Eating out-of-date food is a gamble. On one hand, it could be perfectly fine; on the other, it could lead to crippling diarrhea and a ruined sofa. With that in mind, we’d advise people to avoid eating while reading this—not because it’s disgusting, but because it teaches us that food can be left for a lot longer than most of us assume. For example, consider . . . 

10 Kiviaq, The Dish You Leave Outside For 18 Months

In Greenland, during the colder winter months, food was traditionally incredibly scarce. Natives came up with a rather ingenious solution to the problem of potentially starving to death: kiviaq, a food that stays edible for up to a year, even if you leave it outside.

We should point out that we’re using the word “edible” very liberally here. Kiviaq is so pungent it’s advised to never eat it indoors, but it does stave off hunger, which is why we assume people still tolerate it. The dish is made by shoving as many auks (sea birds) into a seal carcass as possible, which is usually between 300 and 400 birds. The seal skin is then sewn up and stored under rocks.

The tiny auks liquefy and melt into a fine gooey paste. It may not be tasty, or good at parties, but you have to be impressed that you can leave food out in a pit and still be able to eat it a year later. Try that with a sandwich and a squirrel will just take it. But speaking of sandwiches . . . 

9 Battle Butties, The Sandwich That’s Fresh Two Years After You Buy It

The military has had a tradition of feeding personnel long-lasting, freeze-dried meals, but soldiers would always ask for the one thing they’d rather be eating: a simple fresh sandwich.

Scientists found two problems while trying to create a non-perishable sandwich. Bread goes stale, and the filling makes the bread soggy. Both problems may have been solved with the invention of “Battle Butties” a new, long-lasting sandwich that can sit for an astounding two years before going stale.

The creators say their ultimate goal is to create an immortal peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but in the meantime, soldiers have been generally positive about the fillings already on offer. As once soldier put it, “They’re the best two-year-old sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.”

We guess that’s as a good a review as they’re going to get.

8 Hardtack, The Cracker That Lasts For Years

When the military doesn’t feel like bothering with such details as “freshness” and “flavor,” it comes up with low-tech foods that last a good deal longer than any sandwich. For centuries, soldiers and sailors dined on a type of cracker called “hardtack.” The cracker contains just water, flour, and salt, and it’s specifically made to be as dry as possible to increase its lifespan. Though it’s commonly associated with the Civil War, variations on the hardtack recipe have existed for hundreds if not thousands of years.

We don’t really know the upper limit of hardtack’s lifespan, but soldiers regularly received year-old hardtack during the Civil War. These soldiers were so wary of the cracker that they often joked that the “BC” stamp on it represented not the bakers initials, but the date it was made.

Due to its exceptional dryness, a properly stored cracker would indeed last for years, at which point it could be eaten by adding it to water, coffee, or even whisky. Although you could eat hardtack dry, it was highly advised not to. If you’re wondering why, an alternate name for hardtack was “tooth dullers.”

Though unsubstantiated, persistent rumors even say hardtack made during the Civil War was later reissued during the Spanish-American War 35 years later.

7 Rations That Lasted 40 Years

Actually, never mind those rumors about hardtack. We know for certain that some military rations have lasted 35 years—and then some.

Stories tell of rations dating back as far as World War II being eaten up to 75 years after being prepared, but we’d like to focus on one story in particular. Mainly because the food in question is cake, a food that normally goes bad in just days.

US Army Colonel Henry Moak made a promise to himself that on the day he retired, he’d eat a piece of pound cake issued to him during the Vietnam War. True to his word, at his retirement ceremony in 2009, Moak opened and then consumed a 40-year-old piece of cake. He cut it with a sabre, of course, for optimal coolness.

Asked about the taste, Moak responded with a simple thumbs up, which means either it tasted great or he wanted an ambulance.

