Friday the 13th Foods That Are Freaky

13 Foods For Freaky Friday

July 13, 2012

In honor of Freaky Friday (today's Friday the 13th!), I thought I'd pull together a list of 13 freaky foods. Even if you don't have triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13), you may be afraid of some of the things on this list. I know there are a bunch of other freaky things out there (how about almost anything Andrew Zimmern eats on his show?), so if you think something's missing, we want to hear it.

#13: Bubble Tea
I personally love this stuff; however, I've known quite a few folks who are freaked out by the tapioca inside of the tea. Come to think of it, I know a lot of people freaked out by tapioca in general . . .
#12: Squid ink pasta
I don't have a problem with this lovely pasta dyed with squid ink, but some find eating black pasta to be just a bit too freaky.
Keep reading to see more freaky foods perfect for Friday the 13th.

#11: Pimiento loaf
Processed meats are a bit scary to begin with, but pimiento loaf really weirds me out. Finely chopped pork and beef supplemented with pickles and pimientos? No thanks.
#10: Scrapple
Quite a few have been quick to add scrapple to the freaky food list. Based on the definition, I can see why it makes the list. What's not a little frightening about a loaf of savory mush from cornmeal, flour, and pork scraps?
#9: Sea urchin (uni)
Uni is served in many sushi restaurants and is actually the gonads of the sea urchin. It has a creamy texture and a yellow-orange hue. It's a bit like a firm custard, but it occasionally can be akin to biting down on a squishy tongue.
#8: Sweetbreads
I'm actually a fan of sweetbreads, but many people simply can't wrap their heads around the fact that they're eating the thymus gland of a baby cow. My biggest problem is actually the name.
#7: Chicken feet
Chicken feet are a delicacy that is usually served in Chinese dim sum; they're often deep-fried, then boiled and marinated in a black bean sauce. There are, however, a ton of little bones. It's gross to look at and, quite frankly, just not enough payoff.
#6: Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans
I know these are just meant as a novelty item, but seriously — vomit-flavored Jelly Beans that actually taste like vomit? No thanks.
#5: Bugs
I've had a few of these, and while some of them are actually interesting to try, I just can't seem to get past the idea that they're still creepy, crawly bugs.
#4: Stinky tofu
This super popular Asian snack is one of the worst things I've ever smelled. Stinky tofu is a fermented tofu dish that is very . . . er, fragrant. Some say it smells like stinky feet, or worse (use your imagination). Personally, I don't think it's tasty enough to get past the smell.
#3: Pickled pigs feet
As I mentioned above, I have a problem with feet. These piggy feet are salted and smoked like bacon and ham, but then they're placed in a jar of hot brine and preserved for months. I don't know about you, but I just have a problem with eating feet.

#2: Black pudding, or blood sausage
Anything with the word "blood" in it deserves to be on the freaky list. Black pudding — which actually has very little to do with pudding and a lot to do with blood — is a sausage made by cooking animal blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal.
#1: Balut
I love poultry and I love eggs, so I should love balut, right? I live by the "try anything once" motto, but even I might have a hard time chowing down on a boiled, almost-whole baby duck stuck inside of an egg.

Source: Thinkstock, Flickr User FotoosVanRobin, Flickr User Charles Haynes

75 Comments

huskyluv 1 year

I grew up in the Philippines where Balut was everywhere, I loved it! But from a different POV, I could see why it would be a turn off for people.

Assistant Community Manager 1 year

My family got some squid ink pasta at Eatily in NY this spring, I didn't get to try it but I wish I had!

Ejmcmis 1 year

sorry, #2 blood pudding...

Ejmcmis 1 year

#6 - Sweetbread THE BESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTT I Love totally!!!! We're Argentine and to find that here is almost inmpossible! The funny thing is, near my job is a major grocery store near a large concentration of Argentine's and the head meat guy of the grocery always laughs, becuase I track him down every sunday for some Sweetbread, and he hides a package for me (becuase if he puts it out, they disappear). Sweetbread known to Argentine's as Molleja which is part of the traditional Parillada, which would be like Barbeque, but the important part of the Parillada is that the cuts of meats NOT be marinated and it is cooked either in the Barbeque or in the broil, you can then add to the hot, cooked, juicy steak/meats chimichurri (a cold parsley/garlic mix). However, Sweetbread is mainly eaten with some salt and lemon. Oh, Yum, trick to preparing these (and it is a bit time-consuming to prep) it to break them up into like 1 to 2 inch (max 3 inch) pieces and remove as much of the mucus like nerve thing-ies as possible. It's not easy and if the knife isn't sharp, you are very very likely to cut yourself, but it speeds up on the cooking time and it is easier to chew/eat. Oh and we normally cook them in the broil however we use kitchen dropper to suck out the extra grease/liquid that *can* catch fire in a gas stove (or so says my mom and her reason for doing it). . Oh, and #1, Blood pudding, also known as blood sausage is also typically part of a Parillada, known as Morcilla. My husband, mother, and brother all LOVE this dish, I personally always swap out my 'Morcilla'(blood sausage) with my hubby for his Mollejas (Sweetbread {#6 on the list}). He likes the Mollejas (Sweatbreads), but he likes the Morcillas (blood sausage) more!. . Anyway, I was really surprised to find one of my favorite foods on this list. It is soooo not strange or freaky to me and I've been eating it since I was a kid.

