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Most Terrifying Foods To Eat If You’re A Vegetarian

Dec. 22nd 2009

Eating is a necessity that many – if not all – of us will have to undertake to survive. Over the course of time, many cultures and indeed people within those cultures have chosen to have their diets differ from those around them, sometimes defining themselves by their diet.

We have meat-eaters, vegetarians, vegans and many other diet types which have protracted names and various meanings. But the crux of the matter is this: there are many types of diet in which members of these various diets will not stray from a certain food set. A carnivore will not subsist on a diet of only vegetables, a fruitarian will continue to be insane and only eat fruit and many, many others will abstain from eating meat altogether.

There is one universal fact at the heart of everything: eating meat is awesome. It tastes nice, is human nature and is just generally a great way to spend your time. Meat is delicious. Delicious meat. However, some will argue that eating meat is not the natural order of things. Instead of listening to their rant and then entering into what will no doubt become a heated argument, you should shove these hilariously anti-vegetarian meals in their faces.

Head Cheese

Just as disgusting as it sounds (or maybe not quite as disgusting as it sounds, depending on your frame of mind), head cheese is not actually a cheese at all, but meat taken from the heads of various animals (such as sheep, cow, pig or calf) which is then encased in that weird meat jelly (which is actually called aspic) along with various seasonings like onions, salt and vinegar, black pepper and others.

Headcheese1

The meat in head cheese (the name alone is unpleasant enough) isn’t limited to “head meat” but can also include meat from the heart, tongue and feet of the animal as well. So essentially, you have random bits of meat from slightly uncommon parts of animals, smooshed into that weird meat jelly stuff that’s generally really unappealing to behold and then seasoned with more traditional seasonings.

Headcheese2

As you can see from the pictures, the head cheese itself is quite unusual to look at, having the appearance of a brick wall built by an amateur builder or some sort, who used jelly instead of cement.

Papaitan

A true nightmare of a dish, papaitan is from the Philippines and mainly consists of animal offal (tripe, liver, intestines, pancreas, kidney, heart…Anything, really) being mashed into a stew.

Papaitan1

However, that’s not all, folks, as it’s then flavored with garlic, ginger, onion, salt, pepper and maybe some other, less disgusting-sounding ingredients. But perhaps the real coup de grace is that the stew is also flavored with bile (yes, BILE, the stuff that you can bring up when you vomit) to give it its characteristic bitterness (the word for bitter being “pait”, where the dish gets its name), but also imparting a sweetish aftertaste, allegedly.

Papaitan is traditionally made with goat offal and bile, but can also be made with ox or beef offal as well, depending on the particular tastes of whoever is brave enough to eat this arcane concoction of animal bits and juices. It’s mainly served during festive occasions and due to its highly-seasoned nature, goes well with various beers and gins, accompanied by some rice.

Papaitan2

Because of the content and its stew-like nature, papaitan can also serve as a great source of warmth and energy. So remember next time when you’re a bit cold and worn down, you can perk yourself up again with a sumptuous onion-y stew made from animal guts and vomit constituent.

Black Pudding

Also known as blood sausage, it is basically a sausage made by cooking the blood of an animal (usually pig, cow, sheep or goat, with chicken and horse being used rarely) with filler until it reaches a thickness where it can easily congeal when cooled. Filler to be cooked along with the blood might consists of any number of things, but is typically ingredients like fat, meat, potato, bread, oatmeal, suet and various other agents that’ll help to thicken the blood but still proved some sort of taste or flavoring, as you can’t just go and put solid blood into a sausage now, can you? Oh wait, you can.

Blackpudding1

The blood sausage is generally served as part of a traditional breakfast in some areas of the United Kingdom and some Canadian provinces. Furthermore, the dish is also eaten all over Europe, with many regional variants coming into play. It is less common and even difficult to find in America and blood sausage-eating is usually confined to certain ethnic groups whose tradition calls for the eating of blood sausage.

Blackpudding2

Outside of North America, the blood sausage is surprisingly prevalent and popular, despite it really just being a sausage made from the cooked blood of a random animal.

Pacha

This terrifying abomination of a meal heralds from Iraq and consists of you eating boiled sheep’s head. That’s pretty much it. Oh, also, you might get some trotters and stomach thrown in there if you’ve been good.

Pacha1

The ingredients are all boiled slowly so that a sort of broth (read: distilled liquid nightmare) forms around the head, and whatever other body parts are being boiled. It is then seasoned to taste (most likely with the screams of children) and served with some bread soaking in the broth itself. If the stomach is being served as well, then that would most likely be filled with rice and lamb before being sewn shut to keep all that stomach-flavored goodness inside.