6 The Chicken Eaten After 50 Years

When Les Lailey married his wife Beryl in 1956, he made a promise that one-upped Colonel Moak’s. The pair received a can of chicken in a wedding gift hamper, and Les proclaimed to his new wife, “On our 50th wedding anniversary, I will eat that can of chicken.”

That can of chicken served as a constant sentinel to their marriage over the next 50 years. And on their anniversary in 2006, Les opened the can and dug in. He suffered no ill effect, other than a canned-shaped hole in his life as a result of eating poultry older than most people he’d ever met.

5 The 64-Year-Old Can Of Lard

Some of you may not even know what lard is, since it’s one of those things you rarely see anymore. Lard is animal fat that was commonly used in cooking. It can also be eaten raw, or with bread if you really have nothing else to cook with it.

We don’t advise people to take that latter option, but it’s the path eventually chosen by German food expert Hans Feldmeier. Hans received a can of lard in 1948 as part of a care package to Germany from the US, and he decided that he’d save the freedom fat for emergencies.

Sixty-four years later, no emergency had presented itself. But Hans did find himself getting into an argument one day about canned foods and expiry dates. The man pointed to his own can of lard (which had no expiry date on it) as proof that food in cans lasts more or less indefinitely.

Hans’s argument convinced no one, so he put his lard where is mouth was, opening the can and eating the contents. This proved his point, and also gave him the worst case of stink breath recorded in German history.

4 The 125-Year-Old Cake, Eaten By Jay Leno

We were pretty impressed a little while back by the army’s aged pound cake, but if we choose a different cake type, we can up the ante quite a bit. Bakers and cake aficionados reading this are likely well aware that fruit cake takes months to make properly and can last for years. Under the right conditions, science says that a fruitcake could last forever.

Fidelia Bates baked a regular fruitcake for Thanksgiving in 1878. She died before the holiday, and her family sentenced the cake to eternity in limbo beneath a plastic cover. In 2003, the ancient fruitcake got a last shot at life when Morgan Ford, Fidelia’s 83-year-old great grandson, sent it to Jay Leno at the Tonight Show. He took a bite with no visible ill effects.

3 Wine Drunk After Hundreds Of Years

Wine does indeed last for centuries, and people regularly pay incredible amounts for bottles found in forgotten larders or shipwrecks. But how often do those buyers actually end up drinking from the bottle? Rarely maybe—but it happens.

In 2010, for example, Finnish divers found 200-year-old bottles of beer and champagne in a boat wrecked in the middle of the Baltic sea. Researchers drank several of them after testing and declaring them safe for consumption. It just so happens that the bottom of the ocean is a great place to store alcohol. According to champagne bigwig Richard Juhlin, “Bottles kept at the bottom of the sea are better kept than in the finest wine cellars.”

As for the beer, the crew were hugely excited about it. Along with getting to shotgun a bottle older than a house, they had the chance to analyze the contents to replicate the recipe. The beer fizzed up as they opened it, indicating that the yeast inside it was still alive.

In other parts of the world, people have dug up and drunk even older bottles of wine. Perhaps the oldest ever were consumed by wine experts working with the Museum of London in 1999. The team tested 300-year-old wine bottles from a nearby archaeological excavation and then promptly drank the contents, for science. The experts described the irreplaceable wine as “fresh, clean, lively.” Which is pretty much what you’d find written on a 10-dollar bottle of plonk at 7/11. Great insight, guys.

2 Honey Edible After Thousands Of Years

Honey will virtually never go bad. Ever.

It can last for “millennia,” according to the Smithsonian Institute. This is because of honey’s acidic nature, and because it is “hygroscopic,” which is fancy way of saying it contains little moisture.

Honey is so hardy that scientists opening up ancient Egyptian tombs have found completely edible pots of honey among the 5,000-year-old mummies.

1 Animals Eaten After 50,000 Years

That’s not a typo. People have actually eaten food older than most of humanity itself.

If you’re wondering which magical animals have flesh edible after such a length of time, we hate to disappoint you by not answering, “Unicorns.” But we’ll try to make up for that disappointment by answering with: “Extinct ones.”

