Five disgusting Japanese food

I hope you are NOT eating breakfast while reading this..

Because I am writing about “weird” and “disgusting” stuff Japanese people eat.

Not all Japanese people eat these but the first one is..

1. Namako (Sea Cucumber)

I would never forget how my aunt was preparing a famous “namako” dish and she literally cut and ate a piece of sea cucumber/sea slug whatever that is called.

Actually she insisted that I give it a try so I closed my eyes and ate well “marinated” piece of namako.

It was very chewy and wasn’t so bad..

Some Japanese eat Namako raw or sashimi. (still raw) with soy sauce, ponzu,…

No, I have not eaten Namako since then. It was that once time when I was 9 years old.

This doesn’t look too bad, does it?

2. Uni (Sea Urchin)

I actually like Uni but of course we just take out the insides from the spiky exterior and we eat raw.

How? Usually Japanese people use Uni for Sushi or we put it over rice.

Uni has a bold, creamy flavor. Not so bad.

Sea Urchin Over Rice..Yum!

3. Basashi (Horse Meat Sashimi)

Is this for real?

No, I don’t know how common this is because I’ve never eaten horse meat nor have I ever seen anybody in Japan eat horse meat.

But apparently some Japanese eat raw sliced horse meat known as “Basashi” in Japanese Language.

I will pass on Basashi because it’s not my thing…

4. Shiokara

Actually, this is quite common and almost all Izakaya (Japanese drinking and snack bars) have this as an appetizer.

So what is Shiokara?

Shiokara is made from various “marine animals that consists of small pieces of the animal’s meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal’s heavily salted, fermented viscera.” 

This makes a great appetizer for sake.

5. Natto (納豆）

I love Natto but if you have never seen one before, you might feel uncomfortable at first.

Natto is a Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It’s very sticky and has a great “lingering” aftertaste.

I brush teeth right after I eat Natto because of its strong unique smell. But I highly recommend you try Natto.

Natto is high in protein but is low calorie. It’s believed to have various health benefits and is even considered a super food. Natto has compounds that reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

You can eat Natto on its own or simply out it over rice. (my favorite). Yummy…