Strange food is not for everyone. Most people travel abroad to soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of a place they have never been. The tastes part becomes a little iffy though when the food on offer is way beyond anything they have ever experienced before.
When traveling to Bali there are people that will actively look for hotels that serve western food, just to be sure that they can get a nice burger and fries if the local cuisine gets a little too strange for their liking. That gets to be a little pricey though. Local Bali food tends to be much cheaper than your typical western fare. And if you’ve managed to snag some great deals from low cost airlines and want to continue to pinch those pennies, local food is always going to be your best choice.
Bali has more than its fair share when it comes to strange foods, so let’s look at a few that are particularly “out there.”
1. Deep-fried dragonflies
While some folks find dragonflies to be among the more beautiful creatures in the insect world, there are plenty more that flee at the mere sight of those big boys. That’s not the case in Bali though, where kids in particular hunt down the big flying creatures so that they can throw them in the deep fryer for a tasty treat.
2. Sago Worms
While most of us would be repulsed at the mere sight of these overgrown maggot-looking worms, the people of Bali consider them to be a real treat. It is said that they have a pulpy taste, with the locals most commonly roasting them or using them as one of the ingredients in a stew. So if the hotels in Bali that take your fancy have stew included in their restaurant menu, you might want to ask about the ingredients.
3. Bats
If you freak out at the thought of a bat landing in your hair, just imagine how intense it would be if that same bat landed on your dinner plate. The most common way that bats are eaten in Bali is by grilling or deep-frying them and then eating them whole, bones and all. Another common use for bats it to cut off the head and wings, skin them, and then cut the neat up into pieces that are then added to a soup or stew.
4. Buah Keluak
While this little fella is often mistaken as a nut, it is in fact the interior of a hard seed that is commonly found in the kepayang tree. If eaten raw it can be a poisonous killer and is actually used to coat spears and blow darts to provide a killer touch. When properly prepared though, usually in some sort of curry, it is considered to be a real delicacy and is often referred to as the truffle of Asia.
5. Cobra Blood
Now that you have eaten all the delicious items listed above, you probably want something to wash it all down with. Nothing finished off a meal quite like a nice glass of warm cobra blood. Men in particular may get a kick out of the stuff as it’s considered to be something of an aphrodisiac.
Now that you have eaten all the delicious items listed above, you probably want something to wash it all down with. Nothing finished off a meal quite like a nice glass of warm cobra blood. Men in particular may get a kick out of the stuff as it’s considered to be something of an aphrodisiac.