Mammoth corpses can and have been found with plenty of meat on their bones, due to the bodies lying in areas covered in permafrost. Some of this flesh is indeed edible. Many unconfirmed but interesting stories tell of hungry explorers, usually Russian ones, taking bites out of mammoth corpses.

We also have some confirmed cases of people eating food tens of thousands of years old. Like the paleontologists who cooked and ate a dish made with the marrow of a 50,000-year-old horse bone. Or the researchers who ate a piece of meat from a 36,000-year-old bison corpse, for no other reason than to see if they could.

We guess what we’re trying to say is one of two things. One: Old food isn’t going to kill you if you’re careful. Two: Studying hard might let you eat a dinosaur steak.

If you’d like to contact Karl, you can do so via Twitter or Facebook.

Chicken is a popular staple when it comes to making protein-packed meals. From Chick-fil-A to Nashville fried chicken, there isn’t a clever spin on chicken that hasn’t filled the stomach of many.

Chicken eggs are also popular in worldwide cuisine due to their versatile nature, texture, and overall taste. Despite the various ways that these eggs can be cooked, eating chicken eggs is going to be a similar experience no matter how they’re made.

Yet some people crave more than just a simple hen’s egg. They may want something richer or lighter, maybe slightly fishy, or possibly something so out there that even considering eating it seems a bit bizarre.

10 Fish

Caviar is a costly, delicious treat made of fish eggs that appeals to the taste of many.

Beluga caviar is the most expensive form of fish eggs. The cost can vary—sometimes ranging from $3,000 to $4,000. In fact, Iran made the Guinness World Records’ list for their beluga caviar, which sold for $34,500. It was considered a rarity as it came from an albino sturgeon.

In general, the beluga sturgeon is endangered, which makes the price tag of its eggs high. However, more affordable sources of caviar are available.

Fish eggs are often placed on sushi. Flying fish eggs are the most common type used. They have a reddish color and a notorious “pop” when eaten. While larger, salmon eggs can also be used on sushi as well as eaten by themselves. These versatile eggs are often found in California supermarkets and restaurants. They can be eaten with rice, mixed in pasta sauce, cooked in an omelet, or eaten raw. Salmon eggs are soft and come seasoned in a variety of flavors.^[1]

In Japan, fish eggs are a specialty. On New Year’s Eve, a traditional food is cooked herring fish eggs (kazunoko). With their salty, slightly fishy taste, these eggs are normally eaten alone or paired with rice when served on a New Year’s menu.

Oddly enough, feeding babies ground-up salmon eggs has been recommended by the USDA to aid in normal development. The taste of salmon eggs may even pair nicely with butternut squash or sweet potato baby food.

9 Ant

Small and able to lift twice their size, ants have many uses. In some countries, the eating of ants—and their eggs—is a tradition that has been carried out for years.

Ant eggs come in various sizes, depending on the type of ant and the region in which it lives. For example, red ant eggs from Thailand are larger than the typical ant egg. They are said to have a slightly sour taste. Red ant eggs can be used in salads, made into a curry, cooked in omelets, or even eaten on their own.

In Mexico, ant eggs are referred to as escamole and have been eaten since the time of the Aztecs. These eggs are said to have a more nut-related taste. They are either fried with spices or added to tacos and omelets. Many times, these eggs are served alone, often eaten with guacamole and chips.

This peculiar but not unreasonable interest in using ant eggs has spread to North America, where restaurants are starting to use them in salads, omelets, and even ice cream. When out for ice cream, it might be best to ask just what sort of eggs have been used after all.^[2]

8 Emu

Often confused with ostriches due to their similar size and long necks, emus are huge birds whose eggs are in significant demand. Emu eggs weigh about 0.9 kilograms (2 lbs) and are a stunning blue-green color. However, the selling point is that one emu egg equals roughly 12 chicken eggs.

