Would You Eat These Weird Canned Foods?
You're probably used to seeing the typical canned fruits, vegetables, and soups at your local grocery store, but did you know there's a lot more to the canned food world? From alligator meat to worm larvae, there are a ton of weird and gross things that have been canned up and are ready to eat at your convenience. It's time to see how much of an adventurous eater you truly are - here are 20 of the wackiest canned foods. Would you eat any of them?
Photo by chilie & Chabot4me on Wikimedia Commons
1. Smoked Rattlesnake
No, putting it in a can doesn't make the idea of eating smoked rattlesnake seem any better. If anything, we're even more weirded out by it! The thought of opening a can to find cooked snake meat floating around in soup seriously freaks us out.
Photo by De'Andre Bush on Unsplash
2. Silkworms
While silkworms might be considered a delicacy in other countries around the world like South Korea, it's definitely not something we're used to seeing in America. Let's just say it's not a canned dish you'd find commonly stocked up in the pantry. We're not sure we'd even want one in ours, personally.
3. Hot Dogs
While hot dog meat is already one that's questioned on the regular, the idea of eating it from a can just makes it sound so much worse. In our minds, canned hot dogs just seems bland, wet, and unappetizing.
4. Frog Legs
Frog legs might be considered an expensive dish ordered in French restaurants, but when it comes out of a can, it definitely lowers its appeal. We don't imagine you're getting the same quality with this packaging. In fact, we can only guess how rubbery the meat might taste.
5. Whole Chicken
Here's our big question: how'd they fit an entire chicken in a can? We're incredibly baffled by the physics of this. Either the can is just massive or you're going to open it up to reveal the strangest-shaped chicken you've ever seen. But regardless of how it looks, we feel pretty skeptical about the taste.
Paul J. Dauenhauer on Wikimedia
6. Scorpions
Whether they're alive or thrown into a can, we're not a fan of scorpions. After all, they're not exactly something we look at and think, "that looks tasty." We're certain that there are plenty of other sources of protein you can get besides this unique canned food.
7. Haggis
Haggis already gets a pretty bad rep for being considered an unappetizing food, so we're surprised it's got a canned version. It certainly doesn't make this dish any more appealing for the everyday consumer. It already looks terrifying when it's prepared normally, but when it's coming out of a can, we'd argue it looks even worse.
8. Sago Worm Larvae
Don't even get us started on this next weird canned item. Do those worms look appetizing to you? If your answer is already no, just imagine it coming out of a can. While it might be considered a rare treat in many Southeast Asian countries, this is one we'd put back on the grocery store shelf.
9. Cheeseburger
While cheeseburgers themselves are absolutely delicious and are a favorite food for many, you can't deny that the thought of eating it out of a can is downright weird. The best part about eating a cheeseburger is when it's fresh and warm; we can only imagine how soggy and stale a canned one would taste.
10. Boiled Peanuts
Boiled peanuts are a popular snack for those who live in the South, but for a majority of people, it might not be something they're familiar with. There's just something unappetizing about the thought of eating soggy, soft, and maybe even slimy peanuts from a can.
HungryHuy on Wikimedia Commons
11. Collard Greens
In our opinion, this is the perfect example of how fresh will always taste better. While canned collard greens, a Southern favorite, might not sound terrible, you definitely need to put a lot of work into it to make it taste good. Coming out of a can, the taste and texture will surely need a boost.
RightCowLeftCoast on Wikimedia Commons
12. Grass Jelly Drink
While this is a popular dessert drink many from Asia are familiar with, the name "Grass Jelly" is definitely going to confuse Westerners. It doesn't exactly sound delicious, does it? When you open it up and see the black jelly floating around in liquid, your first thought probably isn't going to be that you want to taste it.
13. Alligator
Turns out these terrifying creatures can be served up right in a can. That's right, canned alligator meat is a thing. We're not sure how many people out there are actually interested, but it's available if you're an adventurous eater. Just don't expect something super soft or tender, especially given what you're eating it out of.
14. Sandwiches
No, we're not joking. Did you know you can eat entire sandwiches (like PB&Js) from a can? While sure, it does sound like an easy grab and go meal, we're not entirely sure the can is the best form for it. Because when we think of a canned sandwich, we're immediately picturing stale bread and questionable fillings.
15. Tamales
In our eyes, tamales is one of those dishes that's best enjoyed when fresh. This canned version just gives us the impression that it would taste horribly artificial. We're also just seriously questioning how the corn mixture (the masa) is going to taste after sitting all that time in a can!
16. Canned Whole Potatoes
There's something a little strange about imagining peeled whole potatoes floating around in liquid in a can. While canned vegetables are very much a popular grocery item, whole potatoes just give off a weirder feel. Besides, just how big are these cans if they're supposed to fit whole versions of these veggies?
17. Bread
Canned bread immediately makes us think of one word: stale. In our minds, bread and can should never exist in the same sentence. But lo' and behold, B&M Brown Bread is a surprisingly viral product that many people wanted to try. And as it turns out, many online love it.
18. Bacon
When we think of everything we love about bacon, it mainly has to do with its crispiness and right-out-the pan freshness. The last thing we'd want from it is to come out of a can soggy, limp, and likely even saltier than it already is.
19. Oysters
Just one look at this photo is all you'll need to understand why we're a little grossed out by the sight of canned oysters. They don't exactly look like something you want to eat, right? While these goodies have been fully cooked so you don't have to worry about freshness, there's just something strange about the combination of oysters and a can.
20. Grasshoppers
Listen, while we're sure grasshoppers are a great source of protein, they're definitely not a snack we're craving on a daily basis - if ever. And if we're being honest, it makes it a bit worse if they're served to us in a can. Who knows how long it's been sitting in there!
