Humans have been moving around the planet for more than 200,000 years, and during that time, we've put a lot of suspicious stuff in our mouths. Many people die from eating poisonous or venomous flora and fauna, but this is only to ensure the safety of others who have not taken action.
10 weird origin stories about your favorite foods
You might think that in the 21st century, people will have a good understanding of what not to eat – and we do the same. That doesn't mean people around the world aren't regularly betting their lives on these ten dangerous foods you can actually eat.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >10 blood clams</h1>
You always take risks when you eat a filter feeder like clams, but the danger rises dramatically if it comes to clams. These likable little guys got their names out of the shemoglobin in their blood, which turned their blood dark red. Other species of clams have clear blood, so this distinction is quite obvious. Despite looking like a small, bloody monster, the blood clam is a delicate place where in many places in the Indian-Pacific region, where they are found.
The focus on eating clams comes from the animal's extraordinary ability to filter up to 40 liters (10.5 gallons) of water per day, which is how animals feed themselves, but it also ensures that clams absorb large amounts of bacteria and viruses that are unsafe under any circumstances. In areas where the water is particularly dirty, harvested clams can be contagious to hepatitis A, hepatitis E, dysentery and typhoid fever. In 1988, in Shanghai, more than 300,000 people became seriously ill from eating these foods, and 31 people died. It is estimated that 15% of people who eat clams are infected with one infection or another.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="45" >9 elderberry</h1>
People all over the world love elderberry, so you might be wondering how they can be dangerous. In most cases, the berries themselves are completely safe to eat, and because of this, they have been incorporated into pharmaceutical products. They are also the best berries for making jams, and while most jams are absolutely safe, some jams are very harmful to eat before they are cooked thoroughly or before they are cooked.
Eating raw, immature old berries can cause severe diarrhea and seizures, which make them particularly dangerous for young and old people. This is not to say that you will eat it intentionally, but the leaves, branches, branches, roots, seeds and flowers of the plant are highly toxic and contain large amounts of cyanogenin. If any of these elements are combined with berries, you may have a very bad day. When you encounter these delicious berries in the wild, your safest bet is to stay away from them. If you're not a botanist and can tell the difference between safe berries and dangerous berries, put them on plants.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="47" >8 pufferfish</h1>
The art of making puffer fish meat in Japan has always been a dangerous practice. Puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, which is said to be 200 times more lethal to humans than cyanide. It is contained in the reproductive organs, liver, and intestines of fish. Normally, you won't eat those parts of the fish, but that's the dangerous place to play a role in preparation.
In order to serve the puffer fish, Japanese sushi chefs must go through three years of licensing and training, and anyone who orders the puffer fish will understand how deadly the chef's knife is, and they really put their lives in the hands of the chef. If a small amount of tetrodotoxin enters the meat, there is little hope of survival. First, you will feel numbness around the mouth, which can quickly lead to paralysis, and eventually, death may occur within 20 minutes or 24 hours later. Anyone who dies from a contaminated pufferfish will stay awake throughout the incident, making the puffer fish one of the deadliest fish you can eat.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="18" >7 African bullfrogs</h1>
There are many people in the Western world who laugh at the idea of eating frogs, but in many parts of the world, frog legs are a delicacy. You can find them anywhere from France to the southeastern United States. But in some parts of Africa, eating African bullfrogs is common, but they don't just eat frog legs. Instead, they eat whole frogs, and eating these amphibians is a danger to a person's health.
In Africa people eat whole frogs, but mostly in Namibia, where it is considered a delicacy called "efuma". In the eastern part of the Luangua Valley, the Nsenga people eat frogs they call "Kanyama kaliye fupam," meaning animals without bones. The skin and other organs of african bullfrogs contain harmful toxins that can cause kidney failure and, if ingested, even death. Interestingly, a small frog that has not yet mated is much more deadly than an older frog, so it's important to avoid eating them before the mating season begins.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="22" >6 Nomura jellyfish</h1>
Wild jellyfish, also known as Echizen Kurage, is a large jellyfish that can grow up to two meters (6.6 feet) and weigh up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds). Although they are not very highly regarded in the fishing industry and are a dangerous invasive species, they are consumed in places like Japan, which is considered a delicacy. Usually, jellyfish meat is non-toxic, as long as you don't eat the wrong part, but eating jellyfish meat can become a dangerous food. Unlike pufferfish, this concern is not entirely about removing the toxic parts, but about cooking the meat well.