Pacha2

Perhaps the worst part of the dish is that once you get over the oddness of eating a boiled sheep’s head, all you’re really doing is eating sheep meat, until the terror reveals itself with each consecutive mouthful of boiled head meat. Piece by piece and scrap of flesh by scrap of flesh, you will slowly reveal the rictus grin of the sheep skull beneath. Depending on whether or not you opt to have the eyeballs removed or left in, by the time you finish your pacha, you’ll be left with a skull on a plate, its empty eye-sockets a hollow mockery of their former selves.

Dog Meat

Not the friendly dog companion from Fallout, but rather the meat from dogs, cooked to taste. These dogs that are to be served as food are raised in the same manner as other consumable animals, on farms to eventually be slaughtered. The attitudes of a culture towards dog meat vary greatly from country to country, however it is the general consensus amongst Westerners that eating dog meat is regarded as being taboo, but of course there are some for and some against the idea (and not just limited to those in the West, as some inhabitants of dog-eating cultures are also opposed to the idea), as with most ideas.

Dogmeat1

Amongst the cultures that do tend to opt for dog-flesh, it is usually only dogs reared specifically for eating that are consumed, as opposed to others that are raised to be pets. A dog can be prepared and cooked in a number of different ways, as with more commonplace meats, but can involve being boiled, skinned or even flash-burned to remove all the fur in one go. The dog meat itself is typically stewed with a thick gravy before serving. However, as with the majority of these things, the preparation and serving methods will vary greatly from region to region and culture to culture. Woof woof, nom nom.

Dogmeat2

Haggis

Whilst this dish is popularly thought of to be of Scottish origin, the first known recipes for the vile thing have been found in parts of North-West England. The meal – if it can be called as such – traditionally consists of the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, mashed up with things like salt, onion, oatmeal, suet and other seasonings, all boiled inside the sheep’s stomach (although most commercial haggis these days is prepared in standard casing as opposed to an actual stomach).

Haggis1

Since its conception – which must have been purely by accident, perhaps after an entire sheep fell into some mashed up onions and stuff – haggis has become a traditional Scottish dish, immortalized in the Robert Burns poem “Address to a Haggis” and traditionally served with swede and potatoes, along with a glass of whiskey as part of a Burns supper.

Haggis2

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 58 Comments »

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Jul. 7th 2009

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Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | No Comments »

Vote for the Most Disgusting Delicacy in the World

Mar. 24th 2009

disgusting delicacies

While putting together our list of disgusting delicacies we realized that we may have missed some, and that our audience would likely be able to outmatch our choices. Hundreds of great entries poured in, and you guys listed some interesting dishes!

Which of these delicacies is the most disgusting?

View Results

Need more background information? Here are links to more information for the finalist entries for the crown of world’s most disgusting delicacy.

The winning submission will win $500. Voting ends at noon Eastern on April 13th. Best of luck to the entrants! We track IP addresses to prevent vote stuffing and other such gaming attempts.

Update: Below is a snapshot we took to record the final results. Congratulations to Jianu Lucian for the winning entry.

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 29 Comments »

Namibian Warthog Anus

Mar. 24th 2009
Warthog.
Warthog.

The most disgusting dish I’ve ever seen (and I’ve actually eaten sheep’s head, stinkhead, and moose nose jelly) is the Namibian Warthog Anus that Anthony Bourdain feasted on when he took a trip into the African bush with Namibian bushmen.

Nambian Warthog Anus al dente.
Nambian Warthog Anus al dente.

To cook Namibian Warthog Anus, kill and gut the warthog and pull out the anus with the last 1 foot of intestine attached. Squeeze out the feces, but don’t wash the anus or intestine. Make a fire and throw the juicy anus directly into it, ignore the dirt and ashes that will cover the anus. When the anus is al dente – be sure not to cook it too long – cut it into bite sized pieces and serve immediately. For a picture, check out this video:

Submitted by Laurie Constantino

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 8 Comments »

Raw Monkey Brains

Mar. 24th 2009
Marmoset Baby Monkey in a Tree.
Marmoset Baby Monkey in a Tree.

This is disgusting primarily because of the very high risk of contracting fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other similar brain diseases. In parts of China, the monkey’s brain is eaten raw. While it is most likely an urban legend, some people claim that monkeys’ brains are, or were, eaten from the head of a live monkey.

Monkey Brains.
Monkey Brains.

