Some travellers seek adventure by bungee-jumping off bridges or scaling mountains, but then there are the foodie thrill seekers who are willing to taste anything, no matter what the risk.

There’s danger lurking in the cuisines of many popular travel destinations, but these ‘deadly foods’ are often considered a delicacy by locals. Eating these delicacies can cause anything from vomiting and seizures to death, but travellers are queuing up to try these foods for fun and in the spirit of adventure.

Fugu

Also known as the pufferfish or blowfish, fugu can prove fatal and extreme care must be taken if you do decide to try this Japanese delicacy. Fugu contains tetrodotoxin, a compound which is 100 times more poisonous than cyanide. This toxin can cause paralysis, which can lead to heart failure or death by asphyxiation.

There is currently no antidote available, so it’s vitally important to ensure you only ever eat fugu that has been prepared by a trained fugu chef. Chefs will often leave a tiny bit of poison intact to deliver a slight numbing or tingling on the diner’s lips. Fugu can be eaten raw, fried, boiled, in miso soup or as fugu sake. The city of Shimonoseki in Japan may be the safest place to try fugu as there have never been any reported deaths from eating it there.

Blood Clams

This delicious delicacy can be found on the Shanghai black market as it’s now banned for general consumption. The clams are only quick-boiled and this method of cooking leaves harmful bacteria intact. Eating one of these can lead to dysentery, typhoid or even hepatitis A and E.

Research carried out by a Chinese government agency indicated that between 5 to 10 per cent of these clams carry hepatitis.

Giant Bullfrog

Although a delicacy in its native Namibia, eating a Giant Bullfrog could leave you with kidney failure. With this animal, timing is everything. Their skin and internal organs are poisonous to humans but locals say they are safe to eat when they start breeding, which is normally characterised by croaking.

Live Octopus

Known as San Nak Ji in Korea, live octopus is chopped into pieces and seasoned with sesame. The danger with this dish comes from the fact that each octopus tentacle has its own brain and when you eat it the suction cups are still active. This can lead to choking as the octopus piece squirms and the suction cups try to stick to your mouth or throat.

Koreans accustomed to eating live octopus enjoy this part of the process, but risk can be reduced by chewing thoroughly before swallowing.

Cassava

This tropical vegetable is native to South America, where it has been a main food source for Amazonian tribes people for centuries. It has also become popular in Africa as a staple food and main ingredient in a fermented drink called Piwarry. Cassava leaves and roots are high in cyanide and the vegetable must be boiled correctly to remove all of the poison. Another method of extraction involves pounding the tubers into a very fine flour. Consuming flour that has not been finely ground can cause seizures.

Casu Marzu

This bizarre dish is outlawed by the Italian government but of course it can be found on the black market by anyone harbouring a deep desire to visit an Italian doctor. Casu Marzu is a cheese made from Sardinian sheep’s milk, which is left to rot. A certain type of fly is then introduced to lay larvae in the decomposing cheese. When the eggs hatch and the cheese is full of maggots, the feast that is Casu Marzu is ready.

This dish can cause allergic reactions and toxicity from the decaying cheese. The maggots may cause intestinal damage and lacerations as they are resistant to stomach acid, meaning they may decide they want to live in your intestines. If this happens, you can expect vomiting, pain and diarrhoea.

Silver Stripe Blaasop

Found in the Indian Ocean, this fish can cause breathing problems and fatal muscle paralysis if not prepared correctly. The organs and skin are toxic and must be removed before cooking. The Silver Stripe Blaasop has been moving into the Mediterranean and in 2007 there were 10 related deaths in Israel and the popular holiday destination of Egypt.

Ackee Fruit

This Jamaican fruit is high in vitamins and protein but if eaten before it’s fully ripe the results can be fatal. This attractive fruit can cause vomiting and seizures. It has also been known to cause hypoglycaemia, which can lead to hospitalisation and death. The fruit must be cleaned and boiled thoroughly before eating.

Apricot Seeds

Popular in Turkey, where a large number of apricot trees are cultivated, these seeds contain cyanogenetic glycosides. Consuming apricot seeds releases hydrogen cyanide during digestion. Roasting the seeds before consumption can reduce the risks, but consuming large quantities can be fatal.

Elderberries

You may think this fruit is more at home in a jam recipe than on this list, but the stems and leaves of the elderberry plant contain cyanide and are highly poisonous. It’s been rumoured that the Sambuca drink contains extracts of the elderberry plant, but the recipe is a secret and therefore this can’t be verified.

This article was researched and written by the team at TravelSupermarket.com

Tags: deadliest delicacies, deadly foods, foodies, travel cuisine, travel food

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2012 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Guest Writers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.