Under no circumstances can you eat Echizen Kurage's meat raw. It must be cooked thoroughly, otherwise you may find yourself ingesting the toxic levels of the jellyfish's nematode sac. The typical venom causes itching, swelling, pain, and inflammation, but this changes if you ingest it. Although the Echizen Kurage is deadly, it can be safely prepared with proper training. There is even a company in Japan that produces vanilla-flavored jellyfish ice cream, which is made from meat from The Island of Ichison.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="26" >5 cashews</h1>
Almost all people without nut allergies have eaten a handful of cashews in their lives, but that doesn't mean cashews aren't harmful. When you buy "raw" cashew nuts at the grocery store, you buy cooked nuts. The reason for this is that raw cashews should not be put in the mouth. Raw cashews contain a chemical called urushiol, similar to those found in plants such as poisonous ivy and poison wheatgrass. You don't eat anything poisonous in its name, and you should definitely not eat raw cashew nuts.
If you choose not to heed this warning, go to the nearest cashew tree and get yourself some nuts, you need to be careful. One nut won't kill you, but enough will cause a lot of pain, which can lead to your death. Of course, you have to eat a lot of them, and you're likely to stop eating them because of the painful stimuli of eating them, but the danger is there. Fortunately, steamed cashews eliminate toxins, which is how we can enjoy them all over the world.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="30" >4Caster Hal</h1>
The idea of eating fermented shark meat isn't all that appealing to most people around the world, but that's not the case on the Icelandic table. K ster HáKarl, or simply HáKarl, is a traditional Icelandic dish made from the flesh and skin of a Greenland shark. The problem arises from the fact that this shark lacks kidneys and urinary tracts. Its waste had to go somewhere, so it did the only thing it could do; it filtered its waste through its skin, which contained high levels of uric acid and trimethylamine oxides. This passes various nightmare fuels to the skin and potentially onto the dinner plate.
Hakar was described by outsiders as "the worst, most disgusting, worst thing they've ever eaten." To make meat more delicious and safe, it must be fermented and suspended to dry for six months. Less, you have the potential to contract any foodborne illness caused by ingestion of animal faeces and natural toxicity. Usually, eating hakar is completely safe, and although it can be disgusting, it can sometimes make people sick. Death only happens if it is not fermented properly, but there are few fears that this will happen now.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="33" >3 arqui</h1>
Jamaica's pectin fruit won't be found in any supermarket because it contains a poison called hypoglycemia. If you're lucky, eating the fruit before it's fully ripe will take you to the hospital, and if you're not, you'll be sent to a morgue. Dangerous levels of hypoglycemia in the fruit can cause severe vomiting, which has been called Jamaica vomiting disease. It was vomiting that could become so frequent and terrifying; people could die because of it.
Luckily, fruit can be eaten; you just need to know when it's safe to do so. Seeds are poisonous, so you'll never swallow them, and rarely, the condition can become so severe; a person may experience convulsions, insanity, viral hepatitis, shock, and coma. Over the years, acgo poisoning has resulted in several deaths, with 29 cases detected in 1988 and more than 50 in 2001.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="37" >2 live octopuses</h1>
Technically, most people don't usually eat live octopuses; they eat a recently killed octopus, a popular dish called "sandaki." This frightening delicacy found in South Korea is a small octopus that was recently killed. If you think that a dead animal can't hurt you, you've never tried to eat Sanlu. The tentacles continue to writhe after death, and when they come into contact with sesame oil, they shake violently, making the plate look as if it were alive. Eating is fun, but very dangerous.
The problem of eating the part of the octopus containing the suction cup is related to the fact that the suction cup still works when the antennae twitch. Swallowing is a challenge, and many people die from being blocked by struggling tentacles that block the respiratory tract. It is estimated that as many as 6 people die each year from trying to eat this delicacy, making it one of the deadliest items on this list.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="41" >1 cassava</h1>
You may not know what cassava is, but there's a good chance you've eaten cassava at least once in your life. Tropical root crops are a source of cassava, so if you've ever eaten cassava pudding or pudding, you'll love the products of this plant. Luckily, it's perfectly safe to eat plants, as long as you don't do it, but it's still raw. If you eat it raw, you will almost certainly poison yourself, because raw cassava contains a toxin called linolenin. When a toxin enters your body, it transforms into a deadly cyanide called cyanidine.
That's right, cyanide. One of the deadliest substances that humans never want to touch. Cassava plants are regularly processed for human consumption, and these products are completely safe. In less developed parts of the world, crops make up a large proportion of people's diets, and rapid processing can lead to toxic cassava, which has killed countless people over the years. In 2005, poisonous cassava killed 27 children at a School in the Philippines. To handle it properly, the root must be peeled, boiled, dried, soaked and rinsed. Raw cassava should not be eaten, as it will certainly kill an ordinary person.