Digest this article at your own risk!
Some of the most exotic up to the very innocent type of food such as cashews can be poisons to your health! Here are some of the world's most deadliest food-- don't worry, we'll include on how to consume them safely:
Ackee
Ackee is a fruit from Jamaica and can be consumed when fully ripe as long as you take out the seeds. The black parts of the seeds contain toxins and hypoglycin, a poisonous substance that causes vomiting sickness.
Casu Marzu
This is a type of cheese from Italy that is intentionally made to be rotten- cheese is uncovered allowing flies to lay eggs. The maggots then cause the cheese's fermentation and for the life of me I can't get why this is a traditional type of cheese preparation. Larvae can thrive through intestinal walls causing severe illnesses. Yuck.
Sannakji
Sannakji is a popular dish from Korea. This is a type of octopus that is best eaten raw so better chew with all your might! So why is this dangerous? The suction caps still have its gripping power even after death- at least 6 people die per year as a result of choking while eating the Sannakji.
Fugu
Fugu or Pufferfish is a popular delicacy in Japan that can be fried, raw (sashimi), turned into sake, boiled or mixed in miso soup. However, consuming its innards have caused death as they contain tetrodotoxin, a deadly poisonous substance.
Hakari
Hakari is a traditional dish from Greenland. This is actually a shark that's cured for up to 6 months so think of it as Greenland's version of buwad. What's harmful about this shark is that this type doesn't have a kidney or urinary tract so toxic substances are filtered to the skin. Yikes.
Blood Clams
In China, Blood Clams are quickly boiled. These clams contain many viruses and bacteria such as hepatitis A,E, typhoid and dysentery. These clams live beneath murky waters and are capable in absorbing substances quick so imagine if they are living in an area where toxic and sanitary waste are disposed. Thousands of people have been infected with fatalities since 1988 and has been banned ever since.
Star Fruit
You might have seen this one at your neighbor's backyard. Some may even use a less-ripe starfruit or balimbing as a substitute for tamarind in sinigang. But the star fruits contain Caramboxin, a neurotoxin known to cause deaths to patients with renal or kidney problems, especially ones undergoing dialysis, it also contains a kidney stone-forming oxalic acid.
Cassava
Now who doesn't adore the sticky and sweet goodness of a Cassava cake? Our friends from other parts of the world also enjoy this boiled, fried, steamed, grilled or mashed. However, this must be consumed when it's cooked thoroughly- when eaten raw, expect to ingest a high concentration linamarin, a substance that turns into cyanide when consumed. Over a decade ago, 25 children died here in the Philippines after consuming a poorly-prepared cassava cake.
Elderberries
Elderberries can be eaten when it's properly cooked without its leaves, twigs and seeds, which contain cyanide. Eating them unripe or uncooked can cause severe diarrhea and seizures.
Raw Cashews
When you buy a pack of "raw" cashews from a store, they're not exactly raw but steamed before commercial consumption. Eating them raw can be harmful as raw cashews contain urushiol, which is the same chemical that you’d find in poison ivy.
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