People from all corners of the globe come to Abu Dhabi, bringing a range of cuisines, flavours and cooking styles with them. Ordinarily, this is one of the things we love most about the city, but, every now and again, it means we come across a foodstuff so utterly, well, yuk that we simply have to share the pain.
Here are some of the most gruesome offerings we’ve found on the capital’s menus.
Ostrich meat
Cuisine: South African.
What it is: Well, meat from an ostrich obviously, and we’re told the best part is the loin. You might not find it on many menus across the city, but ostrich is a flavoursome dish that’s low-fat and very underrated.
What does it taste like: A little gamey, but also a little like beef. There’s no fat running through it, though, and you feel that in the flavour. It’s also a healthier option for anyone watching their waistline or cholesterol levels.
Should you try it: Most definitely. Unusual as it is, there’s nothing gruesome or shocking about the taste, texture or appearance of the meat. And, as long as you don’t have any particular affection for the gangly, inquisitive bird itself, there’s very little that’s off-putting about this meat, and plenty to recommend it.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 1/5
Taste: 1/5
Texture: 1/5
Ick factor: 2/5
Smell: 1/5
Total: 6/25
Verdict: GO! Why on earth not?
Sevilo’s Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi (02 614 6000).
Frog’s legs
Cuisine: French
What it is: The hind legs of a slimy, pond-dwelling amphibian; oh fine, they aren’t that slimy, and yes the occasional one may very well turn into a prince. But at Bord Eau they come served up in a crispy batter with a sharp and heavy buttery sauce, and an olive and red pepper salsa. (Insider hint: they’re not actually listed on the menu, but tell them we sent you, drop a knowing wink and you’ll get the goods.) No seriously, ask for the French blind tasting menu and mention the frogs.
What does it taste like: Fishy chicken. Or chickeny fish – we can’t quite make our minds up. Either way, the texture’s light and tender, with a very delicate flavour that’s somewhere between a Bird’s Eye fish finger and one of Colonel Sanders’ original recipe drumsticks. But with a touch more class, naturally.
Should you try it: Definitely – if you can recount your experience without grimacing like a toddler gnawing a lemon, you’ll look quite the sophisticated foodie; just remember to work on your French.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 1/5
Taste: 2/5
Texture: 2/5
Ick factor: 3/5
Smell: 1/5
Total: 9/25
Verdict: GO! Put it on your ‘things to eat before you die’ list
Bord Eau, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri (02 509 8888).
Jelly Fish
Cuisine: Chinese
What it is: You know those huge, cloudy, nebulous sea creatures with tentacles that can deliver a thousand deadly stings should you ever be unlucky enough to swim too near to one? You know, the ones that travel in packs and star in multiple aquatic horror movies and novels? Well, it’s those bad boys, chopped up on your plate (more often than not) with some sauce. Sometimes they still have enough shape in them for you to identify the actual animal.
What does it taste like: Jellyfish doesn’t have much of its own flavour, but makes a good base for vinegar or chili-based sauces to give the dish some kick. People eat it for the texture, which has a strange but satisfying bite, and can be used to add instant interest to just about anything, considering it looks so, well, jelly-like.
Should you try it: It’s really nothing to get excited about, considering how weird you might imagine the experience of eating a jellyfish to be. It’s best eaten sliced with a fiery chili sauce, or barbecued (and maybe slightly charred) with a very simple lemony base. But the dish we sampled from Beijing Restaurant, where it was shredded into a cucumber salad, was pretty underwhelming and didn’t make the most of its crunch.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 2/5
Taste: 1/5
Texture: 4/5
Ick factor: 3/5
Smell: 1/5
Total: 11/25
Verdict: WAIT! Pointless trauma
Beijing Restaurant, Al Falah Street (02 621 0708).
Century EGG
Cuisine: Chinese
What it is: Really old eggs. No don’t panic, they aren’t actually a hundred years old, and yes they’re preserved, but their sulphuric smell, gooey centre and corpse-like greeny-grey hue mean you get the feeling they’d be the preferred breakfast of the living dead. Traditionally in China, these eggs were coated in a mixture of ash, lime, salt, clay and rice for months on end. The tradition originated during the Ming Dynasty when an enterprising farmer found an old egg in slaked lime and ate it, but nowadays, they’re soaked in salt and chemicals for 10 days, then wrapped in plastic and left to age for several weeks. In other words, the preparation still takes a freakishly long time, and you can’t help but feel suspicious that one bite would bring on acute food poisoning.
What does it taste like: Usually served chopped up as a cold appetiser or in a salad. The yolk is salty, creamy and very moreish. It’s really the texture that’s off-putting, as the egg white turns jelly-like and tastes rather bland.
