Buzz
There’s something universally comforting about a steaming bowl of soup—it’s hearty, nourishing, and utterly satisfying. For generations, soups have been a go-to solution for creating a wholesome meal from whatever ingredients are on hand. But sometimes, those ingredients go beyond the ordinary, leading to some truly unique creations. Here’s a list of the top ten most unconventional soups from around the world.
10. Menudo
A personal favorite of mine, Menudo might seem unusual to some, especially if you’re not accustomed to the idea of cow stomach soup. This traditional Mexican dish is a staple at celebrations and is famously known as a hangover remedy. The soup features tripe (cow stomach), combined with onions, cilantro, oregano, chilis, and hominy. Preparing Menudo is a labor of love, requiring seven to ten hours of cooking to ensure the tripe becomes tender. While the idea of stomach lining might raise eyebrows, the slow simmering process transforms it into a rich, flavorful broth. The tripe becomes so soft it practically melts in your mouth, and when paired with corn tortillas for dipping, it’s a meal to remember. The origins of Menudo are rooted in the resourceful use of every part of the cow, and today, it’s a dish you can find in many Mexican restaurants. Who knew cow stomach could be so delicious?
9. Kiburu Soup
The simplest soup on this list hails from the Chagga tribe, who reside at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. This tribe relies heavily on agriculture, particularly bananas and coffee, for their sustenance. Their straightforward lifestyle is reflected in their no-frills soup, Kiburu, which combines sweet bananas, beans, and a unique ingredient—dirt, or “earth,” as they refer to it. The mixture includes bits of twigs, visible in the accompanying image, and the dirt is said to impart a salty, earthy flavor to the soup. This humble dish is a testament to the tribe’s resourcefulness and connection to their environment.
8. Supu Soup
This soup bears a resemblance to Menudo, as it utilizes various animal parts to craft a rich and flavorful stew. Supu, which simply means soup, takes on an extravagant form in its Tanzanian breakfast version. This hearty dish is made from goat lungs, heart, liver, head, cow stomach, intestines, and tongue. If you’re fortunate, you might even find cow hooves and tail added to the mix. The hooves, when boiled, are referred to as supu ya makongoro. This traditional Tanzanian breakfast soup is not only a cultural staple but is also renowned for its hangover-curing properties.
7. Chicken Testicle Soup
This soup is reminiscent of classic chicken noodle soup, but with a unique twist—chicken testicles replace the usual chicken meat. The dish is prepared by simmering testicles and vegetables in a savory broth until tender. The testicles have a creamy interior and a soft texture, often compared to tofu but with a firmer outer layer akin to sausage. Some describe the consistency as similar to an undercooked egg or custard. Beyond its unique flavor, the soup is believed to offer health benefits, such as promoting clear skin for women and boosting stamina for men. Chicken testicles used in the soup come in both black and white varieties.
6. Bird Nest Soup
Bird Nest Soup, one of the most luxurious soups globally, is crafted from the nests of Swiftlet birds. This Chinese delicacy can fetch prices ranging from $30 to $100 per bowl, with a kilogram of nests costing up to $2000. The nests, composed almost entirely of the birds' sticky saliva, dissolve in water to form a gelatinous texture. Used in Chinese cuisine for centuries, these nests are primarily featured in soups. Swiftlet birds construct their cup-shaped nests in caves, a process that takes over 35 days, using interwoven strands of salivary cement. The soup is reputed to offer numerous health benefits, including enhanced focus, improved asthma, boosted libido, and a stronger immune system.
5. Deer Placenta Soup
In Shanghai, China, Deer Placenta Soup is a sought-after dish believed to enhance vitality, kidney function, skin health, and even performance in bed. This soup combines mushrooms, flowers, black chicken (likely the source of the black testicles mentioned earlier), and deer tendon in a flavorful broth. While the ingredients sound appealing, the placenta's elastic texture makes it chewy when consumed. For those unfamiliar, the placenta is a sac-shaped organ that connects the embryo or fetus to the uterus during pregnancy in most mammals. It facilitates the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste between mother and fetus and is expelled after birth. Despite its unique origin, the soup is considered both nutritious and beneficial.
4. Shirako Soup or Cod Sperm Soup
Referred to as Cod’s Milk Soup in the U.S. and Shirako in Japan, this unique dish is made from the sperm sacs of male codfish. Shirako can be served raw or cooked into a soup, where the sacs melt into a creamy, chowder-like broth with a custard-like texture. The name Shirako, which translates to “white children,” is a seasonal delicacy available during winter. Like many animal-based ingredients in Asian cuisine, cod sperm is believed to enhance stamina and vitality. A restaurant in New York even offers this dish as a specialty.
3. Tiet Cahn a.k.a. Vietnamese Blood Soup
Finally, we encounter a soup so unconventional it barely qualifies as soup. A traditional Vietnamese dish, it’s crafted from raw duck blood, cooked gizzards, and garnished with peanuts and herbs. The soup is refrigerated to allow the blood to coagulate, resulting in a jello-like consistency that’s served chilled. It’s believed to impart strength to both the preparer and the consumer. However, its popularity has waned due to health concerns following the bird flu outbreak in Asia. Despite this, some still indulge in this unique dish, though consuming raw duck blood raises obvious health risks.
2. Tiger Penis Soup
Among the various penis soups, Tiger Penis Soup stands out as one of the rarest and most costly. This centuries-old Asian delicacy is famed for its legendary aphrodisiac properties, often compared to Viagra. The dried tiger penis is soaked for a week, then simmered for up to 24 hours with spices and medicinal ingredients, sometimes including tiger bone. A single bowl can cost as much as $400. Despite tigers being an endangered and protected species, tiger parts are still found in some Asian markets. A survey of New York’s Chinatown revealed that 60% of shops claimed to sell tiger parts. If you’re tempted to try it, be cautious—dishonest vendors often substitute ox or deer tendons for the real thing.
1. Fruit Bat Soup
This next soup might be more appealing if the bats weren’t served with their fuzzy fur intact. On the islands of Palau, this dish is considered a local delicacy, though one might suspect its popularity stems from adventurous tourists willing to try anything. The island is home to two bat species: insect-eating bats and the larger fruit bats. The latter are cooked in coconut milk, ginger, and spices, then boiled for several hours. Some restaurants even allow customers to select their bat before it’s cooked alive in boiling water. While many who’ve tried the soup describe it as delicious, the sight of a furry, rodent-like head staring back can be quite unsettling.
+ Soup #5
Soup #5 has been included as a bonus to round out the list. Known for its aphrodisiac qualities, this Southeast Asian dish is made with onions, carrots, broth, and bull’s penis and testicles. The ingredients are thoroughly cleaned and scalded in boiling water before being simmered into a flavorful, vegetable-rich soup. While some aphrodisiacs can be risky, bull’s soup is relatively mild and safe. Though ostrich testicles are said to be tasty, they don’t quite match the reputed potency of bull-based dishes.
