9 crazy local delicacies from around the world that are banned in the US

PROMO_Banned

Classic haggis and pufferfish have at least one thing in common: You won't find them in America (legally).
Wikimedia Commons/Shutterstock

The INSIDER Summary:

  • You may still be able to eat foods pumped with artificial dyes, chemicals, and arsenic in America, but the FDA has outlawed a bunch of international delicacies.
  • For example, the poisonous pufferfish is a delicacy in Japan, but considered a serious hazard in America.
  • Animal blood in any form is still banned, though common fare in Ireland.


You may finally be able to eat Kinder eggs and Italian cured meats in America after decades of a federal US ban, but the American government still says no to plenty of international delicacies, like the deadly pufferfish and animal lung meat.

We rounded up the craziest foods from around the world that are banned in America (as confirmed by the FDA in an email to INSIDER), even if they're considered delicious in other parts of the globe.

Animal lungs (as found in haggis)

Animal lungs are a primary ingredient in haggis and the reason why we can't have this Scottish delicacy in America.
Tess Watson/Wikimedia Commons

This is a tricky one, because you can technically get haggis in America (if you're brave enough to try it), but it won't be the traditional recipe. Traditionally, haggis is made from sheep heart, liver, and lungs, all encased in the stomach lining of the animal. However, in America you can't buy or sell lungs as an edible product, the FDA told INSIDER in an email.

Casu Marzu: a Sardinian cheese filled with live maggots

Casu marzu may sound pretty, but this maggot-infested Sardinian cheese is banned in America
Shardan/Wikimedia Commons

Casu Marzu is a traditional Sardinian cheese that's extra-fermented by live maggots that partially decompose the cheese. Not feeling this one? Neither is the US government. The cheese is banned for sanitary/hygienic reasons.

Shark fins

While shark fin soup is a delicacy in some countries, that won't fly in America.
harmon/Wikimedia Commons

You'll see shark fin soup on the menu at expensive restaurants in China, but in America consumption of shark meat is a no-go for animal ethics violations. The traditional practice of finning removes a shark's fin when it is still alive, and is therefore considered cruel.

Bushmeat: meat from African game animals

Pictured above are the carcasses of wild African rodents.
Wikiseal/Wikimedia Commons

Bushmeat is a catch-all term that includes the meat of all African wild game animals found in the forests and savannahs. You will never find wild gorilla, elephant, or antelope meat for sale in America. Why? Because many African game animals are protected by law, which is why bushmeat is often illegally poached. The animals themselves are in danger of becoming extinct.

Pufferfish

He may look kinda cute, but his quills are highly poisonous to humans.
Shutterstock

Eating pufferfish (also known as fugu in Japan) is like playing a culinary game of Russian Roulette. That's because unless it's cooked exactly right, the pufferfish is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. The FDA did not want to take on that risk so fugu meat is banned.

Horse meat

Horse meat is banned for now, but not for the reasons you might expect.
Shutterstock

The ban of horse meat comes down to a fairly recent ordinance and it's not for the reason you think: The 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act bars the Food Safety and Inspection Service from inspecting deceased horses: no inspection, no horse meat.

Hallucinogenic absinthe

Try the green stuff (it's delicious but won't make you have visions).
Kjn91/Wikimedia Commons

You may have had an absinthe cocktail at a local bar, but classic absinthe (which is made with thujone, a substance found in some plants and flowers that is said to have hallucinogenic properties) is banned in America, because thujone can be toxic in large quantities. The green, licorice-flavored liquor sold here is a tamer version of the Green Fairy and won't make you hallucinate.

Sea turtle meat

Sea turtles are thankfully protected by the FDA.
David Loh/Reuters

There's a reason why you won't find turtle soup anywhere in America. Most countries around the world (including America) have banned the hunting and selling of sea turtle meat for conservation and animal cruelty reasons. Even so, illegal poaching of these creatures is still a problem.

Ackee fruit

The ackee fruit may look pretty, but it's actually pretty deadly.
Jerome Walker/Wikimedia Commons

The ackee is a popular Jamaican fruit that is not allowed to enter the United States because it's highly precarious. When the fruit turns red, it's ripe. But when it's yellow, it's teeming with toxic levels ofhypoglycin A, which, when consumed, could result in vomiting, hypoglycemia, or even death. The black seeds on the other hand, are always poisonous.

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Keep reading

More: Features FDA America banned

Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.