A trip through Asia will be an incredibly enlightening trip and one way to immerse yourself fully into the local culture is to try the cuisine on offer. Skip the high-end hotels in favour of street stalls, markets and small eateries. And watch out for these bizarre local delicacies too;
Try balut, a duck that is not completely developed or sometimes a chicken egg that has been boiled inside its shell. A lot of people like to eat this dish across Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, because it is very high in protein. Totally gross but very nutritious!
Sample drunken shrimp in China, particularly Shanghai, which is live shrimp that is bathed in a strong alcoholic liquor. The liquor helps to calm the shrimp down a little bit so you can tuck in with abandon. Just think of sashimi but with a little more life in it.
For a dish with a difference try octopus testicles, which will probably (hopefully) have been deep fried in some type of batter. They are usually served at some of the festivals throughout Japan. And as we know, everything tastes infinitely better when it’s deep fried!
Also on the menu is codfish sperm. As disgusting as it sounds, it is literally the sperm of a codfish, which is served with a special spicy sauce to give it a little bit of flavour. There are only a few parts of Asia (such as Japan) that actually eat this dish.
And finally can we tempt you with a tarantula dish? This must be prepared properly as this arachnid contains very dangerous venom. That said, the tarantula when cooked is crispy on the outside and a little bit gooey on the inside. Cambodia in particular serves up a mean fried tarantula.
