Weird Japanese food

There are ‘weird’ food in every culture without exception, even in Western countries. One man’s meat is indeed another man’s poison. Many others will be disgusted at foods like French escargots, American Rocky Mountain ‘oysters’ (cattle testicles) and English black pudding. If you’re talking about insects, there are also candy & lollipops made by US companies that contain real scorpions, worms & crickets.

There are also plenty of other countries who eat insects, regarded as nutritious & full of protein, like Thailand, Japan, South America, Africa etc. Even Americans are becoming more accepting, with over ten insect festivals each year like the Bug Bowl at Purdue University and restaurants like Typhoon, in Santa Monica, that serves insect delicacies.

Insects have enjoyed a place at the Japanese dinner table for many centuries. There insect foods are exotic, local niche items that the vast majority of modern Japanese have never – and likely would never – try even once in the course of their lifetimes.