13th Place: Tuna Eyeball (Japan) – Tennis Ball-Sized Fish Eye
Source: Planet Life
Japanese supermarkets casually sell tuna eyeballs that are literally the size of tennis balls. You can see the clear jelly part and the black pupil staring right at you—it’s exactly what it looks like: a massive eyeball!
This is totally normal food in Japan, usually braised or stewed. It’s packed with nutrients like collagen and DHA, so it’s seen as health food. The taste is mild with a jelly-like texture.
The visual impact is so crazy intense that it’s known for being “the world’s scariest everyday food ingredient.” Most foreigners say, “I feel like it’s watching me and I can’t eat it”—definitely a dish with maximum visual shock value!
12th Place: Casu Marzu (Italy) – Maggot-Infested Cheese
Source: Wikipedia
Italy’s Sardinian “Casu Marzu” is cheese that’s intentionally infested with fly larvae (maggots). Also called “maggot cheese,” it’s got living maggots crawling around inside it!
Source: Wikipedia
This cheese is made when flies lay eggs in regular Pecorino cheese. The hatched larvae eat the cheese while growing, creating a unique flavor in the process. When you eat it, the maggots jump around, so you need to protect your eyes!
The EU banned its sale for health reasons, but locals still love it as “old-school delicious cheese.” For Americans, this ranks as “one of the most unacceptable foods ever.”
