If you find yourself getting bored of the same old meals, maybe it's time to shake things up by trying something new. If you're picky, this list will look like a to-do list from Fear Factor, but we promise that all eight of them are delicious and will not kill you. Face your fears and try some of these amazing, uncommon ingredients and dishes.
Beef Heart: called Anticucho de corazon de vaca, this dish is commonly served in Peruvian cuisine. It doesn't look gory or unappealing, just like little pieces of delicious, charred meat. The flavor is very intensely beefy and a little gamy, but if you didn't know it was heart, you'd never think twice about it. They're also highly nutritious, according to this recipe at The Curious Coconut.
Har Gow: These Chinese shrimp dumplings are most frequently eaten at Dim Sum restaurants, where carts of dumplings and other delicious dishes are brought from table to table. Har Gow have thick, translucent wrappers made of rice flour and are filled with shrimp, and though they look a little "weird," they're delicious and completely addictive. This video from Lucky Peach will show you how to make them, if you're up for a challenge.
Pickled herring: Pickled herring is definitely an acquired taste, but those who love it, really love it. Herring itself is quite mild in flavor, so it completely soaks up the taste of the brine and onions that are pickled with it. It's amazing with crackers, and if you're feeling even more adventurous, with horseradish.
Escargot: Escargot are the typical "ew!" food featured in many movies. Snails? Gross! But in truth, snails are a lot like herring in that they don't taste like much on their own, and they soak up the flavor of whatever they're cooked in. Lucky for snails, they are typically cooked and served with tons of garlic butter and parsley, like in this recipe from Food Network. They're a little chewy, but not more so than your average mushroom.
Mongolian Hot Pot: If you go to a Mongolian Hot Pot restaurant, you'll be in for a dining experience unlike any other. You'll sit at a table centered around a bowl of hot, bubbling, aromatic broth, and pieces of vegetables, raw meat and seafood, and sauces will be given to you to dip, cook and then eat. It's a meal meant to warm you up in the winter and bring you together with friends over a communal dish, says Hotto Potto History.
