Top 10 Most Terrifying Foods on Earth

1. Monkey Brains

In Chinese culture, monkey brains are considered a 'decadent delicacy.' Historically, emperors used this rare dish to entertain foreign dignitaries. The belief persists that monkey brains are highly nutritious, enhancing intelligence. The fresher the monkey brains, the higher the value.

The unfortunate monkey is tied upright, head supported in a frame, with two crescent-shaped pieces of wood on either side to expose the brain. Using a small drill and a hammer, the skull is quickly punctured, revealing the bloody brain. Diners use a spoon to consume it directly. To enhance the flavor, some add oil and spices, intensifying the monkey's excruciating pain, which is oddly exciting for the adventurous eater.

2. Balut – China

China, with its ancient cultural heritage, boasts a diverse and rich culinary scene. However, it's also the birthplace of horrifying delicacies that can make anyone cringe at the sight.

One of the most terrifying delicacies in China is live fetal mouse (also known as San Zhi Er). In culinary culture, this is considered a cruel dish alongside other items like live monkey brains, wind-dried rooster, and goose liver,... According to Chinese historical records, this dish was once mentioned as an extraordinarily unique feast hosted by Empress Dowager Cixi. Across the vast land of China, only the Yangzhou region has plump, healthy field mice due to its renowned high-quality rice.

This dish often appears in banquets for esteemed guests within the palace. To prepare, the finest and healthiest field mice from Yangzhou are chosen and raised on a diet of herbs, velvet, and various precious medicines. When these mice give birth, the newborn mice are raised with a similar diet.

The mice are taken from the mother's belly and released into a pot of pre-seasoned water. Diners then enjoy the dish. It is popular due to rumors of its potential to enhance one's 'performance in bed.'

Dancing Cuttlefish Rice Bowl (Katsu ika odori-don) is a Japanese dish featuring a fresh cuttlefish displayed on a bowl of rice or noodle soup. When soy sauce is poured onto the cuttlefish, it appears to dance. The distinct cuttlefish for Katsu ika odori-don is quickly sliced to remove the head and immediately placed on the rice (or noodles) to invite diners.

Guests are encouraged to pour soy sauce and witness the 'dancing cuttlefish' spectacle. While the cuttlefish in this case is already dead, its nerve cells are activated by sodium in soy sauce, causing an increase in calcium concentration in muscle cells along with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) remaining in the cells, resulting in muscle contraction that makes the cuttlefish seem to be 'dancing'—a phenomenon the Japanese refer to as 'odigigui' (eating while dancing).

This particular dish gained wider recognition since 2010. The Katsu ika odori-don is based on the traditional Japanese dish 'ika-don,' rebranded as 'odori-don' when the sushi restaurant Ikkatei Tabiji, located in the Donburi district in the Hokkaido province of Japan, began serving the dish with cuttlefish, contrasting with the traditional thinly sliced squid.

If we had to name one of the most 'horrifying' delicacies in the world, it would undoubtedly be Casu Marzu cheese. In fact, many famous delicacies in various countries always make international tourists hesitate when indulging. While Vietnam has balut, fish sauce, shrimp paste, durian, and coconut worm, which make foreigners 'cry out loud,' beautiful Italy also boasts another infamous dish called Casu Marzu.

Casu Marzu is an incredibly popular cheese in the Sardinia region, Italy. It is also known as Maggot Cheese or Rotten Cheese. The highlight of Casu Marzu is that upon closer inspection, you'll see live maggots inside, making anyone shudder at the sight.

Next to the world-famous cappuccino, the casu marzu of the boot-shaped country will surely leave you astonished. It's a traditional cheese from the Sardinia region, undoubtedly not for the faint-hearted. To make casu marzu, the locals first produce the famous Pecorino cheese and then ferment it with the Piophila fly.

A popular street snack in Vietnam, greatly cherished by many young Vietnamese for its sweet and refreshing taste, but balut eggs find themselves in the list of the world's most frightening dishes, making many tourists hesitant to indulge. Recently, a renowned global website, Taste Atlas, released the list of the 100 worst dishes in the world for 2023, and balut eggs secured the 13th position among the ones deemed 'worst in the world.'

