Crazy Food To Try In Asia

Traveling to a new country is not only about enjoying the beauty of new landscapes, discovering a culture and language, or attending a variety of intriguing ethnic events, it also provides an ideal opportunity to taste new and unusual foods you may not have known existed before. As the adage goes, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” With this motto in mind, if you are planning a trip to an Asian country, or if you just want to challenge yourself to prepare a few authentic Asian foods, here is a list of five unconventional dishes you may contemplate sinking your teeth into.

Bird’s Nest Soup

Thought to harness the power of youth, bird’s nest soup is infamous not only for its cost but also for the laborious and controversial process of harvesting the nests of the endangered swiftlets, often referred to as cave swifts. Harvesters must climb to the tops of the caves in treacherous conditions to obtain the coveted nests composed of the swiftlet’s hardened saliva, branches, and leaves. The gelatinous texture of the nest is often combined with milk or sugar and served as a dessert. While some bowls cost an astounding one hundred dollars each, it is no surprise this delicacy is also known as eastern caviar.

Continue reading to learn about the next crazy food to try in Asia, also related to birds.

Chicken Feet

Another proponent of youth, chicken feet contain the protein collagen and offer a clearer and beautiful complexion to those who consume the fowl’s feet. Not only does the specialty fare help the skin, but it is also renowned for diminishing the effects of arthritis, facilitating weight loss through the metabolism of fats, reducing inflammatory pain, and decreasing swelling. These advantages are also why many martial artists consider the bird’s appendage a diet staple. Although often used to in broths or to flavor soups, chicken feet are also prepared with soy sauce and spices, marinated or fried, and are a popular find among street vendors in many Asian cities.

Continue reading to learn what eggs made this list of crazy foods to try in Asia.

Century Egg

Also referred to as one-hundred-year eggs or often, millennium eggs, century eggs are actually prepared in about a month to five weeks. Processing occurs by placing chicken, duck, or quail eggs in a mixture of salt, lime, black tea, and ash, or another combination of chemicals, to penetrate the shell of the egg and harden the egg creating a pine needle flower pattern of brown or green gel in the albumen. Because of their unique pattern, nutrient-rich content, and creamy flavor (much like that of a boiled egg, but exponentially increased), China alone produces nearly 1.5 million tons of these specialties every year.

What dish related to locusts has made it as a crazy food to try in Asia? Keep reading to find out.

Inago

The word used to described locusts in the Japanese language, inago is fried and then boiled in a concoction of sugar and soy sauce in the tsukudani style of simmering for a sweet, yet salty, flavor. The result is a dish known as inago no tsukudani. Primarily composed of locusts, grasshoppers may also be used in an alternative version. Often served in mountainous areas such as Fukushima and Nagano, where seafood was once unavailable, the appetizer is still diet staple in many regions, although some of its popularity has subsided in recent years. These insects are high in protein, unsaturated fat, and helpful in reducing the effects of heart disease.

Continue reading to reveal what eyeballs are considered an Asian delicacy to try.

Tuna Eyeballs

With a flavor similar to squid, tuna eyeballs are commonly found in Asian grocery stores and are most popular during the winter months. With a slippery and soft texture, the quite large eyes, surrounded by the severed muscles and fish fat, are usually boiled and then seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, sake or mirin (rice wine). The dish may also be fried, steamed, or stewed depended on preference. This bizarre delicacy is popular not only for its pleasant taste but also due to the low cost of the dish. In addition, tuna eyeballs have a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, which contributes to their increased demand.