7 Weird Latin American Food That Can Make Your Skin Crawl
Latin America is brimming with various fares -- some of which are mouthwatering while others will make you think twice before eating. For the adventurous foodies, here are seven weird Latin American food that will make your skin crawl.
1. Guinea Pig (Cuy) - Peru
According to Condé Nast, guinea pig or cuy is a must-try in Peru. Even though they are domesticated pets for Westerners, guinea pigs are part of the ancient Andean diet and even have its own national holiday.
To prepare the guinea pigs, they are cooked whole with salt and garlic for a crispy skin. There are two popular cuy dishes: the cuy chactado and cuy al palo. Cuy chactado involves the meat squashed under stones before frying while cuy al palo roasts the meat over a spit.
2. Grasshoppers (Chapulines) - Mexico
Commonly eaten in Mexico, grasshoppers or chapulines, per The Latin Kitchen, is a popular summer or autumn dish. Grashoppers can be paired with cheese, put in tacos or eaten on their own. Lonely Planet says that grashopper snacks are available all over Mexico and usually comes with chili powder and lime juice. They are healthy too as they are rich in protein.
3. Bull Penis Soup (Caldo de Cardan) - Bolivia
Tagged as the "national hangover cure of Bolivia," per Munchies, bull penis soup or caldo de cardan is what the name states. Eldemira, head chef of the iconic La Llajuita restaurant in Bolivia, says that caldo de cardan "is the only thing you need to eat all day."
Eldemira says that the main ingredients are bull penis nerve and hoof. Some chefs also top their soups with an intact bull penis for added wow factor. Apart from curing hangovers, this soup is known to induce sexual stamina.
4. Cow Udder (Ubre) - Chile
Escape Here says that in Chile, nothing goes to waste as there is also a dish for cow udder. Ubre Asada is a local specialty in the country, where the udder is cleaned thoroughly to remove the milk then grilled over an open fire to achieve a charred smoky flavor and spongy texture.
5. Big Butt Ants (Hormigas Culonas) - Colombia
In Colombia, queen ants are harvested during the rainy season to create a popular delicacy called Caviar of Santander. Matador Network says that the ants' head, pincers and wings are removed then served like peanuts. Caviar of Santander, per TIME, is a crispy snack that may look like a coffee bean but tastes like pistachios.
6. Ant Eggs and Worm Tacos (Hormigas Escimoles and Guasanos) - Mexico
Ant eggs and worm tacos, according to Matador Network, is typically eaten in Mexico. The eggs and insects are cooked in an open fire and are served with tortillas and guacamole. Ant eggs, per Lonely Planet, have a "buttery nutty" which looks like a risotto and has a consistency of a cottage cheese.
7. Buchada (Goat Stomach) - Brazil
In Ceará, a state north east of Brazil, there's a traditional dish called buchada, which features a goat's internal organs. A young goat or kid is usually used for buchada. The internal organs of the young goat is chopped, mixed with seasoning and the goat's blood and then stuffed in the goat stomach.