Europe’s Most Disgusting Food

European cuisine is known for its deliciousness.
Whether it be pasta from Italy or the delicacies of French cuisine – but have you ever wondered what Europe’s most disgusting food is? Here’s a list with 9 of the worst ever. We have kindly selected the best recipes for each one, just click on the photos and enjoy!
WARNING: This post contains disturbing images.
Benelux: Head Cheese
This dish from Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg has nothing to do with cheese. This sort of cat-food-looking speciality is made with flesh from the head of a calf, pig, sheep or cow. The part of the head used varies, but it may contain tongue, as well as feet or the heart.
France : Cockscomb
In France (and Italy) people eat roosters’ comb… yum. In the French cuisine cockscombs were used as garnishes whilst in Italy it is still used in a famous sauce named Cibreo. Perhaps one of the creepiest looking of Europe’s most disgusting food
Finland & Sweden: Blood Pancakes
We used to think we could have pancakes with anything…Until now.
Bloodplättar (Sweden) or Veriohukainen (Finland) are made of pork blood, milk, rye flour, dark molasses, onion and butter.
Iceland: Hákarl
Or rotten sharks. The carcass of the shark is buried underground and pressed with stones in order to drain its poisonous fluids. Once emptied they are hung out to dry.
Lithuania & Poland: Blood soup
We’re now becoming blood-cooking experts when it comes to Europe’s most disgusting food. In Lithuania Juka is made out of goose, duck or chicken blood and is served with potatoes or black bread. Polish Czernina, on the other hand, can be made out of duck, hen, rabbit or pig.
Norway: Smalahove
We warned you.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Sheep. Head.
Scotland: Haggis
This Scottish sausage doesn’t look particularly disgusting… until you know what it’s made of: sheep’s lungs, liver and heart.
Italy: Casu marzu
We will never look at cheese the same way. A contender for the most disgusting of all of Europe’s most disgusting food, Casu Marzu is a traditional sheep milk cheese from Italy. It was banned for years and only sold in the black market but nowadays it is a traditional food which is legal to produce and sell. And if you were wondering, you aren’t meant to remove those white worms before tasting it. Yay for extra protein!
Spain: Criadillas
Or bull’s testicles. Actually, criadillas can be made of several animals’ testicles you can choose from: calf, lamb, pig and of course bull. They are part of the traditional Spanish “tapas” and are usually dip fried.
Now you know a little more about European cuisine, try our Traditional European Food quiz!
Have you ever tried any of these or are you missing a delicious recipe? Let us know in the comments!
Bon appétit!
2 Comments
I must say, it seems to me who wrote this article comes from a poor food culture. These recipes reminds us something we have forgotten: meat is not just muscles. If you want to eat meat you also have to find a place for the rest, and is better to know you are eating liver, or heart or whatsoever than finding it hidden minced in some other “yummy food”.
Hi! We totally agree, knowing what we eat is important. Despite this, we still don’t feel like eating worms and totally prefer sweet pancakes 🙂