To many people, meat, fish, dairy, eggs, shellfish and crustaceans are some of the only animal products that are suitable for consumption, though there are few who disagree when it comes to the latter two. But in certain parts of the world there are some strange foods with questionable ingredients which may just leave you scratching your head – or gagging. But to the locals, they’re delicacies and are very much a part of the country’s culinary traditions. If you’re curious about these unusual foods, take a look at these crazy ones that use animals in unconventional ways.

1. Cow Eye in Tacos/Tacos De Ojos

For all the taco lovers out there, there’s a variation in Mexico known locally as “tacos de ojos” you might want to try. Consuming animal eyes is pretty common in many parts of the world, and tacos de ojos is one of the better-known dishes. If you can’t fly out to Mexico to get your hands on some, then simply throw together some corn tortillas, lime, red chili sauce, pico de gallo, avocado and of course, cubed cow eyes which are said to have a juicy and gelatinous texture. 

2. Snail Eggs in Caviar/Caviar d’escargot

It sounds really off-putting, but snail caviar or caviar d’escargot is a big deal in France where it’s steadily rising in popularity. So much so that folks are willing to pay up to £1,500 for just a kilogram! The dish consists of the pearly white eggs of land snails; it is commonly served on its own, with warm toast or in soups. Enthusiasts of this cuisine swear by its deliciousness, which is said to be reminiscent of baked mushroom or baked asparagus with a subtle hint of woody notes.

3. Maggots in Cheese/Casu Martzu

In certain parts of Italy, there’s a very disturbing type of cheese called “casu martzu” that literally means “rotten cheese.” As the name suggests, it’s basically fermented, rotten cheese where maggots are used to create a liquid-filled cheese. Apparently, the maggots get eaten too, right along with the rest of the soft, stinky cheese. It’s only legal on the island of Sardinia though, as the rest of Italy has made the dish illegal due to the numerous health and safety concerns it presents.

4. Fire Ants in Chutney/Chaprah

Chaprah is a type of chutney which is a type of Indian spread. But don’t let your guard down, because this one is made by grinding dried red ants and their eggs into a paste. As you may have suspected, it’s pretty hot, maybe more so than chilis and other fire peppers. The locals love it though and will mix the paste with various herbs, spices, sugar, vegetables and aromatics before serving it. They also believe it provides some medicinal benefits, despite there not being much evidence of it. 

5. Fried Arachnids

Most people are downright scared of arachnids, but there are those who catch them for food, you know, kind of like fishing. By far, tarantulas and scorpions are the arachnid specialties on most menus, most likely due to their bigger sizes. They are typically served seasoned and fried; most say that tarantula legs are comparable to more conventional meats like chicken. Fried arachnids are usually only consumed in economically unstable countries, although there are some brave westerners who have eaten it as part of a challenge.

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Certainly we’ve heard the proverb that cats have nine lives to mean that our feline friends are lucky and frequently survive dangerous incidents. You would think that they happen to save their own lives but it may surprise you to know that cats have saved the lives of people. Yes we may see them as household pets that chase mice away but hero is not a title we ordinarily give to cats. Here are five incidents where cats saved lives. 1. Tara Saves a Young Boy Tara, a tabby, was a stray cat who was taken in by Roger and Erica Triantello in 2008 after following them home. Tara grew particularly attached to the couple’s two sons. On 13th May, 2014, Tara risked her life to save Jeremy, the four-year-old son. Jeremy, who was playing on his bike in his yard, was attacked by the neighbor's Labrador and Chow mix that escaped from its yard. Jeremy was dragged off his bike by his leg by the vicious dog. Tara leapt into action, launched her claws at the dog and attacked until the dog let go of Jeremy and fled. Tara chased after the dog before it returned to Jeremy. This incident was caught on a security camera and the video went viral. 2. Masha Helps an Abandoned Baby Masha was a communal pet cat that was cared for by the people of an apartment complex in Obninsk, Russia. One frigid day in January 2015, the neighbor was alerted by Masha’s persistent cries. Irina Lavrova found the long-haired cat wrapped around a freezing baby boy and licking his face. It seemed that the baby was out in the cold for a few hours. Given the low temperatures recorded that day, the infant was saved from hyperthermia by the cat's furry protection. 3. Fidge Detects Cancer Cats are said to have an amazing sense of smell, over fifteen times more powerful than that of humans. British woman Wendy Humphreys believes that her kitten, Fidge, sensed her cancer and saved her life. A few weeks after Wendy and her husband adopted the kitten, Wendy claims that Fidge began to jump on the side of her chest whenever she sat. This unusual behavior continued for a couple of weeks, and Fidge's frequent sorties had left Wendy feeling sore. Wendy went to see her doctor who found a malignant lump in Wendy’s right breast. This early detection saved her life. 4. Major Tom Saves Owner From Sinking Grant MacDonald, an Australian and Major Tom, a black and white cat, resided on board the yacht Osprey. In September, 2015, a few miles off the Western Australian coast, the boat began to flood. MacDonald was fast asleep until Major Tom began to head-butt him repeatedly to wake him up and alert him of the danger. After realizing that there was nothing he could do, MacDonald grabbed his cat and abandoned the yard by getting on the life raft. The yacht sank. 5. Homer Stops An Intruder Homer, a homeless black cat who lost his eyes due to a terrible eye infection was adopted by Gwen Cooper. One night, Cooper awoke to Homer on her bed growling loudly. This was unusual behavior for her cat. She then noticed that there was an intruder in the room. Before Cooper could take action, Homer launched his tiny body at the intruder, bit and scratched him mercilessly until the man fled. Gwen Cooper later penned “Homer's Odyssey” which became a bestselling book as well as a follow up to tell the remarkable tale of her cat.  LEARN MORE

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Cool Animals With Their Own Life Hacks

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