Want to know which are the worst looking foods that taste great? Let’s face it, eating is not only an experience we enjoy with our sense of taste, it is also an experience in which sight plays a pretty big role also. When we go out to dinner we are not only looking for tasteful dishes, but also to be entertained and pleased visually, both by the physical restaurant itself and the meals we order. In fact, research shows that we eat more with our eyes than with our tongues.
All in all, being a gourmand is like being an adventurer: to get the greatest thrill, you have to take the biggest risk. If you don’t believe me just check out our list on The Top 10 Foods to Eat Before You Die and see for yourself that the most delicious things on Earth are not necessarily the prettiest. That is why we decided to compile this list of the 13 worst looking foods that taste great. Good food should be enjoyed by all, and we hope this list will ease any concerns over the looks of some of these great tasting foods.
Let’s take a look at the countdown and find out what they are.
13. Truffles
Truffles are not randomly ugly, for how could the fruiting body of a subterranean fungus look nice?! Nevertheless, they are so rare, special and tasty that they are ridiculously expensive.
The foods only get uglier and tastier from here in our countdown of the worst looking foods that taste great. Prepare your senses for the conflicting onslaught to come.
12. Durian
This fruit doesn’t only look scary, like some kind of prehistoric weapon, but it also smells terrible. If you dare try it you are in for a pleasant experience, as a British naturalist described it in the 19th century as: “a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds”.
11. Blue Cheese
The distinct flavor of blue cheese is the result of what makes it look and smell so disgusting: mould. But once you get past its appearance and its strong odor you are in for a treat; couple it with some French wine and you are good to go.
10. Callaloo
This popular dish from the Caribbean looks just like elephant diarrhea, a green awful goo that nobody would like to put in their mouths, ever. However, this traditional dish is both delicious and healthy, for its main ingredient is a leaf vegetable.
9. Liver
Probably the worst looking animal organ we humans eat. It can be ox, lamb, chicken, calf, pig or goose; all of them are equally horrible and yummy. Once you’ve tried it, I guarantee you’ll keep on having it.
8. Hot Oatmeal
Hot oatmeal is definitely the worst looking breakfast ever, so hideous it could make you want to fast for the rest of your life. However, this awful grayish goo is more than just tasty, it is also healthy, full of antioxidants and helps to control your cholesterol.
7. Caviar
Whoever first thought about eating salt-cured fish eggs was probably either adventurous or blind (or both). Caviar is downright delicious, as much as it is exclusive and expensive. Nevertheless, every time I have it the initial scene of Finding Nemo comes inevitably to my mind, and I end up feeling terrible.
6. Chili
Chili is without a doubt a delectable dish made up of a flavorful combination of ingredients. But however delicious chili con carne might be, we must admit that it looks like if a zombie had thrown up the bloody brains he ate for lunch.
5. Oysters
Oysters are much more than a disgusting looking delicacy, they are also healthy aphrodisiacs. Raw or cooked, they are equally tasty, slimy and simply ugly.
4. Celeriac
Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a root vegetable that looks more like a deformed humanoid than an edible goodie. Nevertheless, it is an appetizing vegetable that may be roasted, mashed, stewed or blanched. Celeriac is potato’s distant cousin, only with less starch and a greater quantity of vitamin B6.
3. Mussels
Shellfish in general are nasty looking, but these bivalve mollusks are probably the least appealing of them all. However, their looks are indirectly proportional to their flavor. Steamed, boiled, smoked, roasted, barbecued; whichever way you choose to consume them, they are awesome. My personal favorite is fried in butter and with fries on the side.
2. Geoduck
This big saltwater clam is the closest you’ll likely ever come to eating an alien. Geoduck is a sluggish aphrodisiac with a phallic shape that apparently has a savory flavor. Regarded as a delicacy around the world, geoduck looks like something out of a horror movie.
1. Monkfish
How could something called ‘frog-fish’ and ‘sea-devil’ look nice enough to be eaten? Well, monkfish honor their names, and are some of the ugliest fish to have ever swum our seas. Nevertheless, monkfish is also known as “the poor man’s lobster” due to its lobstery taste; a true delicacy.