Eating emu eggs is common in Australia, where the birds are endemic. In fact, there has been a spike in demand in the past few years.

As emu eggs are 50 percent whites and 50 percent yolks, the eggs can be used for a variety of dishes from breakfast to dessert. Australia’s demand for emu eggs has increased as cooking shows and restaurants look to add these eggs to their menus, either by scrambling, frying, or even turning the eggs into milkshakes.^[3]

In the United States, the popularity of emu eggs is also rising. Restaurants have started to add them to their dishes at up to $90 an egg. A dish with one egg serves up to six people and is scrambled with mushrooms and black truffles.

Even farmers’ markets are quickly selling out of emu eggs, which go for around $20 each! They are said to have a more decadent taste than chicken eggs, though you may have to taste them to believe it.

7 Seagull

Seagulls seem to be everywhere you don’t want them to be, especially if you’re trying to enjoy a nice day at the beach or picnicking in a park. A way to take out your frustrations with these birds is simply eating their eggs.

There has been a sharp increase in demand for seagull eggs, leading to a decrease in egg production and in the birds themselves. This is because their eggs are said to be much richer than chicken eggs. Seagull eggs are almost creamy in texture when cooked, making them even more delectable.^[4]

While these eggs are mostly eaten hard-boiled, they can also be fried, poached, scrambled, and served with meat. Due to their creamy nature, they’re good for use in baking as they add extra lightness that chicken eggs don’t have. In London, seagull eggs are served in high-end restaurants with caviar, truffles, and even foie gras.

Due to the conservation laws in England, the cost of seagull eggs is around £7 or almost $9 for just one egg. In Canada, the restrictions make eating a seagull egg a delicacy that happens once a year. When this time comes, those in Ahousaht prefer to eat their eggs the simple way: scrambled.

While seagulls might be everywhere, getting your hands on a cooked seagull egg can be harder than imagined.

6 Turtle

For a time, turtles were known as the pets that caused Salmonella outbreaks in children. This led to restrictions on which turtles could be pets, further limiting which turtle eggs could be incubated. Although some have found that turtles may not make the healthiest pets, their eggs might just have another use—breakfast.

In the US, eating turtle eggs became so common that it is now illegal to sell, consume, or produce turtle eggs in some states. This is a way to aid in species preservation, which is also happening in many other countries such as Nicaragua. There, turtle eggs are a highly sought-after dish.

In Nicaragua, the soft-shell turtle eggs can be cooked in soups or placed raw in salads. When eating them raw, the eggs are placed in boiling water for only a matter of seconds to absorb a mixture of garlic and onions before they’re served in a salad with a variety of leafy greens.

The taste of turtle eggs has been described as slimy and less appetizing when compared to other types of eggs. But there is a supposed surprise benefit to eating turtle eggs. In Indonesia, Mexico, and Nicaragua, turtle eggs are said to be an aphrodisiac that can aid in men’s potency.^[5]

5 Crocodile

Many people think of the crocodile as a fierce, almost prehistoric reptile with dangerous teeth and scaly skin. But others see these creatures as a source of food—whether it is their meat or, strangely enough, their eggs.

In fact, crocodile meat and eggs are so popular in places like Jamaica and Australia that the species started to be at risk of becoming endangered. Still, those who want crocodile eggs search for nests that aren’t being watched by the mother crocs. The eggs are then thoroughly washed because they are hosts for fungi. Then the eggs are cooked by themselves or added to other dishes.

In the Philippines, one of the most popular ways to eat crocodile eggs is to turn them into ice cream. When compared to the almost fishy taste these eggs have when eaten alone, the ice cream is creamier and can be mixed with various fruits and flavors.^[6]

Finding crocodile eggs in the US is going to be a bit harder as the US Fish and Wildlife Service restricts such activities.

4 Snail

Eating snails dates back to Roman times when these mollusks were often cooked and served. Eating snail eggs, however, is a completely bizarre trend that’s quickly growing in popularity.

