No matter where you go in the world, chances are you’ll find some local dish or delicacy that is inexorably tied to its home turf. But many of these regional foods are so unique to their location that, to outsiders at least, their taste, texture, ingredients, and even appearance might prove puzzling (if not completely off-putting). Six of the culinary world’s most bizarre and misunderstood regional dishes are explored here.
Surströmming
We’re starting off strong here with a unique Swedish dish so extraordinary that it has sparked a viral trend of people trying it (or at least, trying to stomach it) online. Surströmming is salted and fermented herring, typically served inside an infamously bloated and misshapen tin can (the result of the fermentation or “souring” process continuing after the fish have been sealed away).
A regional delicacy with centuries of history, as many a self-respecting Swede would undoubtedly tell you, most viral videos of people trying surströmming online almost immediately go wrong: the tin always should be opened outdoors, if not immersed in a basin of water, as the fermented fish inside understandably carry a lingering and intensely foul smell. (Not only that, but the natural pressurization of the can itself can sometimes produce a spray of foul-smelling rotten fish juices, enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs.)
The fish itself, meanwhile, shouldn’t really be eaten as it is, but should be cleaned and deboned (as well as skinned, if preferred), leaving just the soft, salty, and umami-rich flesh behind. In that way, it works almost like a piquant relish, and is best enjoyed with a handful of plainer-tasting accompaniments, such as buttered bread or boiled potatoes.
Beans on Toast
British food has always had something of an unfair reputation around the world (and there are probably enough popular-only-in-the-UK dishes to warrant their own list). But besides the likes of black pudding (a sausage-like concoction of pork blood and breadcrumbs served in slices on a traditional full English breakfast) and the decidedly grim-sounding steak and kidney pie (which is nevertheless popular enough to find its way onto most English pub menus), one perennial British staple that seems forever to bamboozle outsiders is also one of the UK’s simplest: beans on toast. In fact, this two-ingredient staple has even inspired a recent trend on social media for Americans trying it for the very first time.
A serving of tinned baked beans (that is, haricot beans cooked and stored in a simple tomato-based sauce) atop a couple of slices of buttered toast might not sound like the most appetizing meal, but beans on toast really needs to be tried in order to be understood. There’s a reason this deceptively simple dish was recently ranked fifth in a YouGov survey of Britain’s favorite meals, alongside roast chicken and fish and chips.
Fairy Bread
A much-loved childhood staple in Australia and New Zealand, often served at kids’ birthday parties and other special occasions, fairy bread is the local name given to colorful sugary sprinkles (known locally as “hundreds and thousands,” for obvious reasons) simply served atop slices of buttered white bread.
In fact, fairy bread is so iconic in Australia that it was even honored with a Google Doodle on November 13, 2021, commemorating the birthday of author Robert Louis Stevenson: he might not have come up with the idea of putting sprinkles on top of bread (which seems to have emerged a little later in the 1920s), but he at least apparently coined the name “fairy bread” in an 1885 poem.
Alaskan Ice Cream
Also known by the local Yupik name of akutaq, Alaskan ice cream might sound appealing—and might indeed look like a serving of berry-rich sorbet—but with little to no dairy to utilize in the high Arctic, this understandably isn’t a traditional ice cream, despite its name. Instead, akutaq is typically made by mixing berries with whipped animal fat, and occasionally a handful of snow to give it a chilled, ice cream-like texture and temperature.
Like many local dishes, though, there are countless variations of Alaskan ice cream, depending on what is locally available: walrus tallow and seal oil might be the chief ingredients at locations by the coast, whereas moose or caribou fat might be used inland, and flakes of dried pike or freshwater whitefish elsewhere.
Garbage Plate
Forever associated with Rochester, New York, in particular, perhaps the most confusing thing about this dish (besides its somewhat unpalatable name) is its bizarre mix of ingredients. Although different U.S. towns have different versions, a typical serving of garbage plate will feature either hamburger or hot dog meat (or both), alongside fried potatoes, onion, tinned beans, macaroni, and sliced bread.
Dating back to the first half of the 20th century, the dish was supposedly created when customers at Nick Tahou Hots’ fast-food restaurant in Rochester asked for a dish with “all the garbage” on it. This high-piled combo plate was the result, and has remained a popular U.S. staple (and a perennial source of confusion to outsiders) ever since.
Tête De Veau
Traditional French delicacies come in all shapes and sizes, with frog’s legs and snails among the most famously bizarre (and forever misunderstood) among outsiders. Elsewhere, though, it’s not just the frogs and the snails that you might find on a local menu in France, with the likes of raw sea urchins and grilled sheep’s testicles or amourettes enjoyed elsewhere.
You’re unlikely to find those everywhere, but a traditional tête de veau will be a staple of many a local bistro across France, as well as a popular offering in local marketplaces and butchers. For outsiders, though, this dish might raise a few eyebrows: a tête de veau is a whole calf’s head, which is typically deboned and rolled up into a sausage-like mass, which can then be roasted or poached and served in slices.
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