into a dark jelly. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Cuy from Peru: (pronounced kwee) the guinea pig is cooked whole - teeth in tact - and doused in salt and garlic. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Fruit bat soup from Guam: the furry bat is served whole in a broth made from coconut milk, ginger and spices. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Haggis from Scotland: a pudding made from the liver, heart, and lungs of sheep, minced and mixed with beef or mutton seut and oatmeal, and seasoned with onion and spices. Traditionally, the mixture was packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled Anja Barte Telin -
Kopi luwak from Indonesia: also known as cat-poop coffee, the expensive kopi luwak beans are part-digested coffee cherries that have been eaten and defecated by the civet cat. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Garum from ancient Rome: a highly prized fish sauce made from fermented anchovy guts and salt. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Jell-o salad from the United States: a congealed "salad" from the 1960s, which is made from flavoured gelatin and fruit, but that can also be made using cottage cheese, cream cheese, marshmallows, nuts, pretzels, carrots, olives and mayonnaise. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Durian from Thailand: named the "smelliest fruit in the world", the durian is rich in ironm potassium and vitamin C. And its eye-watering smell has been described as "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock". Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Kumis from Russia: fermented mare's milk is mixed with sugar or sucrose, for a foamy dairy drink that's said to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Kiviak from Greeland: this Inuit dish involves stuffing little auk birds into a freshly disembowelled seal. The pelt is then sutured up and left to ferment for several months, after which the instestinal fluids are sucked out from the birds and used a sauce. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Salted liquorice from Sweden: the sticky-sweet molasses coating gives way so you have a mouthful of saltwater. An acquired taste, by most accounts. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Spiced rabbit heads from China: complete with eyeballs, tongue and a pâté-like brain. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Mopane worms from Zimbabwe: the caterpillars of a species of emperor moth are usually served fried with tomatoes, onion and garlic, and are highly nutritious, although they tend to taste like drywall. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Natto from Japan: soybeans fermented by adding the Bacillus subtilis bacteria, which gives it a bitter flavour, gooey texture, strong, ammonia-like odour, and nutritious superfood status. Photo by Anja Barte Telin -
Su Callu Sardu cheese from Sardinia: this spicy cheese is made by filling a young goat stomach with raw goat milk, which is aged for two to four months. Its taste has been described as "gasoline and ammonia mixed with wax". Photo by AnjaBarte Telin
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