The eggs have a slimy texture and a taste similar to a mix of grass and mushrooms. In places like Italy, snails are fed special diets to speed up their egg-making process. Their eggs are sold in a 50-gram (1.8 oz) jar for €80, or around $90.

Snail eggs have found spots on the menu by being fried with beef, placed in canapes, and used in salads. In Barcelona, snail eggs are sold in bags of about 0.9 kilograms (2 lbs) each and marketed as white caviar. The going price for a bag of these eggs is £1,600.

France has also joined in the snail egg craze. In one restaurant, they are cooked by using a secret recipe and served on toast. Their taste is comparable to a smokier, herbier caviar. Snails’ eggs are also served by being grilled with a Sauternes sabayon sauce.

Eating snail eggs might seem bizarre. But in France, high demand exists due to the superstition that these eggs can enhance your sex life and make you live longer.^[7]

3 Shark

Known as the apex predators of the ocean, sharks sit at the top of the food chain when it comes to other sea-dwelling creatures. For humans, sharks are something to be feared—and eaten. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in shark consumption. Whether it is their meat or their fins in soup, sharks have found themselves on the menu.

And if you’re lucky and find a female shark with unfertilized eggs? Those, too, can and will be eaten.

The eggs from female sharks are large, similar to chicken eggs, and can actually be cooked in the same fashion. In the Maldives, consumption of gulper shark eggs was so high that restrictions on shark fishing had to be put in place.

A popular method of preparing shark eggs is grinding them, allowing them to be easily added to different meals. Ground and dried shark eggs provide numerous dietary benefits, including adding nutrients that are missing in people’s diets.

In addition to being used in omelets, shark eggs can be boiled, fried, and even baked. A recipe exists for creating scones with shark eggs, if one dares to try it.^[8]

2 Octopus

Ordering octopus on a menu seems like a no-brainer—except when the octopus’s head is filled with eggs.

Octopus eggs, commonly known as octopus roe, are not eaten the same way as other eggs are. The female’s eggs are still inside the octopus when the animal is cooked whole and eaten. In some places, such as Japan, the eggs are taken out and used to top sushi.

If the octopus is large enough, such as the mizudako from the North Pacific, the eggs can be used instead of meat or vegetables inside the sushi. But for many, eating the eggs along with the octopus itself is the norm.^[9]

After the octopus is cooked, the eggs are similar in texture to rice once the octopus is opened. The taste of these cooked eggs is said to be sweet and nutty.

In some places, the egg sac is sold so that the eggs can be prepared and served raw. A story like this went viral, calling such eggs “alien eggs” and spurring public confusion. Though they aren’t alien eggs, eating an octopus’s eggs might just be an out-of-this-world experience.

1 Penguin

Nothing is sweeter than watching two penguin parents switch off caring for their egg—except for the egg, that is. With limited resources in Antarctica, having a craving for an omelet might put you in a tough spot. Unless you have a penguin egg nearby.

Back when the French were exploring Antarctica for the first time, a crew led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot became ill during their expedition. Eating penguin eggs, which are packed with protein and vitamins, helped the men to regain their strength. In many cases, penguin eggs were used as the only option when it came to sources of protein that weren’t meat.

While eating penguins has been banned since the early 2000s, those in the Antarctic relied on penguin meat and eggs to keep them nourished. Penguin eggs were a staple in many Antarctic diets because they can be stored for up to a year and are larger than chicken eggs.^[10]

When cooked, the yolk never truly sets and the eggs sometimes appear bright orange. Despite this, penguin eggs are high in protein, which makes them beneficial in cold climates. The most popular way to eat them is scrambled with just a bit of toast. Still, it’s probably best to just leave penguin eggs alone.

Meat is a staple in many people’s diets. Eating ground beef, ham, steak, and the white and dark meats of birds such as turkey and chicken is common and often the focal point for many US holidays. What you won’t find on the tables of many average American families are the organs of these animals, even though they’re entirely edible.

