10 Weirdest Cultural Dishes (Pictures)

Cultural dishes around the world can vary greatly, and what may seem weird to one person might be a delicacy in another culture.

Here are some dishes that some people might find unusual or weird:

1. Balut (Philippines): This dish consists of a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in its shell. It's a popular street food in the Philippines.

2. Hákarl (Iceland): This Icelandic dish involves fermented shark meat. The meat is buried underground for several weeks to ferment and then hung to dry for several months. It has a strong ammonia smell and a unique taste.

3. Casu Marzu (Sardinia, Italy): A traditional Sardinian cheese that is known for containing live insect larvae. The larvae help in fermentation, and the cheese is often eaten with the larvae still in it.

4. Fugu (Japan): Fugu is a type of pufferfish that contains a deadly toxin. Specially trained chefs in Japan prepare it, and consuming it is considered risky. The dish is prized for its delicate flavor but requires skill to ensure the poisonous parts are removed.

5. Sannakji (South Korea): This is a live octopus dish. The octopus is chopped into small pieces and served immediately, often still squirming on the plate.

6. Kopi Tubruk (Indonesia): This traditional Indonesian coffee is made by boiling coffee grounds along with a solid lump of sugar. The resulting drink is strong and often leaves a thick layer of grounds at the bottom of the cup.

7. Rocky Mountain Oysters (United States): Despite the name, these "oysters" are not seafood. They are actually deep-fried bull or sheep testicles, a dish popular in some parts of the American West.

8. Surströmming (Sweden): Fermented Baltic sea herring is known for its strong, pungent odor. It's often eaten with potatoes and onions but can be an acquired taste due to its powerful smell.

9. Thousand-Year-Old Eggs (China): Also known as century eggs, these eggs are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months. The eggs develop a unique flavor and texture during the process.

10. Haggis (Scotland): Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish that consists of sheep's heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oatmeal, suet, onions, and various spices, all encased in the sheep's stomach and then boiled. While beloved by many in Scotland, the concept of consuming organ meats and the use of the stomach as a casing can be considered unusual in some cultures.