One of the many pleasures of travelling to a new destination is trying local authentic delicacies.
Whilst we can try chicken feet, century eggs and durian in some parts of Australia, Asia offers a wider variety of delicacies to suit all tastebuds. Some describe these delicacies as weird, but others think they’re wonderful. You won’t know whether they will suit your tastebuds unless you try them at least once in your lifetime. So immerse yourself in the local culture. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how it will provide one of the most memorable experiences of your travels.
Snacks
Stinky tofu is a popular street food in Asia which originated in Taiwan. You can often smell stinky tofu approximately one kilometre away but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it!
Chicken, pig and duck blood cubes are usually skewered and grilled in Philippines but part of curry noodle soups in Malaysia.
If you are more adventurous, you can try Jibachi Senbei (wasp rice crackers), Inago (locusts such as crickets and grasshoppers) and Hachinoko (bee larvae) in Japan, Beondegi (silkworm pupae) in South Korea and even fried tarantula in Cambodia.
Soups
Bird’s nest soup is one of the most popular and expensive delicacies in China due to its traditional Chinese medicine properties for nourishing the body. It is made from swiftlets and swallows’ solidified saliva.
Other popular soups are turtle soup in China and white ant eggs soup in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
Main course
Japan offers many delicacies to eat with your meals. These are Natto (a fermented soy product with a strong pungent smell), Shiokara (minced fish stewed in fish guts and miso), Shirako (Male fish sperm sac), Fugu (puffer fish) and Barashi (raw horse meat).
If you are travelling to India or Singapore, it’s worth trying Tulang Merah (mutton bone steak) and frog legs cooked in a clay pot.
Dessert & Coffee
Turtle jelly is a dessert in China made from boiling powdered turtle shell and letting it form up into gelatin.
A popular drink is Kopi Luwak (also known as Cat Poop Coffee) in Indonesia which are made from coffee beans eaten and excreted from the Asian palm civet, a weasel-like creature, then washed and sold.
Take me there
Japan Uncovered, 18 days
Grand Tour of China, 26 days
Grand Tour of Indochina, 27 days