E ach culture has its own culinary traditions and expectations regarding which foods are the tastiest and the most desirable. Some of these food delicacies might seem bizarre, others disgusting, but every now and again you’ll try something new that’s downright wonderful. With that in mind, here are the top 5 delicacies you have to try when travelling the world:
1) Fugu—Japan
This Japanese delicacy is made from the meat of puffer fish (also called fugu) and is considered to be one of the tastiest—and most dangerous—dishes in the world. The perils arise from the fish’s deadly poison, tetrodotoxin, which is mostly found in the liver, ovaries, and skin of puffer fish. As such, Japanese chefs must have a special license to prepare it. Once the toxins are cut away, the meat is popularly prepared as fugu sashimi, which has a delicate—if chewy—texture.
2) White Truffles—Italy
Late fall is white truffle season in Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, and Le Marche, and fine dining establishments across the country are willing to shell out big money to have a little bit of “white gold” to shave onto their pasta dishes or make tasty sauces. The mushroom is often touted for having a woodsy or nutty flavor.
3) Salo—Ukraine
While this dish is eaten in much of Eastern Europe, it is best known as a Ukrainian delicacy. Salo is made from pig fat and prepared in a variety of ways—it can be eaten raw, fried, smoked and sprinkled with salt and pepper, or chopped into fine pieces along with garlic to use as a condiment for beet soup.
4) Foie gras—France
This French delicacy is made from goose or duck liver cooked over low heat. It can be pan-fried over a fillet steak or made into a pate or sauce to give dishes a richer flavour. What exactly does it taste like? Fans of the French dish say that it has a delicate, almost buttery, texture.
5) Sea urchin—The Mediterranean and Japan
These spiky sea creatures may not be the most obvious culinary choice, but people from Japan to the Mediterranean rave about their taste. In Japan, the orange edible probes of these prickly globules are served raw as sashimi or in sushi, dabbed in a bit of wasabi or soy sauce to round out the taste. In the Mediterranean they are also eaten raw after being marinated in oil and lemon juice, fried up with eggs to flavor omelets or scrambled eggs, or tossed with spaghetti and chilli. Their texture is surprisingly soft—not tough—when consumed.
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