One of the bonuses of travel is that we get to experience different kinds of foods. Foods that one could describe as either exotic or a delicacy. We might sometimes have to forget the source of the delicacy to enjoy it. This article will explore some of the exotic foods that can be sourced from around the world in restaurant and market situations. We might not know what we have been missing out on if we never try them for ourselves. So, be brave, and give them a go next time you are on holiday in the places mentioned.

Fried Silkworm

The early bird always catches the worm, as they say, so we shall start with this delicacy from Thailand. Fried silkworm will typically be served with soy sauce, pineapple chunks, and noodles, for a sweet and sour taste. This particular exotic food will not only melt in your mouth but ooze into it.

Salted Flying Lizard

If you have ever desired to taste such a thing as flying lizard, then look no further than the markets in China or Hong Kong where they sell them. You will find the salt-dried flattened carcasses of winged lizards stuck on sticks for you to devour. It has to be considered something of an exotic dish and a must-try when we are in Asian territory.

When soaked in tea, a salted flying lizard is thought to cure respiratory conditions. So, there is a bonus.

Snake Sausage

If you venture as far as Cambodia or Laos, you may be offered in barbequed form, as a result of “cook it yourself” type restaurants, a snake sausage no less. It is considered a staple of Khmer street food. From a dietary point of view, the snake sausage is not only delicious but also nutritious. It tastes a bit like chicken should you decide to put it in your mouth and allow the taste buds of your tongue to experience it to the full.

Chocolate-coated Frog Legs

To sweeten things up, how about trying chocolate-coated frog legs? Thailand has managed to combine what is considered the world’s most popular meat with what must in every country be considered a treat. Like the snake, however, and even with the chocolate added, it still tastes like chicken.

Deep-Fried Tarantula

Now from snakes to spiders. According to the worldwide web, in Thailand or Cambodia, you can sample tarantula. This is one of the most popular street foods in their part of the world. These enormous spiders can be found deep-fried and sold on the streets for just $0.08. This has to be the cheapest delicacy I have ever come across, and once sampled something that will fascinate everyone I know back home.

Duck Tongue

Fried like bacon, a duck’s tongue might be tiny but it contains pockets of fat that melt deliciously when it is cooked. It tastes wonderful as part of a salad. Where can you find this delicacy? Well, the answer is Singapore.

Basashi

A Japanese delicacy, Basahi is raw horse meat that has been sliced thinly. Eating it might seem to many like taking part in a controversial Game of Thrones scene but it is considered delicious when served with a sashimi-style soy sauce and also ginger. For those who have the heart and the stomach to take things a step further, you can ask for a serving of white Basashi. This is the fat from around the horse’s neck.

Haggis

To end on, something that is not as bad as it sounds – offal. It has become the unofficial dish of Scotland because of an ode that poet Robert Burns wrote. Haggis consists of a variety of sheep’s organs. These are minced up and then mixed with oats and seasoning. Then, are placed back inside a sheep’s stomach to strew for some hours before it is served. This will traditionally be with potatoes and turnips.

What a selection! Wherever you go in the world, there will be something that you can taste, apart from haggis perhaps, that you can be pretty sure that you have not tasted before. That is if we discount the fact that every year we swallow spiders whilst in our sleep. There are all kinds of species that you would never dream of eating back home, yet when you are on holiday, will eat for something different. There is no accounting for taste. And you do not need to when you consider how little it costs to sample, for example, a deep-fried tarantula.