The 21 Most Dangerous Foods in the World People Still Insist on Eating

A large part of truly experiencing a foreign land, its culture and its people is to indulge in the local fare. Whether you attempt a questionable looking dish from a street vendor or you gather around a native’s dinner table, FOOD unites you with what is special about that particular place.

However, before you grab your fork, knife and backpack, take NOTE of the 21 most dangerous foods in the world:

1. Apricot Seeds: Even though fruit is considered healthy, eating large quantities of fruit seeds can be deadly! Apricot seeds in particular contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are converted into hydrogen cyanide when ingested and interfere with your body’s ability to use oxygen. In Turkey, where apricot trees are plentiful, many people have died after eating too many apricot seeds.

2. Star Fruit: The juice of this fruit is poisonous for anyone who has bad kidneys. Just 100 milliliters has enough neurotoxins to impact your brain and nerves.

3. Hot Dogs: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hot dogs are responsible for about 17% of all choking deaths in children under 10 years old. BEWARE – they are a huge choking hazard!

4. Silver Stripe Blaasop: The liver, skin and organs of this rare fish are extremely toxic and can cause fatal paralysis and intense circulation problems. The silver stripe blaasop is considered a delicacy in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

5. Rhubarb Leaves: Deadly crystals in your kidneys can form when you eat these leaves. They contain oxalic acid, which is corrosive and can cause diarrhea, nausea, difficulty breathing, eye pain, burning in your mouth and throat and red urine.

6. Durian: Popular in Southeast Asia, this smelly fruit contains cyclopropene fatty acids, which are toxic when uncooked. This fruit can also be deadly if you combine it with alcohol. Your body can have a hard time breaking down the toxic byproducts of alcohol when you eat durian.

7. Cassava (Manioc): This root vegetable is better known as tapioca. The leaves and roots of this vegetable are full of cyanide. If they are not carefully prepared or eaten raw, the effect can be deadly. They are found in South America and Africa, but are used in the U.S. to make puddings, juices, chips and cakes.

8. Monkey Brains: Eaten raw, baked, or cooked, monkey brains are mostly found in Asia. Eating them can cause an incurable or fatal degenerative neurological condition known as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. By eating monkey brains, your own brain tissue can degenerate!

9. Pangium Edule: This fruit is poisonous to humans, because it contains hydrogen cyanide. It has been referred to as “the fruit that nauseates,” but can be safely eaten if cooked properly. Pangium edule must be boiled without its shell, soaked in water and then buried in banana leaves and ash to ferment for a month. Doing so releases the water-soluble hydrogen cyanide, which can then be washed away.

10. Red Kidney Beans: These beans have phytohaemagglutinin, which can be toxic when eaten. For safe eating, make sure to boil the beans for at least 10 minutes. Any less time or lower temperature than boiling can increase the bean’s toxicity.

11. Raw Cashews: The “raw” cashews you buy from the market have actually been steamed to remove urushiol, which is a deadly chemical that is found in poison ivy. However, too much urushiol can be fatal, so never eat truly raw cashews.

12. Elderberries: When properly ripe and cooked, these berries are safe to eat, but only without their leaves, twigs and seeds (which all contain cyanide). Seizures and severe diarrhea can occur if you eat unripe or undercooked elderberries.

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