Traveling is often about trying the unusual and attempting to experience a different culture in the country you’re visiting. One of the best ways to do this is to try the foods locals eat.
They may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the following foods, considered weird and bizarre, or even dangerous to outsiders, are considered delicacies in their countries. Although eating these foods might seem like a form of ‘extreme dining’ to us, they’re tasty everyday or special occasion fare for the people who eat them.
1 – Birds Nest Soup, China
You wouldn’t necessarily think a birds nest would be edible, but the Chinese use Swifts’ nests to make this soup, known as the ‘Caviar of the East’. Right now you’re probably imagining a nest made out of twigs and leaves, but Swiftlets make their nests predominantly out of saliva.“…you’re probably imagining a nest made out of twigs and leaves, but Swiftlets make their nests predominantly out of saliva.”It’s something in the saliva of the bird that makes it have this unique gelatinous, rubbery texture and it’s one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It’s expensive because the swiftlets build the nests during breeding season over a period of 35 days and nests can only be harvested around three times a year. The nests are typically built in coastal caves and collecting them is a treacherous process involving nimble climbing skills, which adds to the hefty price tag.
With an increase in demand for birds nest soup, manmade nesting sites have become common. Hong Kong and the US are the largest importers of birds’ nests and a bowl of the soup can cost between $30 to $100 per bowl, whereas a kilo of nests can cost between $2,000 and $10,000. A tradition for centuries, the soup’s believed to have aphrodisiac qualities in addition to its nutritious protein content.