Humankind has endeavoured for hundreds of thousands of years to select the kinds of foods that are safe to eat, and it’s a refinement that’s been taken to an entirely new level in the last century.
Today, most food that is available to the public is often made under strict governmental regulation to ensure that it’s safe for consumption, but there are some dishes out there that are so dangerous that they can make the eater incredibly sick, or even worse.
These are almost always traditional dishes that have been perfected over generations, with only a well-trained chef able to successfully put the dish together to make it edible. These are some of the world’s most dangerous dishes.
Blood Clams
Blood clams are a species of clam that earned their name due to the dark crimson haemoglobin that can be found in their tissues. They are endemic to the Indo-Pacific region, and many people within the area consider them something of a delicacy.
While they are usually safe to eat, there are certain regions within Shanghai where their preparation makes them dangerous to eat, where they will often be boiled quickly, leaving many dangerous microorganisms behind.
Fugu
Most people have probably heard of Fugu, which is a type of pufferfish. Pufferfish are known to be highly poisonous, with the bulk of the poison being held in the liver of the fish. This is known as tetrodotoxin, and it’s over 1000 times more potent than cyanide.
In order to successfully incorporate pufferfish into a sashimi dish, a chef will need to train for at least three years. Regardless, the dish has killed dozens of people over the years, simply due to how dangerous the tetrodotoxin is, and how difficult it is it remove from the meat.
Cassava
Cassava is also commonly known as yuca and has become popular in recent years due its use as a substitute for flour, especially for those that suffer from gluten intolerance. It’s something of a mix between potato and sweet potato, and is a staple among many in West Africa.
Despite its popularity, it’s a good idea to not eat cassava if it has not been prepared in the proper way. In fact, eating it raw can actually lead to death due to the hydrogen cyanide present in it. It needs to be both soaked and fermented before it’s ready to be eaten.
Larb
Larb is an incredibly popular dish in the country of Laos and consists of a meat salad that is often prepared raw. Raw larb, however, can cause serious health problems, and has been the source of many recorded outbreaks of Streptococcus within Thailand, a country also known for having the best online betting sites.
And while larb is just one example, it’s a good reason to avoid eating raw meat altogether, even if it is a delicacy within many countries and cultures around the world. Most experts agree that almost all meat – save for seafood – needs to be cooked at a proper temperature before it can be safely consumed.