Eating animal organs, often referred to as offal-style dishes, is a routine practice elsewhere. Many countries consider different organs to be delicacies, and some are easily located on the menus of restaurants and street vendors.

Although it might seem outrageous to take a bite of a bull’s testicle or swallow a portion of a chicken’s digestive tract, eating these organs is normal for many individuals. In fact, some of these foods are said to be a delight to eat if you dare to give them a try.

10 Ox Tongue

Around the world, ox tongue is a delicacy that can be found anywhere from restaurants to street vendors. In fact, it was a popular inclusion in American cookbooks in the 1940s–1950s. However, it faded from cookbooks as different parts of meats drew more interest.

Ox tongue, which can be served a variety of ways, is said to be similar in texture to other parts of red meat, such as flank steak and filet. The tongue is used in popular dishes around the world, such as Mexican tacos de lengua.

The tongue is chopped and braised with garlic, herbs, and some spices. Accompanied by typical taco toppings such as salsa and avocado, it’s wrapped in a tortilla. Beef, pork, elk, and lamb tongues are often used in this dish.^[1]

In places such as Japan, ox tongue is quite popular. This is especially true in the city of Sendai where ox tongue is considered to be a specialty. It can be cooked in a variety of ways, added to different dishes, or grilled with a simple side of rice. It’s not only found in restaurants but can be bought in Sendai train stations while one waits.

Although ox tongue may not be popular in the United States, it can be found in specific restaurants and even on cruise ships. As a specialty item, the Carnival Cruise Line offers a braised ox tongue as an appetizer for those willing to give it a try.

9 Gizzards

Gizzards are not an entirely unpopular dish. However, finding them served on a regular restaurant’s menu is unlikely even though they are an edible part of the chicken. Applebee’s may not serve chicken gizzards, but you can find them as a delicacy in other countries and even in some restaurants in the United States.

Found inside a bird’s digestive tract, a gizzard is an organ that helps to grind up food so that the bird can digest it. In the United States, gizzards can be found in the South, where they’re commonly served like fried chicken.

In countries like Nigeria, gizzard is used in a pepper soup. Meanwhile, Portuguese restaurants serve moelas, a dish in which gizzards are cooked in a broth including garlic, onions, and red wine. The gizzards are often served as an appetizer or inside a stew as a main course.

In places like Thailand, gizzards are often included in various dishes like khao man gai, which is gizzard with other pieces of meat, such as chicken liver, served over rice. Gizzard is an easily cooked piece of the chicken and is versatile, making it a favorite for street vendors.

Similar practices can be found in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines, where chicken gizzards can be added to any dish or simply served with rice.^[2]

8 Beef Heart

Since the 1940s, beef heart has been considered a very rich and healthy portion of beef. Recommended because it’s high in B vitamins and iron, this food can provide health benefits for one’s own heart. However, though it may be good for you, many are put off by the thought of eating an animal’s heart.

In the US, beef heart was included in ground beef for a short while. Although the USDA still allows it, the practice has faded. Still, some restaurants use the heart by making it into a stew or grilling it, often producing the same look and texture as flank steak.^[3]

In Chicago, beef heart can be found in a signature dish by incorporating the heart into a watermelon salad. Meanwhile, Georgia has seen barbecued beef heart become an increasingly popular dish.

Places such as Peru serve anticuchos, which is beef heart that is marinated, skewered, and grilled. The dish is the most popular way to eat beef and is sold by restaurants and street vendors.

Brazil, France, Denmark, and Japan often incorporate beef hearts in their dishes or make it the star of the show. In London, beef heart is not unheard-of, especially in one Michelin-starred restaurant where it is popular and cheaply bought. The hearts, which are gamy in taste, can be sauteed, made into a tartare, or even turned into burgers.

