The testing of new flavors of the local cuisine on your next trip sounds like a very tempting process. There are few times, moreover, that travelers consume foods, unknown to them, just to experience the culinary culture of a place. But is this process always safe? The truth is that there are many foods that may seem tempting, but they are actually hiding many dangers. Discover them below!
Cassava
Several cultures of Africa and South America use this root in cooking and baking, but only after they have cooked it very well. When chewed, it releases the crude enzyme linamarase, which is converted to cyanide.
Hakarl
This food, made out ​​from a type of shark in Greenland has earned a place in the list of dangerous foods, because this species has urinary system, which means that all waste and toxic substances can be passed into the meat you consume. It is needed a process of six months to eat it safely.
Casu Marzu
What most people consider disgusting, residents of Sardinia call it tradition. It is a type of cheese, on which there are lots of live larvae, which is banned throughout the European Union. The larvae that inhabit in this spicy pecorino are not fatal but can survive after ingestion and thus create gastrointestinal distress.
Sannakji
If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also try this recipe with Korean small octopus. Because the ends contain neurons they continue to move and the suckers do not lose their properties, even after severed from their bodies. This means that if you do not chew carefully and repeatedly they can get stuck in your throat and probably cause choking.
Fugu
Perhaps the most famous food in this list, this fish, cut into small strips, can only be cooked from an experienced chef, because the internal organs, especially the liver, contain a concentrated amount of paralytic substance called tetrodotoxin, which can be proven fatal to humans if swallowed.
Ackee
This wonder fruit is produced in West Africa, but most often is associated with Jamaica and can cause severe abdominal disorder, if eaten before it fully ripes. The cause is a poison containing called hypoglycin. You can eat it safely if this red fruit is opened.
View more here: The best street food around the world, International trademark foods.
By Nicole P.
Food photos: kaiton, Viktor Chenovsky, flippersy, Bradley Hawks, spey2008, CIAT.
