10 weird foods with unusual ingredients from across the world

From pooped out coffee to fried bugs, these are some of the world’s weirdest foods

Published: January 10, 2020 12:29 Yousra Zaki, Assistant Editor Features

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Kopi Luwak: Would you drink the world's most expensive coffee if you knew that it was 'produced' by a wild cat found in the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Vietnam? The Civet cat eats top quality coffee cherries, and excretes the undigested beans in chunks. Since it has gone through the cat’s digestive process, the coffee made from these beans are less acidic and has lower protein and caffeine. Cat poop coffee anyone? Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Yan Wo: It is the Chinese name for edible bird's nest and is mainly found in the Southeast Asian regions of China. The Swiftlet birds' nest, is consumed with boiling water as a soup made from the dried gelatinous saliva in the nest. Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Panda Dung Green Tea: Pandas play, sleep and eat bamboo all day. However, they absorb only about 30 per cent of the bamboo’s nutrients and the rest goes into the dung which is used to make green tea. Just so you know, it’s known to have anti-cancer effects. Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Balut or Duck Embryo: It’s an egg with a developing embryo boiled alive and has the reputation as one of the most unusual delicacies native to the Philippines. And bringing this delicacy into the UAE is banned at all airports. Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Lamb brain: It's brain food over in India. The texture feels like soft tofu in your mouth or like scrambled eggs. However, you’ll have to find a local to tell you where to enjoy a delicious fried brain. Brain curry with paratha or chapati, anyone? Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Frogs: These are, again, common snacks in Southeast Asia and also in France. They come grilled and steamed too. They say it tastes like chicken. Just remove the skin, season it with salt and other spices. The brave ones who do not want to waste all the nutritious protein found in frogs would eat the skin, the eyes and everything that goes with it. Frogs aren't all that uncommon for a well-travelled palate. Image Credit: Multiple Sources

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Fried Tarantula: This is a regional delicacy in Cambodia. Fried with sugar, MSG, salt, garlic and chillies. It's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Image Credit: Wiki

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Crispy Silkworms Kabab: A delicacy in Southeast Asia, edible silkworms are known to have meaty flavour when cooked with chilli tomato sauce, fried or in kababs. Image Credit: Wiki

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Camel meat: A very popular among the locals in the Gulf region but are not available in grocery stores. You will have to visit specialised camel meat butchers’ shops who gets the camel meat directly from farms and in local souqs for skinned camel heads with eyes wide open, ready for the pot. Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

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