In reality, balut eggs are eggs that have started forming duck embryos, usually around 9 to 11 days old. After being cleaned and thoroughly boiled, they are served with cilantro, sliced ginger, and dry salt, squeezed with lime or kumquat juice. In some other regions, they are accompanied by sweet pickles - the most common way of preparing balut eggs. With the evolution of culinary arts, balut eggs are now prepared in various dishes such as hotpot, fried balut eggs, garlic butter balut eggs, and tamarind-stir-fried balut eggs.

Perhaps the duck inside the egg has clearly developed all parts, including the head, feathers, wings, and legs, causing international tourists or first-time observers to be uneasy and reluctant to try this dish. Balut eggs made two appearances on the Fear Factor reality show, once in Survivor: Palau and once in Survivor: China, instilling fear in the participants of the challenges.

Currently, balut eggs are quite prevalent not only in Vietnam but also in other East Asian countries like China, the Philippines, and Cambodia. Although the preparation methods may vary slightly, the nutritional value of this food is beyond dispute.

Hákarl is crafted from the meat of Greenland sharks, creatures with an average length of 7.4 meters and a weight of 770 kilograms. They inhabit the Arctic waters and their flesh is toxic when eaten raw. However, around 1,000 years ago, Viking settlers in Iceland faced limited food resources due to eroded soil. Consequently, they decided to hunt sharks to supplement protein in their diet.

The Vikings discovered that burying the shark under sand and rocks for a few weeks could eliminate toxins and preserve the meat. Once unearthed, the meat is sliced into strips and hung to dry. This gave rise to the recipe for Hákarl, the fermented shark, which has been preserved to this day.

Hakarl is a familiar dish in Iceland, featuring the meat of the sunbathing shark (basking shark) fermented and air-dried for several months. The flesh of this shark species is toxic when fresh, requiring fermentation and drying before consumption. The shark, gutted, is placed in a shallow pit on the sand, covered with sand and pebbles, and topped with stones. It rests undisturbed in the sand for 6 to 12 weeks, with fluids collecting outside the shark as the fermentation process takes place. After fermentation, the shark meat is air-dried for several months.

Hakarl is served in small pieces, but even so, first-time tasters may involuntarily recoil due to its horrifying taste. If invited to try this dish, it's advisable to pinch your nose tightly as the smell of hakarl is even more dreadful than its taste, multiplied several times over.

Kiviak is a traditional winter dish in Inuit cuisine from Greenland, prepared in an unusually frightening way. It involves stuffing 500 whole auks, including their beaks, feet, and feathers, into the cavity of a gutted seal. The seal is then sewn up, air is vacuumed out, and it's sealed with fat. A large rock is placed on top to maintain the airtight seal. After 7 months, the auks ferment. The seal's fat imparts its richness into the auks, making them tender. Consequently, the auks are consumed raw directly from the seal's belly without further cooking.

Kiviak is often enjoyed outdoors to avoid the distinctive odor. Regarded as a delicacy and a source of pride for the Inuit, it is typically served during special occasions like birthdays or weddings.

Driven by curiosity and a desire for a courageous culinary adventure, many tourists visiting Greenland express the wish to experience this unique dish. However, just a whiff of Kiviak discourages diners due to its incredibly unpleasant aroma. Many brave souls attempting to taste it find themselves shaking their heads in dismay.

In August 2013, Greenland reported two fatalities due to food poisoning after consuming Kiviak. It's important to note that Kiviak is made from Eider ducks, not Auks. Eider ducks are larger birds and entirely unsuitable for the fermentation process, leading to the poisoning of those who consumed it. As a result, Greenland's veterinary and food authorities issued warnings, emphasizing the need for deep-rooted traditional knowledge in preparing Kiviak. Subsequently, the government made efforts to educate the public on food safety and hygiene.