Next time your partner says they want to try something new for dinner, ask them just how adventurous they’re feeling. According to Reddit, these are the 8 weirdest seafood dishes from around the world.
List curated by Julian Plateado of Nordic Catch, a seafood company that specializes in Icelandic & Japanese-caught fish.
Hákarl (Iceland) – Hákarl is one of Iceland’s weirder seafood dishes, though it is internationally renowned. Greenland shark (which can live to be 250+ years old) is fermented and dried for months, resulting in a strong ammonia-like smell.
“I’ve been to Iceland over 20 times since I was a kid, visiting my family that runs a small fishing company,” says Julian Plateado, CEO of Nordic Catch. “In over two decades, I’ve only had it a handful of times. It’s become more of a tourist delicacy than a local one, but the taste is definitely not for the faint of heart.”
Sea Cucumber (East Asia) – This gelatinous, slug-like sea creature is an Asian delicacy primarily because of its texture. It’s best described as a long, squishy blob, and is most commonly served in soups.
Reddit user uglyorgan8038 writes“Ate this at a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in Hong Kong. […] To be honest, it does not have much taste by itself, it is quite bland and the texture is soft and slippery. But as a dish, it was prepared really well. Anyway, I like this dish, but don’t love it.”
Fugu/Pufferfish (Japan) – Fugu is potentially poisonous, depending on how well it’s prepared. The toxin in question is known as tetrodotoxin, and just 1-2mg of this neurotoxin is considered a lethal dose. Sushi chefs must be trained for 8-10 years before they’re allowed to serve this risky, delicious, and quite frankly, weird seafood.
One Reddit user whose account has been deleted describes Fugu as: “For taste, it’s quite plain and does not hold a candle to many other fishes that won’t kill you. Though you do get a kind of tingling/numbing sensation from the bits of lingering poison. […]Good luck and don’t die from curiosity. I mean, it’s not even delicious.”
Gooseneck Barnacles (Spain & Portugal) – These crustaceans look like tiny dinosaur feet or dragon claws. Found on rocky shorelines, they’re rare, expensive, and extremely dangerous to harvest. Many people have died attempting to harvest them on rocky, wave-beaten shorelines, and Andrew Zimmermn demonstrated this dangerous process on Bizarre Foods (S5.E2, aired 2014).
Reddit user Mr_anchovy describes their taste: “They tasted delicious. You have to basically pop the shell-like part off of the neck, and the inner muscle pulls right out. The flavor was somewhat similar to a clam, I suppose, but less chewy, and they were juicy with what was similar to the liquor of an oyster, but cleaner and less salty.”
Shiokara (Japan) – Shiokara is made by fermenting fish or squid viscera (intestines) with salt and malted rice. It has a pungent, fishy flavor, and it’s a generally off-putting taste to most, making it one of Japan’s more peculiar seafood dishes.
A Reddit review from Austindidntthink: “Shiokara, it’s chopped up squid fermented in its own liver. It’s served in izakayas and is usually a drinking side dish. It’s a super intense flavor that’s salty and bitter, but amazing.”
Drunken Shrimp (China) – Ever eaten live, drunk shrimp? Say hello to drunken shrimp, a dish where live shrimp are submerged in liquor until they’re “drunk” or anesthetized. Depending on how it’s prepared, the shrimp may still be alive when you take a bite. Though it originated in China, it’s become a popular and slightly taboo way to prepare shrimp & prawns in the southern US.
A Reddit review from OreoSpamBurger: “Don’t remember it tasting particularly good, but it’s definitely weird putting something still wriggling in your mouth (insert joke here). Also, they can thrash about and get that sauce everywhere, so don’t wear white.”
Sannakji (Korea) – Sannakji are small octopus tentacles served while still wriggling. Though the animal has been killed beforehand, the tentacles continue to move due to nerve activity, creating a lively (literally) eating experience. The suction cups pose quite a choking threat though, and some people have died as a result.
When asked how it tasted, Reddit user Loose-Waltz2544 responded: “I would say yes it’s pretty good. The flavor was clean and fresh. It was pretty weird having them kinda climb up your chop stick. And It did take some getting used to, having to chew thru something wriggling in your mouth.”
Muktuk (Greenland) – This traditional Inuit dish consists of whale skin and blubber, typically served raw. It has a chewy texture and a taste that’s both briny and fishy, with a slightly nutty flavor. British Arctic explorers used to eat it when exploring the frigid northern region to prevent scurvy (food options were pretty limited)..
Reddit user thenextreddituser describes it as “very chewy. The whole thing is quite fishy…duh. The meat is textured like beef, and tastes like fish and liver. The skin crunches like gristle on a chicken drum stick. Like a fishy, crunchy, beefy, livery piece of sushi…with a strong smell.”