7 Lamb Kidneys

During the Great Depression, eating offal dishes was common due to the high price of meat. Families used every bit of the animal that they could. Today, meat has become more widely accessible and much cheaper, yet there are still parts of the world which treasure offal dishes, including lamb kidneys.

In Hong Kong, lamb kidneys can be found inside a stir-fry. The kidneys are cleaned and cut into small pieces before being added to the stir-fry to make a quick and delicious meal.^[4]

Due to the delicate taste of lamb kidneys, they are often served deviled or marinated to extract the most flavor. They are paired only with vegetables to ensure that the flavor of the lamb kidneys is the star of the dish. In Persia, lamb kidney was the main ingredient in gholveh which pairs lamb kidneys and tomato sauce to create an easy and inexpensive dish.

Although lamb kidneys are not as popular in North America as in countries like Scotland, they are common in other European restaurants. In France, lamb kidneys are usually found sauteed or grilled. In England, they can be placed as a spread on toast or even soaked in red wine to give them a sweeter taste. More commonly in the United Kingdom, lamb kidneys are used inside a stew—or as famous chef Gordon Ramsay prefers, inside a pie.

6 Goat Brain

Not eating brains has always seemed to be, well, a no-brainer. Most of the time, the hesitation comes from the fear, whether valid or not, of contracting some sort of disease. However, in many cultures, consuming the brains of an animal is seen as a delicacy and is believed to improve bodily functions.

The goat has become especially popular in the United States, where they are increasingly used in recipes. One of these trends is eating goat brains.^[5]

In the Middle East, consuming goat brains is common. In fact, in Mumbai, breja fry is a typical dish where the goat brains are cooked with a curry base as well as chili and ginger. The dish, which is called maghaz masala on some menus in North America, is easily found in India and Pakistan where vendors often serve it as street food. The taste of goat brains is described as having a similar texture to scrambled eggs when cooked.

There are claims that the consumption of goat brains is good for nervous system functioning and provides necessary nutrients. However, this is not scientifically proven.

Still, if one is looking to try something new, the Mexican dish tacos de sesos can be made with goat brains instead of beef. Also, some French restaurants have altered the popular dish tete de veau by using the boiled head of a goat instead of a calf.

5 Duck Liver

Foie gras is a popular dish which started in France and can be found in restaurants around the world. The dish involves overfeeding a duck to ensure a fatty liver, which gives it a rich and almost buttery texture when eaten.

The French also use duck liver inside a bordelaise sauce, called “rouennaise sauce,” which tops the remaining cooked portions of the duck. Although chicken liver has been a common dish in many countries, duck liver has started to increase in popularity. Due to its health benefits, including high amounts of protein, vitamin A, all the B vitamins, iron, copper, and zinc, it has also been considered a good remedy for fatigue.^[6]

In Argentina, liver can be eaten lightly cooked or even raw. In some paleo diets, raw liver is included in drink form alongside tomato juice, egg yolks, coconut juice, lemon, and lime. Even odder, the drink is topped off with a dash of hot sauce.

In Australia, a restaurant opened up with hopes of increasing the consumption of duck. There, duck liver is used in different forms in many dishes—from appetizers to main courses.

Depending on where in the world you are, duck liver can be served boiled, sauteed in a wine or sherry sauce, as a pate, or even in a casserole.

4 Sheep Stomach

The popular Scottish dish haggis is well-known for including parts of the sheep that one wouldn’t normally think of eating, all boiled and encased inside the animal’s stomach. While the Scottish version of haggis isn’t allowed in the United States due to regulations on sheep’s lungs, other versions exist. All of them involve the meats being served inside a sheep’s stomach.

The consumption of haggis has grown and is not just seen as a Scottish staple anymore. Sheep’s organs, their stomachs especially, have been turned into burgers, burritos, and even poutine.

