Jamaica: Ackee fruit
It might be the national fruit, but that doesn’t mean it
won’t kill you. If improperly eaten, it can cause ‘Jamaican vomiting sickness’,
which can lead to a coma or death. While it’s unripe it’s poisonous, so you
have to wait until the protective pods turn red and open naturally. Even then,
you can only eat the yellow arilli – the black seeds are always toxic.
Korea: Sannakji
It’s almost like calamari, except for one small difference –
it’s still ‘alive’. The tentacles are chopped up and seasoned with oil and
sesame seeds, but the nerves are still active… so it will wriggle around on
your plate. You also have to look out for the little suction cups – they tend
to stick to the mouth and throat, causing about six Koreans to choke to death
every year.
And the three surprise entries on the list:
Hot dogs
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 17% of
food-related asphyxiations in kids under the age of 10 were caused by hot dogs.
Chewing saves lives, people.
Peanuts
You might want to put down that PB sandwich – the American
Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s stats reveal that peanuts are the
most common cause of food allergy deaths. It affects about 1% of the
population, and numbers are on the rise.
Tapioca pudding
Produced from the roots of the cassava plant, this is an
American favourite. But if it’s prepared incorrectly, the plant can produce
cyanide. Experts say that if you have a latex allergy, it’s best to steer clear
of it altogether.
As seen on TV
If there’s a chance to win some money, people will choke
down the most disgusting things imaginable – on camera. Some of the grossest TV
shows on the air include:
Man vs Wild
Some of the most stomach – churning moments in adventure
Bear Grylls’ show include the time he drank his own urine, ate some
“peanut-buttery’ beetle larvae in a forest in New Zealand, and sampled raw goat
testicles in the Sahara. To be fair, he did spit out the larvae and gag after
eating the testicles. But he was quite happy to drink the urine.
Survivor
A bowl of balut
Two unlucky contestants on Survivor: China were tasked with
eating a bowl of balut. These duck or chicken eggs have been fertilized and
incubated – at least until you can start discerning the beak and feathers. At
that point they’re boiled and sold. Fans of the dish say the bones give it a
nice crunchy texture (shudder), but only one of the contestants managed to get it
down.
Fear factor
Host Joe Rogan either has a very strong stomach, or he’s a
complete sadist. After seasons of gleefully watching contestants gag, even the
producers couldn’t stomach this one, deeming it inappropriate for TV: two girls
came on the show and chugged down some donkey semen. The vomitfest that ensued
was never aired.
Profkonijnen
On a little=known Dutch TV show, teo men decide to give
cannibalism a go and eat a bit of their own flesh. A surgeon chopped of a tiny
bit of the one’s buttcheek and the other’s stomach, and the tidbits were fried
and eaten live on TV. ‘It was just a few centimetres of meat,’ one said, ‘and
now I have a good story about that scar.’