The monkey’s head was supported by its neck in a bracket, two pieces of wood with a semicircular hole on each side such that when you put them together, they form a complete circle around the animal’s neck, allowing the head to be exposed above the plank. The hair around the head is shaven with a shaving razor. A small chisel and a hammer is used to quickly chisel a circle around the crown, and the top part of the skull is removed. A teaspoon is used to scoop up the brain, which is immediately eaten. This has to be done before the monkey dies.

Monkey with exposed brain taking his last selfie on his cell phone.
Monkey with exposed brain taking his last selfie on his cell phone.

Submitted by Getophe

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 27 Comments »

Widgety Grubs – Giant Australian Tree Maggots

Mar. 24th 2009

widgety grubs

Widgety grubs – giant tree maggots here in Australia, about the size of a human thumb. Eat raw and wiggling. I’ve tried them, they are kind of gooey and eggy, but they can bite your tongue if you forget to bite their heads off.

Submitted by Bernice, Photo by Richard Giles

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 6 Comments »

Caldo de Cardan – Bolivian Bull Penis

Mar. 24th 2009
Photo of a brown young bull running at matador in Sevilla, Spain.
Photo of a brown young bull running at matador in Sevilla, Spain.

In Boliva the world famous Caldo de Cardan soup is a dish based around the bull penis and testicles as the key ingredients. The penis is sliced thinly and takes the cardan name from local slang, based on how it looks like a car’s drive shaft.

Caldo de Cardán Preparation

The following video is in Spanish, but it shows the preparation process for the dish.

Caldo de Cardán Soupa Ingredients

Bull testicles are optional with some preferring to eat the dish without them. The soup contains many other ingredients like:

  • a lamb rib
  • chicken breast
  • a hard boiled egg
  • potatoes
  • rice
  • Bolivian beef jerky

The heavy bull penis is chopped into small pieces which sink to the bottom of the dish and the eater works their way through the other ingredients.

Why do People Eat Caldo de Cardán?

The soup is both affordable and delicious due to the extended cooking time and flavorful ingredients. The broth is typically cooked the night before the dish is served and cooked on low heat throughout the night.

The energy boosting soup is believed to help with sexual impotency, anemia and hangovers.

It costs around $2 per serving (in 2020 USD) and is frequently sold in close proximity to Bolivian bull slaughterhouses.

Bolivian Caldo de Cardan Soup.
Bolivian Caldo de Cardan Soup.

More information is available online in Spanish at MDZ Online [link to Wayback Machine version of article hosted on Archive.org]. A reader named John helped up by providing a translation of the above referenced 2009 article in the comments section. Here is his translation:

In Bolivia they do not need Viagra, there is a common broth.

To fight fatigue, but not with an energizing drink of “Red Bull”, they say this increases sexual potency. But it is not Viagra. It is a common broth, a curiosity of the Bolivian cuisine that seems to be gaining more and more support among those in need an extra push or clear mind after a long celebration.

Weekends, and always after dawn, many Bolivians fill the restaurants in the city of El Alto and the slums of La Paz in search of the intense flavor of the broth, whose main ingredient is the virile member of the bull.

Consumed by people of all ages, including women, convinced that it is an effective cure for a hangover. Some attribute aphrodisiac properties and some will recommend it for back pain and joints.

“It’s like my breakfast. The first thing I eat when I get up,” confessed Bráñez Benito, a resident of El Alto for 59 years, who has eaten the broth for the last decade.

The popular soup takes its name from the similarity between the member of a bull, and the mechanical tube located at the base of a car which carries the force of the engine to the rear wheels.

The secret of the mint broth’s effectiveness lies in preparedness. “As a concentrate, we cook it from 10 pm until the next morning,” Luque said in July, owner of a restaurant whose specialty is the popular soup.

The liquid acquires in this way, according to connoisseurs, the strength of the bull, contained in the testes.

“The long, slow cooking in huge pots heated with wood fire stoves or liquefied petroleum gas, makes taurine (a substance present in many energy drinks) which is mixed with the broth” explained Luque, who has prepared the porridge for the last 17 years with a recipe he learned in the central region of Cochabamba, where he worked as a kitchen helper.

“Almost 10 hours of cooking so that the broth is concentrated, this is one of the secrets, the other is taking it tomorrow,” said Cristina Poma, wife of Luque and cook in the restaurant that they handle.

After cooking, the broth takes on a creamy consistency and only then are small pieces of the bulls member mixed in the dish with lots of legs of beef, chicken and lamb, boiled egg, some rice and potato. The potato is ubiquitous in Andean Bolivian cuisine.

“I like it because it is rich,” said Bráñez sipping the broth, which, by the variety of ingredients has a pleasant and intense flavor.

For her part, Surco Lucio said: “I have nine children thanks to the broth” while lifting her chest and shoulders to lift up her younger son, Marco, who she said will, from time to time, taste the succulent dish.

