10 Incredibly Odd Foods Nature Has to Offer

Nature will never stop surprising us with its many whimsical creations, and nowhere is that more the case than in the foods it offers. While most of us are familiar with fruits, vegetables, and meats from our local grocery stores, nature has in store some really bizarre and uncanny edibles that push the limits of what we call "food." Some of these are delicacies enjoyed by certain cultures, while others are simply the quirky handiwork of Mother Nature. Following are 10 incredibly strange foods found in nature that will amaze or perhaps horrify you.

1. Casu Marzu: The Maggot Cheese

Originating from Sardinia, Italy, Casu Marzu is a sheep's milk cheese that is purposely infested with live maggots. These larvae help ferment the cheese, giving it a soft, creamy texture and a pungent flavor. It is supposed to be eaten while the maggots are alive, but beware—they can jump!

2. Durian: The "King of Fruits"

Loved by some, and detested by others, this spiky Southeast Asian fruit is infamous for its strong odor, often likened to rotten onions or sewage. But beneath the putrid smell, durian's creamy flesh tastes sweet like custard and has its own fair share of devotees.

3. Bird's Nest Soup

This is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine because it is made from the nests of swiftlets that reside in caves. These birds make their nests with saliva that hardens; this hardened nest cooks into a gelatinous, luxurious dish because of its texture and supposed health benefits.

4. Hákarl: Fermented Shark

This is a traditional Icelandic dish, made from Greenland shark meat, which has been fermented and dried. The process removes toxins in the shark's flesh, but the resulting ammonia-rich smell and taste make it an acquired taste—even for the locals.

5. Fugu: The Deadly Pufferfish

Fugu is a delicacy in Japan, one that's only prepared by chefs who have had special training to avoid poisoning diners. Certain parts of the pufferfish contain lethal amounts of tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that makes it one of the world's most dangerous foods.

6. Escamoles: Ant Egg Caviar

Also called "Mexican caviar," the escamoles represent edible ant larvae removed from agave plants. In nature, the egg-sized amount has a nutty and buttery flavor; therefore, this type is also one of the important traditional delicacies in Mexican cuisine.

7. Century Egg: Preserved Perfection

This Chinese delicacy involves preserving duck, chicken, or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, and quicklime for weeks, sometimes months. The result is a dark, gelatinous egg with a strong, pungent taste.

8. Black Ivory Coffee: Elephant-Digested Beans

This ultra-rare coffee is made using beans that have been eaten and digested by elephants. Enzymes in the elephant's stomach break down the proteins that cause coffee's bitterness, leaving a smooth, rich flavor.

9. Stinky Tofu

Stinky Tofu: Fermented tofu with a smell that is pungent and often compared to rotting garbage, stinky tofu is popular in East Asia. Despite its smell, the crispy exterior and soft interior make it a favorite street food in countries like Taiwan and China.

10. Sea Cucumbers: Ocean Oddities

These gelatinous marine animals have become common foods in most of the Asian cuisines. Though they look unappealing, sea cucumbers have health benefits and are usually used in soups and stews.

The natural world presents very unusual types of food that exist, and the thought of these foods is rather challenging to the perception of what is edible. Be it maggot-infested cheese, shark meat, or coffee beans digested by elephants, these weird foods speak volumes about the diversity of cuisines and human ingenuity. While they may not appeal to everyone, each one tells a story about the relationship between humans and nature. Would you be adventurous enough to try any of these?