Should you try it: Definitely – if you keep your eyes shut while you eat. It might look horrible, and it might smell like death on toast, but we promise it actually tastes delicious.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 1/5
Texture: 4/5
Ick factor: 3/5
Smell: 2/5
Total: 14/25
Verdict: WAIT! Eating it is a mildly unpleasant prospect
Khalifa Street (3rd street), opposite Mashreq Bank (02 626 2762).
Lamb Eggs
Cuisine: Lebanese
What it is: We know what you’re thinking – lambs don’t lay eggs. And you’d be right. They do however have masculine bits that are a delicacy in some parts of the world.
What does it taste like: Not as bad as you’re thinking. Seriously. The texture is certainly meaty, but soft – almost like a pâté (we reckon you could probably spread one across a slice of toast if you could do so without bursting into tears). The flavour itself is incredibly subtle, and given that they’re usually served up in a garlicky, lemony sauce, pretty insignificant.
Should you try it: Sure, why not. They’re typically quite an expensive dish, but if you’re a lady looking to intimidate a male dinner date, or a businessman attempting to terrify a client into submission, it’s certainly a better option than a stick of candy floss.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 2/5
Ick factor: 5/5
Smell: 2/5
Total: 15/25
Verdict: WAIT! You’ll need to grow a pair to eat up – but it ain’t that bad
Al Safadi, Khalidiyah (02 666 0201).
Chicken feet
Cuisine: Chinese
What it is: It’s chicken feet. Not thighs, not drumsticks; feet. Something of a staple in Cantonese cuisine, chicken feet come in a variety of forms including fried, boiled or marinated in a variety of spicy sauces, barbecued on a stick and vacuum packed into handy little bags that you can find in any grocery store in Guangzhou. Eating them is something of a challenge: brace yourself and bite off a whole toe (most are declawed), chew off the flesh and spit out the bones. If the first bite seems to be a problem, it may help to know that some Chinese call them phoenix claws, not chicken feet. Think happy thoughts. Go on.
What does it taste like: You’d be hard pressed to find these in a restaurant, so the easiest way to get some would be through one of the many little Chinese food stores in the capital. This vacuum-packed variety is often just cooked and spiced or smothered in tomato sauce. The meat is scarce and gooey, hardly has a taste of its own, and mostly takes on the flavour of the spice; there’s also quite a bit of bone to deal with. With chicken feet, it’s mostly the thought that’s icky.
Should you try it: Do it for the bragging rights, if nothing else. They might become fun snacks if you’re hardcore, or if you like spice.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 5/5
Taste: 2/5
Texture: 4/5
Ick factor: 3/5
Smell: 1/5
Total: 15/25
Verdict: WAIT! If you get over the feet part, it could be fun
Zhujun International Trading, opposite Shoe Mart, Madinat Zayed (02 631 6061).
Durian
Cuisine: South East Asia, particularly Thailand and Malaysia
What it is: Durian is a very odd-looking fruit, huge, heavy and covered in terrifying looking spikes – it looks more like a lethal weapon than a foodstuff. It’s famous for its awful smell, which has been compared to socks, sewage, skunks and stale vomit, and has led to the fruit’s consumption being banned in many public places in Asia. Yet somehow it remains very popular…
What does it taste like: The flavour is very creamy, almost like custard, and it has a lingering sweetness too. However, the smell is so strong it’s hard to distinguish between this and the actual taste.
Should you try it: Forget Marmite – durian is the ultimate love it or hate it food. Mention it to anyone in the know and their eyes will either glaze over with longing or screw up in disgust. Many say it’s worth the smell but we’ll admit this is a taste we haven’t acquired yet.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 2/5
Ick factor: 2/5
Smell: Off the scale
Total: 16/25
Verdict: STOP! Forcing yourself to keep it down is an ordeal
Emirates General Market, Hamdan Street (02 624 7500).
Lamb Brains
Cuisine: Lebanese
What it is: The inside of a baby sheep’s head, more or less. While across most of the world this meat is the preserve of zombie farmyard animals, it’s a fairly commonplace dish on menus throughout the Middle East.
What does it taste like: Like the eggs of horror, the flesh is incredibly soft. Uniquely, though, each morsel has a smooth, almost gooey centre, sort of like chomping on a piece of lightly cooked tofu – except tofu was never in a skull. Not particularly pleasant, but in sauce (again, garlic and lemon is standard), it’s worth trying for a gruesome break from the norm.
Should you try it: Not every day, that’s for sure – though it’s packed full of protein and rich in vitamin B12, it’s also incredibly fatty and crammed with cholesterol. That said, in small portions the unique texture can make for an interesting dish when mixed in with rice and other meats.
Weirdness rating
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 4/5
Ick factor: 4/5
Smell: 2/5
Total: 17/25
Verdict: STOP! Serving these is more of an intimidation tactic
Al Safadi, Khalidiyah (02 666 0201).
