Top 10 Strange Foods that are Banned in the US

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

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#5 – Ortolan

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Qraved

The ortolan is a tiny songbird that weighs less than one ounce. This bird is cooked for 8 minutes and served with its head attached, and it was once a controversial dish in France. The little birdie is meant to be eaten whole, including its bones and head.

Hunt and sale of the ortolan were banned in France in the 90s, yet poachers continued to catch the small bird and sell it to local restaurants. After the ban, the ortolan population dropped by 30%, which forced the government to enforce a strict ban in 2007.

What’s more controversial than killing the rare bird is the cruel way in which it’s killed. These tiny birds are caught during their migratory season and kept in covered cages to trick them into eating more since they normally eat more at night, hunters keep feeding them to the point where their little bodies double in size.

The ortolans are basically thrown alive into a container of Armagnac, which drowns and marinates them. The French government now strictly enforces the ban on killing ortolans. At the present time, killing, smuggling, or cooking of this bird is considered a crime anywhere in the EU or the US.

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#6 – Casu Marzu

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Supercurioso

Casu Marzu, or rotten cheese, originates in Sardinia and might be the most disgusting food on this list. Actually, this type of cheese is kept outside uncovered, allowing flies to lay eggs inside.

When the eggs hatch, the maggots begin feeding on the cheese, producing certain enzymes that stimulate fermentation and fat decomposition. This way the rotten cheese turns out extremely soft and leaves a burning sensation on the tongue when eaten.

Locals say the cheese is only great when the maggots are alive and moving, if dead, the rotten food becomes too toxic to eat. Casu marzu obviously doesn’t meet the hygienic standards of the EU and the US, so it has been banned (luckily).

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#7 – Shark Fins

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