Things to do, before I die… every now and then this thought floats in our head and we rush to grab a pen and paper to jot own things we wish to accomplish in this lifetime. Most of this ‘To Do List’ encircles around fame, money and good will. However, have you ever noticed the absence of food in the record?  

Leave it upon us to fill the gap. OctanMen, men’s food and wine magazine, lists a starter's guide to some of the more interesting treats from around the globe

1. Fried spider from Cambodia: Locally called a ping, they are about the size of your palm and are bred in ground holes or captured and killed. Breaded in a mixture of MSG, sugar and salt, and then fried in oil with chopped garlic until the legs turn rigid. Although, the taste is bland, one bite and you’ll fall in love with the meat inside spider’s head.  

2. Fugu from Japan:    

‘I cannot see her tonight.
I have to give her up
So I will eat fugu.’

Japanese poet Yosa Buson, expressed his love for this deadly fish through this expression. A zillion stories about the lethal qualities of this fish envelop this delicacy. OctanMen, men’s food and wine magazine, is here to tell you that all this is bona fide. This Japanese blowfish is so deadly that one incorrect step in cooking and it’ll alter into a toxic that is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. As each fish encapsulates enough poison to kill 30 adults.

This is primarily the reason why cherishing fugu should only be done only in the best eateries in Japan. In Japan, it is served by licensed chefs, who know the craft exceptionally well.

3. Century egg from China: What’s in a name? In case of century eggs it’s all about a bit of exaggeration. To begin with don’t let the title Century egg mislead you. As in actuality, these eggs are not hundred year old!

To make century eggs, Chinese take duck, chicken or quail eggs are kept into a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and lime. Then, they are wrapped into rice straw and are stored in baskets or jars. Over time, the clay mixture hardens to a crust, while the acid from lime juice acts as a preservative to prevent the egg from spoiling. After a period of three or four months, the eggs are ready to eat.

The best part of this hundred year old egg does not lie in how it tastes, but rather how it appears than how it flavor. Egg yolk adopts a dark green color, while the egg white turns dark brown.

4. Odori ebi from Japan: Odori ebi meaning living or dancing prawn is a type of sushi that contains live baby prawns. These prawns wiggle their antennae and legs as you gobble them. The prawn is dunked in sake before it’s dipped into a special sauce and gobbled down. This incredible luxury is found only in Tokyo.

5. Iguana meat from El Salvador: With goodwill of fixing everything from colds to sexual performance this one comes from the forests of El Salvador. Apart from being loved for its therapeutic values, it’s also regarded as a different but pleasant alternative to chicken.

Hope the adventure eater makes the most of this. Here’s OctanMen, men’s food and wine magazine, signing off!