Disclaimer: This list is not meant to criticize any cultures or traditions. This is purely a judgment based on ingredients and the cooking process.
Recently, I watched a video of a guy eating a gauntlet of horrendous foods, ranking them based upon which food or beverage was the absolute worst. After watching that video, I was sent down a rabbit hole trying to find the most diabolical, the most vial, the most gag-worthy foods ever. Now with a vast knowledge of disgusting food, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you. Enjoy!
- Virgin Boy Eggs (China)
What better way to start the list then with a dish that sounds like it should be illegal! A virgin boy egg is an egg which has been soaked and then boiled in the urine of young boys, preferably below the age of ten.
The way that the urine for this phallic creation is collected is perhaps the most disgusting part of this whole endeavor. Vendors go around to their local primary school and request the boys there to pee into containers. The vendors then take the containers of urine back to their shop and use it to make a little snack.
Apparently, the eggs’ aroma reeks of urine, but the taste is “addictive and satisfying.” Despite how they describe its taste, I would never put this thing anywhere close to my mouth. I cannot comprehend how they came up with this idea nor why. This disgusting egg easily clenches a spot on this list.
- Ttongsul (Korea):
Keeping up with the trend of incorporating feces into spots they don’t belong, we have Ttongsul. A wine made by fermenting the poop of a young child overnight. Need I say more. It’s just downright the most heinous concunction I have ever heard of.
The Koreans believe it to have medicinal properties. But I say with confidence, that is just a misconception. There is no way in hell drinking fermented feces can really help you in any possible way. Just pop an Advil if the headache is that bad.
Just the thought of this horrible drink makes me want to gag.
- Casu Marzu (Italy):
The Italians are just completely out of their mind with this one. Its cheese fermented in, get this, fly larva. That’s right, they use maggots to make this cheese. I don’t even want maggots in my trash can, why would I want them in my cheese?
This little treat is so dangerous and disgusting it is banned in most countries. It was even banned from the very city that made it: Sardinia. However, the people of Sardinia fought for it to be unbanned under the clause that it is a “traditional dish.”
Casu Marzu sounds more like a torture device rather than a good spread for some crackers.
- Balut (Philippines):
Circling back to Asia, this time it’s duck eggs. Don’t worry, these eggs aren’t cooked in feces, rather they are incubated while the embryo is still forming. After about two to three weeks, the egg is boiled – cooking the developing embryo. Balut is then served from the shell and is supposed to be sucked out.
What I find so gross about this one is you can see the entire duck forming. Eyes, feet, bill – everything is visible. The bill and bones are still in a stage where they are gooeying and soft enough to easily be consumed. The embryo, like M&Ms, melts in your mouth.
Now I have heard from podcasts and articles that this is actually a very delicious snack and is a must try if given the opportunity. I have also heard that this food is one of the best hangover cures out there. So after a long night out, balut might be the protein packed snack for you.
I definitely think this is the least disgusting item on this list (which is a low bar). I could see myself trying this given certain circumstances. However, being able to see the duck damn near completely developed and the bill being a gooey soup secures this item a slot on this list.
- Fruit Bat Soup (Guam):
This one makes the list purely because it is just straight up deadly. Fruit bat soup is exactly how it sounds – a soup made with the meat of a fruit bat. The meat smells like urine while being cooked, but apparently the taste is incredible. It is a tad sweet and greatly resembles chicken. The soup was such a popular dish the people of Guam hunted the poor animal to extinction.
The issue with this dish is that Guam Fruit Bats eat a mixture of seeds that create toxins within their bloodstream. When fruit bats are consumed by humans these toxins can develop Lytico-bodig disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers. No matter how scrumptious a meal might be, it is not worth literal death. For that, Fruit Bat Soup solidifies itself in the final spot on this list.
I find dishes like these so interesting. It just makes me think, “Who in their right mind thought this would be a good idea?” It also makes me think, “Are there meals we eat in the U.S. that foreigners would gag if they saw?” I’m sure many foreigners would find hot dogs and our overly processed foods just as gross as I found some of these items.
If you found this list to be as interesting as I did, I recommend you do more research on your own. I found so many dishes when I did. Dish that makes your skin crawl with disgust. Dishes you would not believe are consumed by other human beings.
