Top 10 strangest dishes

By Nikkie Sutton

- Last updated on GMT

Top food: fried rat is a popular dish in Asia (image credit: Nicolai Bangsgaard)
Top food: fried rat is a popular dish in Asia (image credit: Nicolai Bangsgaard)
From breaded chicken covered with cheese and sauce to fried insects, The Morning Advertiser takes a look at the weird and wonderful dishes from the UK and across the globe.

Chips and gravy

The popular meal is simple, yet effective. Chips and gravy can be consumed any time of day and can be adapted for the diner. Swap out the gravy for curry sauce or, add in cheese.

Chips.and.gravy
(image credit: Wikipedia)

Parmo

This breaded cutlet dish originated in Middlesbrough and is a popular take-away option in the north-east.

The parmo is deep-fried breaded chicken or pork, slathered in béchamel sauce and melted cheese.

Parmo

Battered Mars bar

Originating in chip shops in Scotland, this dish is an ordinary Mars bar, deep fried in a type of batter, commonly used for deep drying fish, sausages and other battered products.

Battered.Mars.Bar.000
(image credit: Christian Cable)

Bubble & squeak

Shallow-fried left over food may not be the first thing you think of for the ‘most important meal of the day’ but bubble and squeak is a traditional British breakfast dish, made from boiled potatoes and cabbage.

38590662526_975569ae98_b (1)
(image credit: Matt Biddulph)

Pork scratchings

A pub bar snack, pork scratchings are the perfect accompaniment to beer, wine, cider or really, any spirit when sat on a bar stool.

Scratchings weird food
(image credit: joloei/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

Stargazy Pie

This Cornish dish is made with sardines, spices and shortcrust pastry. The unique feature of this meal is fish heads (and sometimes tails) protruding through the crust, so they appear to be gazing skyward.

Baked_stargazy_pie (1)
(image credit: By Krista - baked stargazy pieUploaded by Diádoco, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10658244)

And the even weirder from across the globe

Tarantulas (Cambodia)

A delicacy in Cambodia, the vending of fried spiders as a speciality snack is a popular attraction for tourists passing through. 

Fried.tarantula
(image credit: Jaiprakashsingh)

Scorpions (China and Thailand)

Similarly to tarantulas in Cambodia, scorpions in Thailand are also popular with tourists.

Scorpions
(image credit: LDGerald23)

Rat (Vietnam, China, Thailand and Laos)

Rat is popular in rural areas of Vietnam, China, Thailand and Laos not only because farmers have few sources of protein, but because it is regarded as "good meat", according to ABC News​.

Rat_meat_sold
)image credit: Nicolai Bangsgaard)

Maggot cheese (casu marzu) (Sardinia)

 Literally 'rotten/putrid cheese', casu marzu is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae (maggots).

Casu_Marzu_cheese
(image credit: Shardan)

Do you serve any ‘strange’ food on your menu? Let us know, email avxxvr.fhggba@jeoz.pbz

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