The use of a sheep’s stomach isn’t just limited to haggis, however. It is also in a dish called “tripe” which is the cooking of an animal’s stomach. Normally, a cow’s stomach is used. But in some places such as Italy, a sheep’s stomach is preferred.^[7]

Other countries find different uses for a sheep’s stomach, such as including it in oatmeal. It is even seen as a hangover cure in Romania. The dish is called ciorba de burta and uses the stomach to make a slightly sour soup meant to aid in the cure of the worst hangovers.

3 Pig Intestines

Eating pig isn’t unexpected. Pork chops, bacon, hot dogs, and sausage are all popular dishes in the United States. In fact, in some countries, different parts of the pig can be seen as a delicacy. This includes their intestines.

In South Korea, they offer a street dish called soondae which is boiled pig intestines filled with noodles, blood, and spices. This dish is created in a similar way to American sausages.

In China, another dish called “blood sausage” can be found. The meat is boiled and filled with blood and stock. It is then served with pickled cabbage. Normally, blood sausage is eaten during the colder winter months. Pig intestines can also be found in Chinese restaurants as a spicy meal topped with chili sauce. The late chef Anthony Bourdain had tried the dish during his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.^[8]

The Philippines is known for its various ways of using pig intestines—whether served as street food or found in restaurants. It is most commonly sold in Singapore by street vendors, who simply grill the intestines and then place them on skewers.

Another popular dish is called ginabot. This involves deep-frying the intestines to make a crunchy snack-like dish that is revered for its taste. In other restaurants, pig intestines are cooked inside a wok to create a more savory dish.

2 Bull Testicles

The name “Rocky Mountain oysters” may lead one to believe that this food is made with oysters. However, the Colorado dish is actually made from bull testicles which are breaded and deep-fried. In fact, eating these testicles is so popular that Montana hosts a festival each year where almost 23,000 kilograms (50,000 lbs) of testicles are consumed. In Canada, the dish is called “prairie oysters” and is dipped in a demi-glace rather than breaded.

Eating bull testicles is quite common in other parts of the world. In Spain, criadillas are served like Rocky Mountain oysters, only these “bull fries” are also dipped in a red wine sauce. The consumption of bull testicles is an important way for bullfighters to show their masculinity. Local lore also claims that bull testicles are an aphrodisiac.

In Guatemala and Nicaragua, the star of their ceviche isn’t seafood. Instead, it is bull testicles made with lime juice and mixed with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. The dish is salty yet savory, and the bull testicles are said to taste like venison.

Eating huevos de toro is a Latin American staple, while bull testicle soup can be found in Vietnam and is renowned in Serbia as an aphrodisiac. There, a World Testicle Cooking Championship is held each year to see which country can devise the best twist on cooking testicles.

If one has the urge to eat testicles, a cookbook entitled Cooking with Balls is available with recipes ranging from testicle pizza to pie.^[9]

1 Human Placenta

For some people, seeking the nutrition that many offal parts provide doesn’t stop at just animals. Eating one’s placenta after birth has become a recent trend, though it’s not really new.

Years ago, eating one’s placenta was not unheard-of. During this time, it was believed to provide the mothers with more nutrition, aid them in breastfeeding, and increase their energy levels.

In various cultures, the eating of one’s placenta is a rite of passage and revered as an important act. Dried placenta (ziheche) can be found in China as a remedy that the Chinese believed would help with conditions such as infertility and impotence.

Recently, the trend of eating one’s placenta has grabbed the spotlight. Mothers who eat their placentas claim that it helps with postpartum depression, though there is no scientific evidence to back this up. Mothers are known to add placentas to their smoothies, dehydrate them for powder that can be placed in baked goods, and even take them in pill form.

Some have even created placenta balms and tonics that are said to help cure certain ailments. In fact, a British programming station came under fire after their presenter, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, turned a human placenta into a pate during the cooking segment of the show.^[10]

Despite many claims that the placenta can be good for you, adding it to your soup or making it into a smoothie might not be good options. The CDC released a statement claiming that levels of harmful bacteria and other pathogens inside the placenta can be dangerous to the mother and the baby.