Remember the time when you bit into the sweetest watermelon and drenched yourself with the dripping juices? Or that time when you fought for the last piece the crispiest samosa at the local chaatwaala?
While some foods are good and some are weird, some can be outright dangerous. Check out the following foods to see if you would like to put them on your shopping list.
The Good
Miracle Fruit
Meet the lovely Miracle fruit. Kind and sweet. The fruit when eaten before consuming anything bitter or sour can make that food taste sweet. So, if you want to eat a bowl of bitter gourd sabzi, make sure to pop some miracle fruit into your mouth an hour before eating. Voila! Bitter gourd will suddenly become a dinner favorite. Miracle fruit is found in West Africa. The round coffee-like bean is red in color. The extracts from the fruit is also made into tablets which have the same effect as the fruit.
Saffron
Claimed to be the priciest spice in the world, saffron is obtained from the dried stigma of the flower Saffron Crocus. Called 'Kesar' in India, you can find it in many special sweets and even some exotic pulaos and curries. The flower's chemicals, Picrocrocin and Safranal imparts its characteristic fragrance.
Ugli Fruit
This poor fruit is only ugly from the outside. Ugli fruit belongs to the citrus family. Peel it and a yellow flesh is revealed. This fruit was found to be growing in the wild in Jamaica. Even today, ugli fruit is grown in this region.
Chocolate: Food of the Gods
Chocolate needs no introduction to anyone. Touted to be the food of the Gods, this enticing food has something so unique about it that it catches everyone's fancy. Besides being a gastronomical sensation, chocolate also has a fair measure of powerful antioxidants (important nutrients) that are actually good for you. The dark variety of chocolate (without much milk or sugar) is the one that has the most beneficial properties.
The Bad and the Ugly: Eat at your own risk
Fugu or the Japanese Puffer Fish
Considered a delicacy in Japan, Fugu or the puffer fish is prized for its taste. However, a small slip in cleaning the fish is enough to paralyze the person eating it. Chefs have to undergo a long and strict training process to be qualified to cook fugu. While the flesh itself is safe to eat, the skin and internal organs are extremely toxic. In fact, the chefs who prepare the fish have to taste the preparation before serving it to his/her guests!
Cassava
Cassava is a root vegetable that is a staple food in many parts of the world. The starch is dried and ground to make flour. However, it is not the same as the humble potato. Cassava can be deadly if not cleaned and cooked properly. Think twice before making cassava fries or cassava tikkis!
Silver-Stripe Blaasop
This is a type of fish that is found in the Indian Ocean. Locals in this area consider it as a delicacy. Again, just like the fugu, it can be toxic if not prepared carefully.
And the list can get more interesting. As the popular proverb goes, 'one man's meat is another man's poison'. But with so many yummy foods to enjoy, why worry about the 'Bad and the Ugly' when you can go for the 'Good'?
