Have you ever heard the phrase, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison”?

Around the world, there are plenty of strange dishes that you might find repulsive, but are beloved by the locals there.

Here are just a handful of culinary oddities. Have you ever tried any? Would you?

1. Shirako (Japan)

Some Japanese love Shirako, which literally means “white children”.

While eating fish roe is common enough, eating fish sperm sacs is a different matter altogether.

Obtained from male cod fish, Shirako is said to resemble cream cheese, and is touted to have various health benefits.

Served cooked or raw, the best way to enjoy Shirako is by adding a tiny dollop to your sushi, or to eat it as a custard of sorts.

Shirako apparently has a fishy, salty taste that some say resembles caviar.

2. Cuy (Peru)

Ever seen a guinea pig in a pet store? They are cute, cuddly rodents that look adorably rotund and make for good pets.

Yet, in Peru, these same guinea pigs are less a pet and more a delicacy. And they have had that status for the last 5,000 years!

Guineas pigs actually originate from the region, and they are often cooked whole until their skin is perfectly crispy.

What does roast guinea pig, or Cuy, taste like? Most people say it tastes similar to duck, and due to the lack of fat, it is apparently quite a healthy meat.

Traditionally, you eat the guinea pig the same way you would eat a chicken drumstick – with your bare hands, nibbling away at the crispy skin and meat.

3. Casu Marzu (Italy)

As a kid, you were told never to eat food infested by flies, for health and hygiene reasons.

Yet, in Sardinia, Italy, cheesemakers actually welcome the insects as they’re needed to create the delicacy Casu Marzu, or “Maggot Cheese”.

After leaving a wheel of sheep’s milk cheese to cure for three weeks, the crust is removed to welcome flies which will then lay their eggs there.

Maggots soon hatch and will begin eating the cheese and excreting onto it, creating the pungent flavour the cheese is famous for.

The resulting cheese is soft and spreadable, and it is recommended to eat the cheese together with the live maggots, often with a glass of wine.

4. Sannakji (South Korea)

This dish has been the subject of debate, as some say the way it is prepared is unusually cruel.

However, as it is, some South Koreans relish this delicacy, which is made from a young, live octopus that is chopped up and served while still wriggling in your plate.

While some say the octopus is still alive, others insist the creature is dead but its neurons are still active within its tentacles.

Anyway, consuming the wriggling tentacles is quite a hazard in themselves; numerous deaths are reported every year due to choking incidents.

For a safe meal, dip the tentacle in a sauce before chewing hard and fast, then swallowing it quickly.

5. Balut (Philippines)

To many Pinoys, this is a tasty aphrodisiac.

While it may look like any ordinary egg, within you will find the foetus of a duckling left to develop for about three weeks – which means it has already formed its eyes, feathers and beak.

The taste of Balut has been described as a mix between a hard-boiled egg and roast chicken. The yolk is supposedly rich with flavour while the meat of the duckling is soft.

You might probably eat this delicacy with your eyes closed; and if you manage, you might actually find that the taste is not outright repulsive.

6. Escamole (Mexico)

Insects have long been lauded as a cheap and nutritional source of protein, with many cultures already consuming them on the regular.

However, in Mexico, one particular insect delicacy called Escamole is rather expensive.

This is an ancient dish, enjoyed by ancient Aztecs and modern Mexicans, which consists of fried ant larvae.

These insect eggs are often sauteed in butter and spices first; they have a distinct crunchiness and a mild, nutty taste.

Escamole is expensive due to the fact that only velvety tree ant eggs are used, and the harvest period only lasts between February and April.

7. Hakarl (Iceland)

Hold your nose while eating this dish, unless you like the smell of bleach filling your nostrils and lingering there for a while.

Made from fermented shark, the meat is left to rot underground for three months before being dried for up to five months.

Afterwards, the chewy flesh is cubed and served on toothpicks, leaving a strong fishy taste in your mouth.

Every morsel of flesh stinks to high heaven, due to the high ammonia content in shark flesh. You will need a will of iron and a stomach of titanium to survive this dish!