ht into your face. Tasty.
Shark Fin Soup
(image via: wikimedia commons)
After maggot cheese and monkey brains, shark fin soup may not sound so bad. But though it may not be physically disgusting, this Chinese delicacy is a huge strain on international shark populations – not to mention cruel. Once finned, shark bodies – which aren’t valued – are often dumped back into the ocean to die painfully. Over 64% of the world’s known shark species are considered threatened or vulnerable, and some species are nearly extinct. Worse yet, the shark fin doesn’t even add much flavor or nutritional value – it’s little more than a garnish.
Kopi Luwak – Cat Poop Coffee
(images via: wikipedia)
Cream, sugar or cat crap? In Indonesia, coffee beans that have been eaten and defecated by civet cats are in high demand for their supposedly superior flavor – in fact, it’s the most expensive coffee in the world at $100-$600 per pound. The benefit of a less-bitter taste comes from the effect that a civet cat’s digestive enzymes have on the beans, which pass whole through the cat’s system.
Whale Meat Sashimi
(image via: fuyuhiko)
Why are Japanese whalers so intent on killing these graceful creatures, despite international (and sometimes violent) opposition to the practice? The blubbery, bland, gamey-tasting meat may not be palatable to most Westerners, but many Japanese love it and demand is high despite the threats to endangered species. Not that it only happens in Japan – a Santa Monica, California restaurant was recently shut down for serving endangered whale meat to customers.
Kutti Pi – Goat Fetus
The pronunciation of this delicacy – “cutie pie” – may have applied to these animals if they had been born alive, but it’s hard to describe cooked fetuses as cute. Kutti Pi is an Anglo-Indian delicacy that’s only eaten on the rare occasion of a pregnant animal (usually goat) being slaughtered, and is considered to have medicinal value, especially for pregnant women.
(image via: winejuice.blogspot.com)
In some parts of the world, bull penis is considered an aphrodisiac, but you don’t even have to travel to China to get some. California restaurant Pho Nguyen Hue serves it in a dish called “pho ngau pin xe lua.” LA Mag says “The name translates to “noodle soup cow testicles train,” and it delivers what it promises and more. The “more” is the meat from a cow penis, which is rubbery like a tendon and comes drifting in a savory beef bone broth.” Yeah, there’s a reason that package is priced $6.66.