20 foods to try before you die... and I wager they aren't on your list already!

Snake wine, South-East Asia

We all like to indulge in a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, full of body and flavour. However how would you feel if that body was a little more life-like? Say snake form? A concoction which has proved popular on its home turf in China, I'm sure many will be thankful to see it has yet to make vineyards outside the region. 

Century eggs, China

If you haven't already guessed yet, these aren't your average eggs.

However, don't be put off by the name, these little beauts haven't been stored away for the past 100 years. Instead, they've only been preserved for a mere few months allowing enough time for the yolk to turn dark green.

Fugu, Japan

Apart from salmonella, there aren't many foods that would appear deadly....unless you go to Japan. Famous for its sushi, another one of the country's notorious dishes is 'fugu', known to others as pufferfish. This is where the skill of filleting a fish is crucial as unless all the toxic parts of the fish are correctly removed, it becomes lethal for human consumption. Over 20 people in Japan have died since 2000 - one to mention in the tourist guides!

Fried Spiders, Cambodia

To the people of France, Foie Gras is a delicacy. Made from the liver of a duck or goose that has been force fed and fattened to produce a rich, delicate flavour, it is an acquired taste. 

However,  in Cambodia, their delicacy has been to taken to a whole new level of extremism - who's got a phobia of creepy crawly's? At Phnom Penh, a restaurant in Romdeng, these fried tarantulas served with a lime and black pepper dip are a signature dish, selling well over 200 a week.

Witchetty grub, Australia

A snack indulgently enjoyed by Pumbaa and Timon on Disney's The Lion King, this has since become more life-like and replaced the world famous barbies down under. However, I am as enthusiastic as Simba was on trying this grub.

Shiokara, Japan

Before you mistake this for minestrone, remember how you may have turned your nose up at liver as a child. Another one of Japan's finest delicacies, Shiokara is made of marine animals which have been fermented in their own internal organs. Each mouthful is traditionally followed by a shot of whiskey - though I dealt it's to help savour the taste!

Grasshoppers, worldwide

High in protein and a new popular delicacy all over the world, this Mexican street food has recently found its way onto the menu at Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca in London.

Sannakji, Korea

Most of us prefer to eat our food once it's deceased. However in Korea, they like to consume it when it's still moving. Sannakiji is a traditional Korean dish made with octopus that has been cut into small pieces and served up whilst the tentacles are still wriggling. Although this dish embodies a small flaw in that the squirming tentacles can cause choking, it's recommended to always have a glass of water handy. 

Puffin heart, Iceland

It almost seems heartless to eat any part of this beautiful bird. Though a delicacy in Iceland, it was too much for to viewers of Gordon Ramsey's 'The F Word', who filed a complaint with Ofcom after he was filmed consuming a puffin heart.

Escamoles, Mexico

Some of us are very partial to the odd shot of tequila, or two, and three, ok stop there. But did you know this much-loved drink is made from a tequila plant itself? Bet you definitely didn't know that some people even go as far as enjoying an ant or two from the plant's roots, also known in Mexico as 'insect caviar'! I don't know about you, but I'll just take the tequila...

Beondegi, Korea

Just your usual snack of silkworm pupae... if you're Korean that is, I rather stick to a bag of Quavers.

Tong zi dan, China

Boiled eggs and soldiers if you haven't guessed from the name of this blog, is one of my favourite meals. Although, much as I love a good Chinese takeaway, their version on this particular dish is one I am less enthused to try, even before death. Their take on a breakfast favourite, which also translates as 'virgin boy eggs' involves boiling eggs in the urine of innocent young schoolboys - take this as a warning next time you take breakfast in China!

Hakari, Iceland

When on vacation in another country that isn't home, we are encouraged to embrace the culture and do the things it's people do. In Iceland, this involves trying hakari - decomposed shark that's been buried to 'marinate' in its own fluids for several months before being hung and consumed.

Suddenly 'Jaws' doesn't seem so scary and the pleasures of European cuisine seem so far away.

Baby mice wine, China/Korea

In the UK we consume orange juice to get in the extra vitamins, in China, they consume baby mice wine - there's not much more to say on this.

Cockscombs, Europe

Now you know what the top of a chicken's head is called and yes, people do eat it, or if you're Italian you do. This isn't like your average meaty drumstick, instead it's a crucial ingredient in a sauce known in Italy as 'cibreo'. And if your French, you use a cockscomb as a garnish to make the plate look pretty - personally I prefer a sprig of parsley.

Surströmming, Sweden

Herring is a favourite with the Swedish, who prefer it to be as sour and fermented as possible, so much so that the smell on a freshly opened container is so strong, it's normally eaten outdoors.

Rocky Mountain oysters, USA

This might sound exotic and a delicacy served in only the most exclusive of restaurant, however these are a delicacy of a completely different calibre to your imaginings, as these are nothing more than deep-fried bull testicles. They might not be sugar-coated oysters, but they are a festival favourite with Western cowboys of America. 

Black Ivory coffee

This is one of the world's most expensive coffees, costing nothing short of $1,1000 per kilogram. You'd expect its rich, smooth and earthy flavour to come from only the finest of beans and not from those eaten by Thai elephants and extracted from their dung. Everything's a delicacy nowadays. 

Balut, Philippines

I love my eggs, boiled, scrambled, poached, fried on a hangover. However I'm not sure how I feel about a boiled fertilized duck embryo with my soldiers...

Tepa ("Stinkheads"), Alaska

Sometimes we are completely sold by a name, though here, not so much. And it doesn't get much better, this  traditional Alaskan snack is eaten by the Yupik people. They chop off the heads of fish, bury them in the ground until their innards embody the required tang.

So there you have it, 20 foods to try before you die... I think I'll pass and go straight to heaven.

Credit: The Daily Telegraph