This is a guest post by Josh Nicholas from the MyDish team.
When I first joined the MyDish community, I have to say that I was immediately impressed by the range of delicious recipes shared by its members. As I clicked from recipe to recipe, I caught myself saying repeatedly: “I’d eat that…I’d probably eat that…I’d definitely eat THAT”…over and over again. (I really need to keep my food fetish in check while I’m at work – yes MyDish is another addition to my long list of virtual distractions).
Anyway, after doing this for definitely no longer than five minutes while I was supposed to be working, I realised that I couldn’t really see too many BAD recipes on the site at all. This got me thinking—surely there must be some foods out there that are so horribly revolting that not even the most talented chef could remedy them? It didn’t take more than a minute’s worth of Googling to find out the answer…
Although I had to weed through a bunch of gross-out items that only the insane and desperate would ever consider to be “food” (this is the internet remember), I eventually came up with a list that made me think “well some regular people might eat that, but they’re a bit weird aren’t they?” And then I wrote the list down for you guys. So without further ado, here are the top six most DISGUSTING foods that some people actually like! :
1. Rocky Mountain Oysters
They don’t look so bad, right? You could be forgiven for thinking that these bite-sized pieces are just crumbed oysters from the sea, but underneath that delicious batter is a nasty surprise. These “oysters” are in fact bull testicles! While the cowboys might love these little treats in the cattle ranching regions of the American West, I can’t see anything remotely appetizing about consuming the nether-regions of any kind of animal really.
2. Spam
Yep, we’re all familiar with the illustrious ham-in-a-can—but who actually EATS it? A lot of people in fact. While Spam has often been the target of jokes and urban legends, Hormel foods have now sold over seven billion cans of their famous product, with an average of 3.8 cans consumed every second in the United States. Anyway, just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s any good—just look pop sensations Jedward.
3. Durian
This large fruit, native to South East Asia might be known as the “king of fruits” in that part of the world, but as anyone who has ever gone near it will tell you, it reeks like a combination of rotting flesh and old gym shoes. This doesn’t stop the locals from eating it though. In fact for the Indonesians, the smellier the fruit is the more they seem to love it.
4. Meatloaf
Sure, maybe this one isn’t “disgusting” per se, but it’s definitely not all that good. I mean, who excitedly books a table at their favourite restaurant with their mouth just watering for a nice slice of meatloaf? You do? Ever considered therapy?
5. Tripe
Wikipedia describes tripe as “the edible offal from the stomachs of various farm animals”. Personally I would need to be paid at least four figures to go and eat something like that. But your granddad probably considered it a delicacy during the Great Depression. Then again, a lot of things that were rare commodities during the great depression are now considered to be, well, tripe.
6. Casu Marzu
I was once found guilty of stating “I love ALL cheeses”. Clearly at that point in time I had never heard of Casu Marzu. This particular type of cheese, a delicacy in some parts of Italy, is notable for going far beyond the regular period of fermentation. No, I am not talking about mould. I’m talking about MAGGOTS.
Infact, casu marzu is so riddled with maggots that it frequently poses a serious health risk to the Italian cheese lovers who swear by it. The cheese is actually illegal in many parts of Europe due to the inherent risks. Imagine that? I’ll keep imagining because I’d be more likely to jump off of the Leaning Tower of Pisa than to consume any of this tasty little Italian treat.
So there you have it – the six most disgusting foods consumed by some regular folk. Please feel free to add your least favoured foods in the comments—but try not to let this turn into a gross out session. I’m already feeling a little queasy after writing this. Also don’t forget, if you’re after some REAL recipes please take 30 seconds to sign up for a free profile with MyDish—the most interactive and social community for food lovers!
Cheers,
Josh.