“The broth is a universal tradition,” added the young man carrying a piece in a plastic bag. A single dose of just 12 bolivianos, will cost you a little over a dollar and a half.

Submitted by Miguel

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 2 Comments »

South American Telmatobius Frog Smoothie

Mar. 24th 2009
Telmatobius aquatic frog.
Isolated photo of a telmatobius aquatic frog on white background.

In some South American countries like Peru people may take endangered Telmatobius frogs, skin and cut them, then throw them into a blender to make a frog smoothie.

titicaca waterfrog
Photo of the underside of a titicaca water frog isolated on black background.

To complete the dish a few other ingredients are added to the blender:

  • three ladles of hot white bean broth
  • two generous spoonfuls of honey
  • raw aloe vera plant
  • several tablespoons of maca
  • 1 dead, skinned, endangered Telmatobius frog
Woman blending a frog smoothie.
Woman blending a frog smoothie.

The above recipe makes about 200ml of smoothie.

Frog Smoothie.
Man Drinking a Frog Smoothie.

Here is a video showcasing of the process of making a frog smoothie.

Some believe this helps with fatigue, anemia, bronchitis, or stress. These uses have not been approved by the FDA.

Submitted by Adam

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 2 Comments »

Kutti Pi – Fresh Goat Fetus

Mar. 24th 2009
Kutti Pi Screenshot.
Screenshot from National Geographic short video about the preparation of kutti pi.

Kutti pi, which is an Anglo-Indian dish consisting of an animal fetus (of any sort- usually goat or cow). National Geographic published a video of a woman preparing the dish on YouTube.

Merchants at spare parts markets sell kutti pi though doing so is taboo, so they deliver the dish to her home rather than selling it on camera.

Supply of kutti pi is hit or miss with availability determined by if a pregnant mother goat (or other animal) was recently slaughtered. The lady preparing the dish suggests a medium sized kutti pi is ideal as it yields plenty of flesh to eat, yet the goat fetus still remains free of hair.

The ideal stage of the fetus is beyond embryo state but of course not yet live. If you split the difference on the following two images it would be almost perfect.

Goat Embryo.
Goat Embryo.

An embryo is the early stage of the animal development where critical body structure and organs are formed. In humans an embryo switches over into the fetus stage 9 weeks after the egg is fertilized or in the 11th week of a pregnancy. Humans have a 40 week or 280 day gestation period. Goats, by contrast, have a 5 month or 150 day gestational period.

Young baby goats grazing on grass on a farm.
Baby goats grazing on grass on a farm.

A female goat is called a doe or nanny and can reach puberty between 4 to 12 months.

Not sure what makes me more quesy; all the organs for sale in the market or the fact shes’s holding her modern car keys while bargaining for a fetal goat.

Submitted by Alli.

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 2 Comments »

Cooked Dog Meat :(

Mar. 24th 2009

Cooked Dog Heads

This is all I could find about this certain “delicacy”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat

Dog meat is eaten in some countries and certain breeds of dogs are raised on farms and slaughtered for their meat. Dog meat may be consumed as an alternative source of meat or for specific medicinal benefits attributed to various parts of a dog. In parts of the world where dogs are kept as pets, people generally consider the use of dogs for food to be a social taboo.

Cultural attitudes, legalities, and history regarding eating dog meat varies from country to country. Very little statistical information is available on attitudes to the consumption of dog meat. Though the consumption of dog meat is generally viewed as taboo in Western culture, some Westerners support the right to eat dog meat and accuse other Westerners who protest against dog eating in other countries of cultural imperialism and intolerance

Submitted by Jianu Lucian

Vietnam Dog Meat Merchant

As of 2014 it is estimated 25 million dogs are eaten globally each year.

Added: a comment linked to the following news article: China’s pork crisis piques interest in dog and cat meat, as animal activists raise the alarm over illegal slaughter

Pork vendors are complaining about losing market share to dog meat sellers

“They have taken away a lot of our business this year because now dog meat, as well as cat meat, is cheaper than pork and beef,” said the vendor, while pointing at a dog meat stand doing a roaring trade at the city’s bustling Ximen fresh market in December.

And people are suggesting dog meat is a great gift as it becomes more mainstream.

“Dog meat tastes better than pork. Why not choose dog meat to treat guests, because it’s no longer affordable to order pork?” – Luo Liu, Jiangxi resident

Cooked Dog Heads

Here is a disturbing video on Twitter of a Chinese man cooking a live dog. 🙁

Posted by Brad | in Disgusting Delicasies | 41 Comments »