Buzz
Foods vary widely in their safety. Pufferfish, for example, is well-known for its deadly potential if not prepared with exact toxin control, and almost any food can become harmful if consumed when moldy. Eating too fast or improperly cut food can lead to choking. Yet, some foods are intentionally made to be hazardous. Even when prepared flawlessly, they can cause harm or significantly affect one's health. These deliberately risky foods demand careful handling, sometimes even protective gear, and a few are outright banned.
10. Sannakji
Octopuses are remarkable beings. They rank among the most intelligent creatures on Earth, with a brain and nervous system vastly different from ours. Their tentacles can move independently even after being severed. In South Korea, caution is advised when consuming sannakji, a dish featuring live octopus. A small octopus is chopped, seasoned with soy sauce or sesame oil, and consumed. The octopus often remains alive when eaten, with its tentacles still capable of movement. These tentacles have been known to pose a choking hazard. The suckers can stick to the throat, leading to an average of six deaths annually in South Korea from octopus tentacle asphyxiation. There have even been instances of tentacles moving from the mouth into the nasal cavity. The dish's danger and vitality are believed to enhance its flavor.
9. Casu Marzu
In Sardinia, Italy, a unique local cheese has been banned for hygiene concerns but remains popular for its reputed exquisite flavor. Casu marzu is crafted from sheep's milk and intentionally infested with fly larvae during production. The maggots consume the cheese, and their digestive enzymes cause it to ferment excessively, leading to partial decomposition. When the cheese reaches a near-liquid state, it is considered ready to eat. Thousands of maggots remain in the cheese, capable of jumping up to 15cm when disturbed. Diners often wear protective eyewear to prevent the maggots from causing harm.
8. Lutefisk
In Scandinavia, lutefisk stands out as a unique seafood dish. The fish is soaked in a highly alkaline solution, either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, for several days. This process breaks down the fish's proteins, transforming it into a gelatinous mass. If over-soaked, the fish's fats can even turn into soap. To make it safe for consumption, it is then rinsed in water for about a week, as untreated lutefisk can cause chemical burns. The final product has a pH of up to 12, making it extremely caustic—100,000 times more alkaline than water. Lutefisk is so corrosive that it can damage silverware and erode plates or pans overnight. It can also cause severe discomfort for those with stomach ulcers or similar conditions.
7. Datura
In many cultures, adulthood was once marked by dangerous rituals rather than simply reaching a certain age. Among certain Native American tribes, boys were tested using the fruit of the angel’s trumpet plant, which contains the toxic compound datura. This poison induces delirium, fever, rapid heart rate, violent behavior, and permanent memory loss, among other severe effects. It has caused numerous accidental deaths, both in children and adults who consumed incorrect doses. The intoxication it causes is considered one of the most unpleasant experiences known. Boys in the tribe would ingest a precise amount of datura and be confined for weeks to prevent harm to others during their violent episodes. Survival of the ordeal signified adulthood, with the accompanying memory loss intended to erase childhood experiences. However, many boys suffered permanent mental damage, losing basic skills like eating, speaking, or functioning as humans.
6. Urushi Tea
In Japan, followers of an extreme Buddhist practice called Sokushinbutsu aimed to achieve enlightenment by self-mummification over many years while still alive. A crucial element of this process was a tea brewed from the urushi tree, Toxicodendron vernicifluum, which contains high concentrations of urushiol, a potent poison also found in poison ivy. Consuming this tea triggered a severe bodily reaction, causing rapid fluid loss through multiple orifices and rendering the remaining flesh highly toxic. This process was ideal for mummification, as it removed moisture to prevent decomposition and made the tissues too poisonous for maggots to infest. While the tea itself, when prepared correctly, was not lethal, it was consumed before death to ensure proper mummification. Today, drinking urushi tea is illegal in Japan.
5. Antimony
Contraceptives have been used for millennia, with some animals also employing natural methods to control fertility. For instance, spider monkeys consume specific plants to regulate their hormones, while alpine marmot mothers force abortions in their pregnant daughters if winter approaches, as pregnancy in such conditions often leads to death. Historically, human contraceptives were far more extreme, with some involving poison. Antimony, a toxic metalloid, can cause heart inflammation, seizures, organ failure, and death in large doses. However, in smaller amounts, it induces headaches, depression, vomiting, and vertigo. In medieval Europe, people ingested antimony in controlled doses to act as a contraceptive, causing enough bodily stress to prevent pregnancy without severe harm. It was also used to induce vomiting after large meals or to cleanse the bowels. Antimony pills, which passed through the digestive tract intact, were reused for generations within families.
4. Calabar Beans
In Africa's tropical regions, the Calabar bean, a highly poisonous legume, grows naturally. Consuming it leads to severe nervous system damage, muscle spasms, seizures, loss of bladder and bowel control, and respiratory failure, often resulting in death by suffocation. These beans are not consumed as food. Instead, the Calabar people historically used them in trials by ordeal to determine guilt or innocence. When someone was accused of a crime like witchcraft or infidelity without sufficient evidence, they were forced to ingest the beans. If the poison killed them, they were considered guilty, as the gods had taken their life. However, if the person vomited the beans due to muscle spasms before the poison took full effect, they were deemed innocent and pardoned.
3. Naga Jolokia
Some plants have evolved extreme self-defense mechanisms. Chillies, for example, produce capsaicin, a chemical three times more potent than mustard oil and the most toxic substance found in any human food. Just under 4 grams of capsaicin can be fatal to an adult. While most chillies contain far less, some have been bred to maximize their capsaicin content. The Naga Jolokia chilli, a hybrid from northern India, contains 200 times more capsaicin than the hottest commercial chillies. This amount can disrupt neural functions, sending intense pain and heat signals to the brain. Merely smelling it is likened to inhaling fire and can cause permanent loss of smell. It’s so potent that it’s used in India to deter elephants by applying it to fences. In cooking, it’s used sparingly, as direct consumption can be deadly. The Indian military is even exploring its use as a weapon.
2. St. Elmo Steak House’s Shrimp Cocktail
Plants, unable to flee from predators, have developed creative defenses, often producing chemicals that cause pain or irritation to deter herbivores. While most animals avoid such plants, some humans seek out these chemicals for their intense effects. Allyl isothiocyanate, or mustard oil, is five times deadlier than arsenic by weight. Though people can build tolerance to small amounts, St. Elmo Steak House in Indiana, USA, offers a dish designed to test these limits. Their signature shrimp cocktail is made with 9kg of grated horseradish containing mustard oil, creating a sensation described as being electrocuted.
1. Cannibalism
Throughout history, cannibalism has often been a last resort for survival in dire situations, such as during sieges when the starving consumed the dead. However, for some groups, cannibalism is a cultural practice. Despite its acceptance in certain contexts, it is not without risks. Prion diseases, similar to mad cow disease, can spread through cannibalism and are not eliminated by cooking. These diseases cause the brain to develop a sponge-like appearance due to numerous tiny holes, leading to a decline in mental and physical functions and ultimately a painful death. The Fore people of Papua New Guinea experienced this until the 1950s. They practiced ritualistic cannibalism, consuming deceased relatives as part of funeral rites. When an infected individual was eaten, the disease spread rapidly, viewed as a curse rather than an illness. The epidemic only subsided after the government outlawed cannibalism.
