There’s not much on Fear Factor that I would attempt to be honest with you. Walking a tightrope between apartments, dropping out of a helicopter onto a speeding boat, or having spiders walk over me. (Actually, the latter would send me screaming into the countryside.) But the worst thing of all is the fearsome food they have to consume. But if you’re more Bear Grylls than Paris Hilton, then you’ll love this list of the world’s craziest food festivals…
Bullock Bollock Festival
Well, actually it’s officially known as the Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival held in early August in Montana, USA. And no, they’re not feasting on the juicy, briny, slimy delicacies from the sea that you think they might be doing. Instead, these oysters are unique and adventurous dishes made from bull, sheep, or bison testicles.
Rocky Mountain Oysters, also known as prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, or calf fries, are a popular dish in the American West. They are made by removing the testicles from a bull, cleaning them thoroughly, pounding them, and then deep-frying them.
The testicles are typically served with a dipping sauce, such as ketchup, ranch dressing, or hot sauce.
West Virginia Road Kill Cook Off
The West Virginia Road Kill Cook Off is an eagerly anticipated annual event held in Marlinton, West Virginia. Taking place in September, this unique festival celebrates the unconventional by showcasing the culinary creativity of participants who transform roadkill into delectable dishes.
Here, you can enjoy tasty dishes like squirrel gravy over biscuits, teriyaki marinated bear, or deer sausage. Other popular dishes include raccoon, opossum, and roadkill stew.
It also features activities such as live music, a car show, and a parade. Plus there’s the crowning of Miss Roadkill after the food judging is done.
Waikiki Spam Jam
Aloha my fellow foodies and travel enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a unique and delicious food experience, look no further than the Waikiki Spam Jam in Hawaii. This annual festival celebrates the beloved canned meat with a wide variety of SPAM-inspired dishes from local restaurants.
The staple diet of Hawaiians during WWII when real meat was scarce, spam was the saviour. Mmm hmmm, in April you’ll be able to try everything from Spam Burgers and Spam sushi to Spam cupcakes and Spam Musubi (kind of like sushi but with spam instead of fish). You can also watch the crowning of Mr. and Miss Spam. Hawaiians love Spam so much, they alone consume 7 million cans each year!
Orange Throwing Festival, Italy
In the tiny town of Piedmont, Italy, things were spiced up in February during the annual Orange Fight when hundreds of people poured into the city to reenact the ancient medieval battle with 900 tons of oranges.
The festival features a three-day battle between teams of people who throw oranges at each other. The oranges are thrown with great force, and the battle can be quite messy.
Not so fear-factor, but certainly weird.
Wild Food Festival, Hokitika
The Hokitika Wild Food Festival is an annual event held in Hokitika, and one of the craziest food festivals in New Zealand. It is a celebration of the region’s unique and diverse food culture and features a wide variety of crazy foods.
Sadly you’ve missed this one if huhu grubs is your thing. But mark February in your diary and head over to NZ’s west coast and eat pikelets made with bovine colostrum and after-birth shooters!