10 Things You Cannot Believe Other People Eat

A Brief History

On July 5, 1937, Hormel Foods Corporation introduced Spam to a Depression weary world. A cooked, ready to eat meat product in a can, Spam was just the ticket for soldiers in the field in the upcoming World War. It was also ideal for shipping to hungry allies. Unfortunately, many folks think the salty, greasy, fat laden stuff in better suited as dog food, especially if you do not like your dog. Britain and Australia got their share shipped to them, and Spam became a Monty Python joke. Even unwanted emails are called Spam! Still, it now comes in several flavor varieties (as many as 15) and is popular on Pacific Islands. Many people wonder how anybody can eat that stuff. Here we list 10 such food items that many other people just cannot believe any human would eat that, but lots of people eat anyway (in some cases, including the author of this list!). (Note: We are not going way out into goofy land, but stuff so called normal people really eat.) Honorable mention to brains of any type, which it takes a lack of to eat, as well as sheep’s eyeball from Mongolia, cuy (guinea pigs!) from Peru, and Casu Marzu (maggot cheese?!) from Italy.

Digging Deeper

10. Dog.

The thought of anyone sick enough to actually eat “Man’s best friend” is enough to make our blood boil at History and Headlines. This example is not funny, even as a joke. Accordingly, widespread opposition to this despicable practice exists around the world. If you have to eat a dog, make it a hotdog.

9. Pickled Pigs Feet.

Our ninth place entry figures in another list on another site as among the “The 10 Most Disgusting Eating Competitions“. Seriously, the feet of anything just cannot be the good part. Pickled pig’s feet is something people must have started eating when the alternative choice was starvation. Eating it on purpose seems like something one would do on a bet or to impress friends. We hear they are quite tasty, but we will likely never know.

8. Bird’s Nest Soup.

Do the people that eat this stuff realize birds use all sorts of filthy things to make the nest, including their saliva? And that their babies poop in it? Some delicacy! Tofu sounds better (not by much). This saliva soup is a gelatinous glop that costs about $1200 per pound. We can think of better ways to use our food dollars. It probably does not help that articles found elsewhere on the internet question whether this soup is a product of animal cruelty.

7. Oysters.

Especially when served raw, the critics of this seafood claim they are like eating “boogers.” Plus, the idea that they are filter feeders brings to mind a slimy, gross swimming pool or hot tub filter. That is what you are eating when you eat oysters, a deposit for all sorts of seawater toxins. (Unless you get a pearl!) Not surprisingly, Men’s Health has labelled them one of “The 10 Dirtiest Foods You’re Eating“.

6. Octopus and Squid.

When you get “calamari” at a restaurant and it looks like onion rings, you might not hesitate, but when either of these mollusks are served with the tentacles intact many faint hearted folks turn away in disgust. This one is something the author of this list finds delectable, and wonder what other people’s problem with it is.

5. Escargot.

The author of this article is happy to munch on this delicacy, whether it is in a puff pastry or sautéed. Many other folks recoil at the thought of eating “a slug with a shell” that leaves a slime trail as it goes along. (Which is why they will not eat politicians, either.) These uninitiated simple folk have the nerve to call this food bait!

4. Caviar.

Fish eggs packed in salt is labelled “disgusting” by some. Rich people act like there is nothing better on a cracker or piece of toast. (Probably because they have not heard of jam or jelly.) Salty and fishy tasting, this stuff belongs on the end of your fishing line on a hook.

3. Bugs.

Obviously the chocolate covered ones are not as gross as eating live ones, but whether they are crunchy cockroaches or soft grubs, most people would just about rather starve than eat these varmints. Nevertheless, such individuals as Dawn Starin ask whether or not edible insects are actually a global food solution rather than just something dismissed as “gross“.

2. Sashimi.

Sashimi or any other variety of raw fish is enough to make non-eaters of it gag to even think about eating it. A big delicacy in Japan, many people in Europe and the US indulge when visiting Japanese restaurants. Despite sashimi’s popularity among the Japanese, this food has so many critics that at least one particular incident concerning frog sashimi has actually sparked protests and other forms of international condemnation.

1. Spam.

The #1 joke food in the world. “Ham that didn’t pass its physical,” or “Meatloaf without basic training” to soldiers, or “mystery meat” to civilians. Because of the tendency of Hawaiians to gobble the stuff up, it is also called “Hawaiian steak.” Salty, lots of fat and cholesterol, and preserved with nitrates, Spam is not health food. Of all foods on this list, this entry is the least likely to be eaten by a rich person. Moreover, such articles as “The Spam Factory’s Dirty Secret” from Mother Jones does not exactly help endear one to this product.

Question for students (and subscribers): What items would you add to the list? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

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