Articles here lately (except for the previous one) have had a bit of a international aspect to them. I’m going to continue that theme. This time, the topic of food will be the soup du jour.

Part of the excitement in trying new, exotic food is the uncomfortableness. There’s a feeling of adventure in an otherwise normal daily activity. That said, I’m certain that particular foods are much more difficult to acquire a taste for than others. Then, there are things that are just plain weird that humans should not be eating. I decided to search the web and find some of the more quirky and freakish things people eat and where it happens.

- Rotten Shark | Iceland
Shark is supposed to be dangerous to eat so it is buried deep in the sand, usually far away from and houses to keep the smell away. It results in both soft and hard pieces of shark (skyrhakarl and glerhakarl) which is cut and served in small cubes. According to Learning Space, “the tough glerhakarl is recommended for beginners, as the soft skyrhakarl can cause an involuntary gagging reaction due to its texture.”

- Fritto Misto alla Piemontese | Italy
This lovely dish features beef testicle(s) as the savory star. Some instructions…”Boil the testicles for five minutes in lightly salted water, then drain them, cool them under running water, peel the brains, and cut the meat into pieces about an inch in diameter.” Artichokes, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and porcini mushrooms are then added and it is all seasoned with fennel. Probably not bad if you didn’t know what you’re eating.

- Bush Tuckers & Pie Floaters | Australia
While the ingredients are hardly as exotic as the others, these concoctions have funny names. A pie floater is a meat pie, floating in a pool of pea soup, topped with some ketchup. I can get you the full recipe if you want.

- Black Pudding & Drisheen | Ireland
No, the following is not a Halloween prank. These culinary delights are made with a bag of lamb’s intestines and 20 cups sheep or pig blood. These dishes are typically served with bread and butter. If you’d like the recipe please visit Ireland.

Pickled fish eyes | Japan
These can be served on a cracker as a bar snack or appetizer. Also, they can be served in soups or on toothpicks at a party. I’m sure this trend will reach North America very soon, be sure to keep an eye out.

- Banana Worm Bread | Iowa State
The entymology club at Iowa State likes to make food from the insects they study. They have recipes for the above and more such as Rootworm beetle dip, Mealworm fried rice, and Chocolate Chirpie cookies.

That’s about enough. Anyway, I recommend at least trying things like this…I mean, what makes a better story? Trying something like this or chickening out? Or better yet, find out what you’re eating after you ate it. Ignorance can be bliss. As the famed epicurean Homer Simpson once said, “This donut has purple in the middle, purple is a fruit.”