The latest Lonely Planet guide to Extreme Cuisine gives us a gastronomic tour of the bizarre from the safety of our armchairs. Thankfully, no forks necessary. If you're squeamish, don't read on...

Alligator Cheesecake 
Imo’s Café in New Orleans, Louisiana, has created a savoury cheesecake appetiser made of cheese, alligator sausage and shrimp.

Bitter Melon
To say that this wart-riddled fruit is astringent, is an understatement. To cut the bitterness, salting or blanching are used and, in Pakistan, lamb and spices turn this bitter fruit into a plate called karela gosht. Why even try to make this bitter pill palatable? A combination of vitamins and minerals have been shown to lower blood-sugar levels in diabetics, and early evidence of treating HIV.

Blood Tongue
Making Billy Roll look appetising, this German cold cut is made with cow blood and tongue. Seasoned, cooked, chilled and turned into a loaf, this luncheon meat is then sliced thinly to be served up in crusty rolls. Mmmm.

Chicken Knee
The Japanese enjoy their joints grilled smoky at yakitori restaurants. The Chinese prefer to eat them at dim-sum, deep-fried and dunked in garlic batter. No bones about it, the whole joint is entirely edible.

Haggis
In case you didn't know, this Scottish delicacy is made up of sheep’s heart, liver and lung, minced and mixed with oatmeal, suet, onions, stock and seasoning. The mix is piped into a sheep’s stomach, which is then boiled, and ready to be slashed open and served. For offal on the go, you can pick up a deep-fried haggis in Scottish chippers, with a flash-fried Mars bar for afters.

Live Lobster
In Asia, the faster the chef, the faster the meal. Once the lobster is dispatched and split open, the meat in the tail is scooped out, sliced into sashimi portions, and then served onto its own tail. The other half of the lobster is set on a bed of ice to preserve any remaining motor reflexes.

Natto
A soybean that has been steamed for six hours, fermented for 24 hours, and aged for a week, sounds less than appetising. However, in Japan this superfood has plenty to offer, including decreasing risks of blood clots, and treating osteoporosis

Prickly Pear Cactus
In Mexico, this plant is used in cooking everything from breakfast to dessert. Once the spines are removed, the pads can be eaten raw, grilled, boiled, fried, or even as ice cream. Its flavour is somewhat bland, but is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and can even treat diabetes. 

Witchetty Grub
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here... viewers will be familiar with the sight of squirming celebrities forcing these squishy little grubs down their gullets. An Aboriginal delicacy, they are eaten raw or cooked under hot ash to a barbecued char. Full of protein, they apparently taste like egg, or the usual at-a-loss answer, chicken.

Cow Udder
Long ago in Tuscany, when the rich enjoyed prime cuts, and the poor had to be inventive, dishes were created out of a cow’s udder. Stewed and fried are the usual orders.
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Written by :

Leanne de Cerbo