The Weirdest Thing I’ve Eaten While Travelling

 

I wasn’t planning to eat anything unusual that night. I’d landed in Bangkok after a long flight, half asleep, hair sticking to my face, and the air thick enough to drink. Street food stalls lined the road outside my guesthouse — sizzling woks, clouds of chilli smoke, and a dozen smells fighting for attention. I just wanted noodles. Somehow, I ended up with something else.

The vendor smiled, pointed to a tray, and said, “Try! Very crispy!” It looked like fried noodles at first glance. It wasn’t. It was deep-fried crickets — tiny, shiny, still recognisable. My British politeness betrayed me; I nodded before my brain caught up.

Crunch. That first bite was oddly nutty, not awful at all. The texture was strange — like popcorn that gave up halfway. Locals snacked on them casually, beer in hand, laughing at the tourists hesitating with chopsticks. One of them offered me a sprinkle of chilli salt and said, “Better with spice.” He was right.

Since then, I’ve eaten stranger things. Fermented shark in Iceland (imagine blue cheese that’s angry), jellyfish salad in Hong Kong, and something in Morocco that I was only told afterwards was sheep’s brain. Each time, I’ve learnt that curiosity tastes a bit like bravery.

Travel does that to you — it stretches your comfort zone one mouthful at a time. And honestly, those moments become the best stories later. The laughter. The regret. The “never again, but glad I did.”

If you’re chasing your own food adventures, start with the easy bit: getting there. Sort your travel plans early, compare Luton airport cheap parking options, and grab one of the latest airport parking deals online. It’s the simplest way to save for the meal you’ll be telling everyone about for years.

Because sometimes, the weirdest thing you eat isn’t really weird at all — it’s just the taste of somewhere new.