LaLaLaurie06 1 year

Bubble Tea rocks!!!!!!!

intensebandgeek 1 year

Bubble tea is the BEST!

krystalmak 1 year

Ew. Nothing alive.

fuzzles 1 year

LUTEFISK needs to be on here. Seriously. It's pure eeeeeeeeeevil. Google it if you dare. Taste (and smell) it if you have a death wish.

Binzi 4 years

Someone mentioned Ox Tongue. My favourite meal! Sliced diagonally and simmered in a light mushroom gravy with bayleaf, it's like the most heavenly tender roast beef served over whole boiled buttered and parsley potatoes. I served it to a flatmate once without telling him, and he raved about it being soo delicious. When I told him what it was (after his 3rd helping) he wanted to hit me, but admitted that if I told him he'd have missed out on the best meal he's had in a long time!

Binzi 4 years

Here's one you shouldn't have missed: Czernina, (pronounced Char-NEE-nuh) Duck Blood Soup (from the Polish word czarny – black) is a Polish soup made of duck blood. Collect the blood of a freshly-killed duck or goose and stir in 1/4 cup vinegar. In pot, combine duck or goose wings, neck, rump, heart and gizzard with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming off scum until no more forms. Fork-blend 2-3 Tbs flour with the blood and vinegar mixture, add about 1/2 cup chicken stock, add to the pot. Add prunes and/or raisins, sugar to taste, and simmer another 15-20 minutes. Serve with freshly made kluski noodles.A dark brown vinegar soup made of duck’s blood and prunes. It looks as disgusting as it tastes.I really think my aversion to vinegar and anything vinegary is due to seeing, smelling, and only once TASTING Czernina as a kid. On the other hand, I actually liked Pimento loaf…

travelsugarfairy 5 years

the trick with eating duck eggs or "balut" is not to look at the duck.it doesnt taste as bad as it looks. it pretty much tastes like eggs and well hmn.... boiled meat in some cases you can request that they give you a young balut meaning its not as developed, you get to taste it but not get too grossed out by the looks

sunja 5 years

I love bubble tea! In California (or maybe even just N.California) we call it boba though. :P I've tried blood sausage and chicken feet, and I really didn't like either of them.

jewelsugar 5 years

oh, i also forgot to comment on the philadelphia staple - scrapple. i refused to eat it when i lived there. hot dogs and sausage links are bad enough already...

jewelsugar 5 years

ummm... #1 is so very creepy. i do love bubble tea, though!

tigrid 5 years

I grew up with something called gritzie, the closest thing I can say it is like is goetta. Similar to scrapple but make with oats instead of cornmeal. Ground up pork, beef, oats, and spices. Yummy! Sometimes my grandma also put snoots in it. Tapioca is my go-to sweet craving, haven't tried bubble tea ... yet.

pintsized 5 years

Aside from the bugs, everything on that list looks like food most people usually eat ANYWAY. Balut < we eat birds all the time, it isnt any LESS cruel if its still in the shell. And stuffed innards/meat in general? Uh, hello liver anyone? LOL, funny people!

chaboogie 5 years

balut and blood pudding ("dinuguaan" in tagalog) are traditional filipino food.....that i'll never eat..ick. there's plenty of disgusting things out there. people eat fish eyes and brains..and i heard in china they take the skull off a live monkey so you can eat it's brains fresh!!! siiiick!

Ejmcmis 5 years

sorry, #2 blood pudding...

Ejmcmis 5 years

ohmondieu 5 years

Eww the pic for balut just put me off my dinner :( I'm vegetarian but loads of people that I know eat black pudding, especially for breakfast. i think that is more of an english thing.

kiwitwist 5 years

I have had scrapple and it is actually very good. THe thought of what it is keeps me from eating it but I will have the odd slice. :-)

calibabi 5 years

when i lived in ecuador, i was eating this amazing chicken soup...and then i picked up my spoon and there was a whole chicken foot on it, nails and all. i quickly lost my appetite.