...23 Asian Foods That Westerners Refuse to Eat

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

When traveling abroad, besides admiring the local scenic beauty, tasting authentic local cuisine or street food is a must. However, some foods, no matter how nutritious or beneficial they are believed to be, still prove hard to swallow. The American websiteBuzzFeedonce listed 23 popular foods in Asia that Westerners absolutely dare not eat. Warning: Some of these foods are not very visually appealing...

1. The “King of Fruits” – Durian: Many Asians love its creamy texture, but Westerners often find its smell so strong they’d rather starve than try it. (Photo / Provided by Malaysia Tourism Board)

2. Natto. A common sight on Japanese breakfast tables, but its taste and texture are considered by foreigners to be just as off-putting as durian. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

3. Guilinggao. A traditional Chinese medicinal jelly, its strong herbal flavor makes it hard for uninitiated Westerners to stomach. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

4. Kopi Luwak. Though one of the world’s most expensive coffees, its production method puts many people off—made from the feces of the civet cat (a type of luwak). (Photo / Eastern News)

5. Chicken Feet. Outside of Asia, only Mexico, South Africa, and Peru really eat them too. (Photo / Screenshot from BuzzFeed)

6. Bird’s Nest. Westerners can’t get past the fact that it’s made from swiftlet saliva, let alone actually eating it. (Photo / Screenshot from BuzzFeed)

7. Balut. A common dish in Southern China and Southeast Asia, it involves boiling a nearly hatched duck egg and cracking it open to eat—the visible bones and feathers of the duckling make it unpalatable not only to Westerners but also to many Asians. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

8. Century Egg. Tastes much like a regular egg, but foreigners are always shocked by its dark, gelatinous appearance. (Photo / Xiaosheng)

9. Chicken Blood Cubes. (Photo / Screenshot from BuzzFeed)

10. Snake Wine. Common in regions like Okinawa, Japan, it’s said that men who drink it can become more energetic—but Westerners are often horrified just by the look of it. (Photo / Screenshot from BuzzFeed)

11. Ant Egg Soup. In Southeast Asia, ant eggs are often used to make soup. According to BuzzFeed, it has a slightly sour taste. (Photo / Screenshot from Buzzfeed)

12. Bee Larvae. A famous dish in Nagano Prefecture’s Shinshu region in Japan, but many Westerners say that even aside from the unappealing appearance, the sounds and textures when eating it are creepy—they’d never try it again. (Photo / Screenshot from Buzzfeed)

13. Silkworm Pupae. A common street snack in Korea, with some Western users saying: There’s no way I’m eating that. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

14. Locusts. Also appear on Japanese family dinner tables—just a few boiled locusts served with plain rice… Westerners say: No thanks. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

15. Bee Bees. A unique specialty of Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, it involves placing whole bees into rice crackers, constantly challenging the limits of Westerners. (Photo / Screenshot from Bizarre Food)

16. Fried Spiders. A local specialty in Cambodia. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

17. Raw Horse Meat. It’s not unusual in Japan to have raw fish, but did you know they even eat raw horse meat? It even has a rather traditional name: Sakura Meat. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

18. Pufferfish. Everyone knows it’s highly poisonous, yet some can’t resist the delicious taste of pufferfish meat—but many also worry about whether it was cleaned properly… you know what we mean. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

19. Shirako. Another well-known Japanese dish, which sounds elegant, but its other name is sure to kill your appetite—it’s fish sperm sacs. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

20. Tuna Eyes. One big, round, staring eye after another—who could eat that? (Photo / From Wikipedia)

21. Shiokara. Actually, this isn’t a specific food, but a preparation style—mainly marinating seafood with salt and alcohol to make a drinking snack. But the process produces a very pungent smell, so it’s quite unpopular. Below is a picture of shiokara squid. (Photo / From Wikipedia)

22. Drunken Shrimp. The unsettling part of this dish is that the shrimp aren’t cooked—they’re soaked in alcohol until they’re tipsy, but still alive. The way to eat them is to bite off their heads and then continue with the rest… (Photo / From Wikipedia)

23. Live Octopus Tentacles. As the name suggests, when this dish is served, the tentacles—which have been separated from the body—are still wriggling around… (Photo / Screenshot from BuzzFeed)