Intriguing Cultural Foods From Across The World
Hey Tourist! You will be introduced to many unique foods when you become a world traveler. While you may long for steak and potatoes, eating the local cuisines gives you a rich cultural experience you cannot get any other way. Eating traditional recipes prepared with recipes handed down through generations in the area where you are traveling helps support the local economy. Just like your grandmother's recipe for dinner rolls or fried chicken, these foods usually taste better. If you are going to be traveling to these locations, you will want to make sure to try these local foods.
Africa
While it is called mutura in Kenya and many parts of Africa, it is also known as black pudding, and you will want to try it when visiting Africa. This entrée can be made with parts from cows or sheep, though it is most commonly made of minced goat meat. The meat is combined with a variety of spices before being stuffed into the animal's intestines. Most recipes for black pudding contain Piri Piri chili peppers, which are medium-hot peppers often nicknamed African Red Devil peppers. The pudding is also often flavored with ginger, garlic, scallions, and cilantro. Made from goat, the better parts of the animal are reserved for other dishes before the fat and less desirable parts are ground to make this sausage. Then, as stated, chefs combine it with the seasonings before stuffing it in the warm animal's intestines or stomach and frying it. The entire process often happens in less than three hours.
Continue reading to learn about a Japanese cultural food with an acquired taste.
Japan
Even among native Japanese residents, shiokara can be an acquired taste because of its saltiness. It is often served in Japanese bars where it is washed down with a salt of sake. There are several varieties of shiokara, but they all consist of about sixty percent diced marine animal meat, ten percent salt and thirty percent malted rice. Some types of shiokara even have special names. For example, ganzuke is made with diced crab, konowata is made with diced sea cucumber, mefun is made with diced salmon, and shuto is made with diced tuna. Other times, various marine animals are diced together to make this dish's creamy texture. Regardless of the marine animal used, the meat is usually pressed through a sieve, so all but the membrane is used. When you travel to Japan, do not be surprised if a bowl of this food is brought to your table before your drinks, as its saltiness will encourage you to order more to drink if you can get paste its taste and strong odor.
Continue reading to find out what visitors to South Korea will eat if they wish to eat like a local.
South Korea
You will likely be served beondegi when eating like a local in South Korea. While canned beondegi can be found in most South Korean grocery stores, this delicacy made from silkworm pupae is usually better when bought from a food truck or street vendor. Do not worry about trying to find it, as you can just let your nose lead the way because this snack smells a lot like wet athletic socks. Expect it to be served in a paper cup with skewers to pick up the pieces. This creation was first served during the Korean War when other sources of protein were scarce. If you are brave enough to eat one, you will discover the outside is crunchy, but be ready for it to squirt into your mouth. In fact, the first time you try this ethnic food, you may want to do it by yourself while facing a trash can as many people report wanting to puke. The brave, however, may discover this is their favorite snack food.
Ready to travel to and eat in Cambodia? Keep reading to reveal the next delicacy.
Cambodia
When you travel to Cambodia, you simply must try fried spider. In fact, this delicacy is often eaten by locals at birthday parties and on other special occasions. Cambodians first started eating these fried tarantulas when the country was under Communist rule, and food was extremely scarce, but they discovered they really loved their taste. Hunters even go out into forests to find tarantula nests in holes. Hot water is then poured into the hole so someone can then collect the spiders. They are brought to restaurants and street vendors in bags while they are still alive. After hot oil is heated, the spider is placed in it alive and cooked until the legs become brittle. People eat the whole fried spider by gnawing on the legs and sucking the meat out of the heads and stomachs. The head meat is reported to taste a lot like chicken, but the stomach is considered the best part because it is often filled with juicy spider eggs.
The next delicacy on the list is from Mexico. Keep reading to reveal it!
Mexico
If you travel to Mexico, you may find stink bugs are considered a delicacy there. They are often placed live inside a tortilla and served at rural restaurants in the country, where they are often washed down with agave-derived liquor. Depending on the weather and the season, getting an order of stink bugs delivered to your table can be quite expensive when you travel. Many diners claim they have a powerful anise-like flavor before finishing with a cinnamon aftertaste. You must dine quickly to enjoy this delicacy, however, as these bugs do not sit still and may crawl out of your taco. Since they can release an obnoxious odor, some restaurants wash the stink bugs before serving them to help control the odor problem.
Ready to eat like a local in the next country your travel to? It will be a delicious and cultural experience to be sure.