Buzz
In the culinary world, people generally fall into two categories. Some prefer sticking to familiar choices, repeatedly ordering the same meals from their go-to spots, while others crave excitement and enjoy exploring new culinary experiences.
This sense of adventure often leads to encountering bizarre, and at times, downright intimidating dishes. Here are some live animals you might come across if you dare to explore the extremes of dining.
10. San Zhi Er
While spotting mice in a restaurant might prompt you to flee and alert health authorities, not everyone shares this reaction. For some, the presence of mice is precisely why they chose to dine there.
Though not widely popular, certain residents of Guangdong province in China enjoy a unique delicacy: live newborn mice. Known as san zhi er, meaning “three squeaks,” this dish involves dipping live baby mice into sauce. The name comes from the three distinct squeaks the mice produce during the meal: first when picked up, second when dipped, and third when bitten.
9. Fish Bucket Soup
If mice aren’t to your liking, fret not. There are other live creatures you can enjoy with a dip of sauce. A simpler and more socially acceptable option involves a bucket of live fish paired with a bowl of soup.
This method gained attention last year when a video emerged showing a group of people gathered around a soup bowl. Using chopsticks, they pluck live fish from a bucket and drop them into the soup, where the fish flail before being consumed. The video, believed to be filmed in Southern China, features Cantonese dialogue in the background.
8. Monkey
While monkeys may not be a typical food source for many, in certain parts of the world, consuming monkey meat is as ordinary as eating chicken. This practice is especially prevalent in remote forest communities, such as those in the Amazon rainforest, where monkeys are as abundant as other wildlife. Although these communities see no issue with eating monkeys, the idea of consuming them alive might seem shocking to most—but not to everyone.
Macaques are widespread in Cambodia, classified under the lowest conservation status (least concern). While this explains why people are comfortable eating them, it doesn’t fully clarify why some choose to consume the brains of these animals while they are still alive.
In Cambodia, macaque brain is considered a delicacy, with freshness being a top priority. To achieve this, macaques are often drugged or restrained, and the tops of their skulls are removed. The animals are then positioned under a table with a specially designed hole for their heads, which serves as a bowl for the brains. This method ensures freshness and is rooted in the belief that the animal’s fear enhances the flavor of the meat.
7. Shrimp
We’ve previously discussed the variety of live shrimp dishes available in Japan and China. However, if you’re in the U.S. and seeking something closer to home, visit Slow Fish in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile district. There, you can try dancing shrimp, named for the way their legs, antennae, and bodies twitch when served.
The dish is made by decapitating the shrimp, removing their shells, and serving them immediately. While both the bodies and heads remain active, the main portion is consumed right away. The heads are then returned to the kitchen, deep-fried, and served again, this time without movement.
6. Lobster Sashimi
Despite the numerous examples of excessively cruel dishes worldwide, lobster continues to be one of the most hotly debated foods in Western culture. The practice of selecting live lobsters and boiling them in water unsettles many. Regardless of personal opinions on this method, it has largely overshadowed debates about the preparation of other foods, including another lobster-based dish.
Sashimi, a Japanese delicacy, involves serving thinly sliced raw meat or fish at peak freshness. In Houston, you can try lobster sashimi so fresh that the lobster remains alive. The dish is prepared by splitting the lobster in half, extracting the flesh from the tail, slicing it, and placing it back into the shell. The tail is arranged as a display, served on chilled rocks, while the front half of the lobster continues to move, adding a dramatic effect. One reviewer called the dish “breathtaking” and “incredibly flavorful.”
5. Cockroaches
In recent years, there has been growing speculation that, due to the rapidly increasing global population, insects might become a necessary food source. In some regions, insects are already a popular snack, with figures like Salma Hayek openly expressing their love for these crunchy treats.
While cooked insects are a protein-rich option for some, live cockroaches were once used as a means to win a python. In 2012, a Florida cockroach-eating contest attracted over 30 participants, with the prize being a pet python. Tragically, the event ended in disaster when a 32-year-old contestant choked to death after consuming dozens of the insects.
4. Bats
The Mariana flying fox, a fruit bat species native to the Mariana Islands, once thrived with a population of around 60,000. However, decades of hunting have reduced their numbers to just a few hundred. These bats, once abundant across the islands, became a staple food source for both humans and livestock.
Typically reserved for special events, ka’ka’du fanihidu fanihi involves catching and cleaning a bat, then boiling it in water. The bat is served whole in a bowl of coconut milk and consumed almost entirely, excluding bones and teeth.
Unlike most dishes on this list, this one can be deadly. After World War II, scientists observed a high number of Guam residents succumbing to a mysterious illness. It was later discovered that 25-30% of these deaths were due to ALS, caused by their bat-based diet. The bats primarily consume cycad seeds, which contain toxins that accumulate in their bodies, leading to ALS in humans over time. Fortunately, and unfortunately, the bat population in Guam has declined so significantly that this dish is now becoming rare.
3. Witchetty Grubs
While it might seem unusual to feature insects alongside more complex organisms, the significance and prevalence of witchetty grubs justify their inclusion. These grubs, which are the larvae of various moth species, are indigenous to Australia and have been a dietary staple for Aboriginal communities for hundreds of years. Rich in protein, vitamins, and other essential nutrients, they are considered one of the most nutritious food sources in the Outback.
Witchetty grubs can reach lengths of up to 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) and are often consumed alive, offering an almond-like flavor with a creamy center. Alternatively, they can be lightly roasted over a barbecue or in hot ash and sand, which is said to give them a taste reminiscent of chicken and fried eggs.
2. Cobra
Whether you enjoy lobster or not, most of us are familiar with the practice of selecting a live lobster from a tank. In Vietnam, a similar experience awaits, but instead of lobsters, diners choose their preferred cobra from a cage filled with agitated snakes.
Once you’ve selected your snake, the chef will use a stick to retrieve it and place it on the floor. Often, the snakes are provoked—either by shaking the cage before selection or prodding the chosen snake afterward. This may be done to increase the snake’s heart rate, enhancing the overall experience.
The snake is then sliced open, and its blood is drained into a glass partially filled with rice wine. The still-beating heart is removed and added to the same glass, while the gallbladder’s juices are extracted into a second glass of rice wine. The ritual involves drinking the first glass, complete with the beating heart, followed by the second glass to cleanse the palate. Meanwhile, the snake’s meat is prepared into more conventional dishes like spring rolls or soup.
1. Eels
Raymond Blanc, a renowned French chef operating some of Britain’s most esteemed restaurants, has traveled the globe sampling rare and exotic cuisines. Among these, he considers a bowl of live eels to be the most unusual dish he has ever encountered.
Blanc recounts a dining experience in Japan where a large glass bowl teeming with thousands of tiny eels was presented. The bowl was set in the center of the table, and the eels would leap out, ideally landing in your dish. Measuring less than an inch in length, the eels are meant to be swallowed whole, allowing diners to feel them squirm as they go down. Although Blanc sampled the dish, he described it as a testament to the extreme and sometimes “perverse” nature of Japanese culinary traditions.
