This is not such common food and you don’t really have a chance to find it on every corner. However, traveling mostly to Asia could ensure that you encounter these types of food. Check out 4 most dangerous foods on the planet.
1. Puffer Fish
Puffer fish or fugu is the funny looking creature of the sea. You must have seen it at least in cartoons – it’s a normal looking fish until it gets scared. Then it turns into a floated balloon with spikes. Believe it or not, it is one of the most precious delicacies in Japan. It is also very poisonous.
Puffer fish contains a poison called tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin 1200 times stronger than cyanide. The biggest amount of the toxin is found in the liver, skin and ovaries of the fish, but still the whole fish is poisonous. Plus, tetrodotoxin cannot be degraded by heat, so cooking the fish does not help.
In order to become a certified fugu chef, one needs years of devoted training and passing a final test that includes preparing the fugu for himself. Only 30% of chefs pass the exam and around 100 people die of consuming fugu each year. Only the meat can be eaten, but it creates a numbing sensation in your mouth.
So, why would anyone eat that, especially if I tell you that one serving can reach up to 300$? They say it is delicious and that it brings lots of health benefits. Still, I would think twice before trying it.
2. Horseshoe Crabs
Horseshoe crabs are considered a delicacy in Asia. That is one really ugly creature that looks like something that came out of the movie “Alien”. Oh yes, it could kill you too.
The mystic around the horseshoe crabs is not completely clear. Some people say that they are not poisonous at all, while others claim that they too contain tetrodotoxin. However, a lot of people are allergic to substances from the roe, which is the only part of the crab that is eaten.
Consuming horseshoe crabs can lead to severe allergic reactions, difficulties in breathing, coma and even death. Mangrove horseshoe crabs are not safe to eat, because they are said to contain the aforementioned tetrodotoxin.
3. Snakes
Snakes are not really favorite animals among people. Most of us are afraid of them, and for a good reason – snakes can kill you with a single bite. On the other hand, in many cultures around the world, snakes are valued as food.
Preparing snakes is generally more of a danger then eating them is. Almost all snake toxins are degraded by cooking, so even poisonous snakes are safe to eat. The first thing you need to do when preparing a snake, is of course to remove the toxin. If the poor snake is by chance in Vietnam or Japan, the poison will end up in a bottle of snake wine.
Snake wine is made with pouring the snake venom into rice wine. Sometimes, the whole snake is put into the wine. This is known as Habu sake or Habushu in Okinawa, because habu snake is put inside the wine.
They say that the wine tastes amazing and that it cures many diseases. However, not all the toxins are dissolved in the alcohol, so you might end up drinking a potential danger. Once the toxin reaches your stomach, the stomach acid will safely dissolve it. But, if you happen to have a small wound in your mouth or on your stomach wall, you might not feel that good.
4. Eels
Not very eye appealing, they can be quite aggressive and are known to bite – eels are considered food in Asia. Eel’s blood is poisonous to humans and all mammals, and some types of eels – like Morey Eel even have poisonous slime on their skin. Still, people eat them.
Catching and preparing a Morey eel is as dangerous as eating it. Their bite is poisonous, so you’re endangered right from the start. The skin is poisonous, the blood and inner organs are poisonous, so you need to be very careful when handling a Morey eel. At least one of the toxins Morey eel has is a hemolytic.
This means that it breaks down your red blood cells and does not allow a wound to heel. Plus, some of the toxins cannot be degraded with cooking – so the meat is quite dangerous to eat. And yet people eat it. Well, they say it’s delicious and good for your health.
So, how do you feel about trying these foods? They are certainly a temptation, but I have to advise you to be very careful.
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