Top 5 Unusual Food You Need To Try In Japan

In addition to its distinct culture, Japan also have some of the most crazy looking food I have seen in my life. Those food are so unusual that many traveller will find it unacceptable to eat for the first time. Here's my personal list of the most unusual food found in Japan.

1. Dancing Squid Bowl

It's a bowl of squids, generally served with caviar and vegetables, and when you pour the soy sauce onto the squid, the tentacles wiggle as they are alive. It is very astonishing to see, some may think it's cruel, but in fact the squids in the bowl are dead, the moving tentacles is the presence of remaining muscle tissues react to salt. What does it taste like? I'd say just like normal squids with soy sauce :)

(video from Youtube)

2. Raw Egg

You may have had soft boil egg in which the white is cooked and the yolk is liquid. But here in Japan,  eating raw egg is very common. Some cafes serve breakfast with a raw egg, all you need to do is to crack the egg on top the rice and add some soy sauce!

Eggs are very hygienic in Japan, they are sterilised and only the ones that passed the strict test can be sold in supermarket.

Raw egg with rice by J.G. Wang

3. Horse Sashimi

Yep, sashimi is not only about fish, Japanese people love eating raw food, they think that any kinds of food are gifts from Mother Nature, and too much seasoning will destroy the most authentic flavour of the food. 

The horse sashimi, unlike other food I have mentioned, it doesn't go well with soy sauce, but generally served with sesame oil. It tastes a bit like wagyu beef but more chewy!

Horse Sashimi at Maido by Lawrence L

 4. Natto

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made with fermented soybean. You can basically find Natto in every restaurant, supermarket or convenient store. When I first ate it, I barely taste anything other than slight bean flavour, but I was totally in love with when it's served properly!

It's commonly served with yellow mustard called Karashi, green onion and soy sauce, before you eat, give it a quick stir, the soybean will then be wrapped in a white membrane. Though looks sticky, which it's true when you pick them up with chopstick, however, after you put it in your mouth, they will dissolve into something very silky!

Natto by Justaninja

5. Fugu

Fugu, the name of a the famous venomous puff fish. Eating puff fish has been a traditional for Japanese nobility. Since fugu is extremely poisonous, only cooks who passed the strict test and have been regularly reviewed by government qualify to handle this delicacy. And what does it taste like? I don't know, it's one of the most expansive food you can find in Japan, you can tell me what it tastes like after you try it in Japan ;)

Posted by Joe