12 Worst Cuisines in the World That May Leave Your Taste Buds in Shock

Becoming acquainted with traditional foods and delicacies worldwide can be an exciting or terrifying experience. There doesn’t seem to be an in-between. While some nations are famed for their wonderfully delicious foods and world-famous delicacies, others are better known for the weirder side of food.

Local cuisine can make or break your traveling dining experience, depending on your tastebuds. With that in mind, here are 12 of the worst cuisines in the world. If you’re nervous about trying new things, don’t want to be subjected to otherworldly dishes, or only want to tuck into tasty local delights, perhaps it’s best to avoid the following cuisines.

English

I take great offense to the first cuisine on this list because I’m from the United Kingdom and love nothing more than tucking into a hearty roast dinner or a mountain of sausage and mash. However, many people worldwide believe English cuisine to be one of the worst. Despite spending thousands of years conquering the globe, England didn’t learn much about the world of flavor.

We missed the lesson in using herbs and spices to bring more flavor to dishes. As such, most people visiting the United Kingdom find the cuisine bland. While I would argue that English cuisine isn’t one of the worst, we aren’t particularly adventurous with our flavors.

Cambodian

Cambodian cuisine is one of the worst cuisines in Asia. A quick look on Cambodia Expats Online will reveal many expats and travelers in Cambodia who have had bad experiences with Cambodian food. Having traveled to Cambodia myself, I have to agree that Cambodian cuisine isn’t that great.

Admittedly, there are a variety of tasty dishes, such as fish amok, but most foods in the country aren’t great. While eating food in Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia is a pleasure, eating in Cambodia is solely to survive. On top of that, you’ll find many weird foods that shouldn’t be on a plate, for example, deep-fried tarantula and crickets.

Icelandic

Weirdest Foods in the World_Hákarl, Iceland — © Uliana / Adobe Stock

When people think about Iceland, they typically conjure images of breathtaking natural landscapes begging us to explore. Very few people think of the nation’s traditional cuisine, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only does Iceland’s cuisine have little to offer, but it’s also extremely expensive compared to other cuisines.

We don’t mind paying more for our food, but we don’t expect to pay three or four times more and receive bland food. Even Iceland’s national dish, hákarl, fermented Greenland shark, doesn’t taste that great. In fact, it’s poisonous until it’s been fermented for five to six months. Many tourists even complain that the local spirit, Brennivín, doesn’t taste nice.

Cuban

Cuba is a beautiful country famed for its vibrant architecture, rich history, and picturesque beaches. While Cuba has much to offer tourists, the country’s cuisine fails to live up to expectations. However, why Cuba’s cuisine is one of the worst isn’t necessarily the country’s fault. Instead, Cuba makes our list because of the food embargoes between the government and the United States.

These embargoes have seen Cuban kitchens lack common ingredients like vegetables and spices, so it’s not uncommon for Cuban cuisine to disappoint. Many travelers have experienced a lack of variety when visiting the country on vacation, which is a shame because there can be many delicious dishes, such as ropa vieja and arroz con pollo, to tuck into.

Chinese

If you’ve never visited China and only eaten Chinese takeout, you’ll likely be surprised to see China’s cuisine on this list. However, when you visit the country, you’ll quickly realize why many tourists dislike it. While China’s diverse and rich culinary tradition includes some of the world’s most delicious foods, such as sweet and sour pork, other dishes are hard to stomach.

In China’s food markets, you’ll find fried insects, preserved fertilized eggs, frogs, fish heads, pig organs, and more. In other words, anything goes in Chinese cuisine. Unsurprisingly, food markets serving these types of food aren’t a big hit with foreign travelers. Even adventurous eaters struggle to keep some Chinese delicacies down.

American

Suppose you love juicy burgers, melt-in-your-mouth barbecue ribs, and sweet desserts. In that case, you’re probably wondering why we’ve included American cuisine. Well, as delicious as classic American food is, it’s one of the worst in the world because it’s so unhealthy. According to Fit Day, American food is among the world’s four most unhealthy cuisines.

Many American staple foods are high in saturated fat, sugar, and calories. Processed foods are also common, and vegetables are usually eaten in small amounts. Furthermore, some of America’s food highlights aren’t even from the United States. For example, French fries are from France, and hamburgers are from Germany. Considering America is home to the Heart Attack Grill, need we say more.

New Zealand

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New Zealand’s cuisine isn’t necessarily bad, but it has very little to offer regarding authentic dishes. Most of the country’s cuisine is descended from the foods introduced to the nation by the British, and we’ve already touched upon what makes British cuisine one of the worst.

To make matters worse, the native cuisine consists mainly of meat and vegetables, which isn’t the most exciting style of food. However, you’ll likely enjoy New Zealand food more than other cuisines. New Zealand lamb, seafood, and barbecue are generally tasty, even if it’s not that exciting. The fact there is no single national dish sums up New Zealand’s cuisine.

Antarctica

We’re not entirely sure you can even call the cuisine in Antarctica a cuisine. Nevertheless, certain foods eaten in Antarctica aren’t typically consumed in other geographical regions, and almost all of them are boring, bland, and tasteless, so Antarctica finds its way on our list. Although we’d happily eat Antarctica food because it means we’d be exploring the region.

In Antarctica, the cuisine is very basic. Unsurprisingly, you won’t find upscale restaurants offering fine dining or lively street markets selling local delicacies. Instead, you’ll rely on essential foods to survive, including meat-paste pouches, vegetables, fish, and expedition foods like pemmican, bannock, and hoosh. The only culinary treat on a trip to Antarctica is chocolate.

Russian

If you’re a fussy eater, Russian cuisine isn’t for you. In Russia, you’ll find many weird foods and dishes influenced by different historical, geographical, and social traditions. While most dishes in Russia are salty, spicy, hearty, and calorie-packed, it’s not usually their taste that puts people off.

A dish’s odd appearance and mystery often leave travelers concerned. In many cases, it’s hard to tell what some Russian dishes are. Take kholodets, for example. At first glance, this dish looks like dog food. However, it’s a traditional Russian dish cooked at Christmas and New Year. For those interested, kholodets is a type of jelly meat. Other bizarre offerings include salo (pork fat), rassolnik (offal soup), and Syrniki (cheese pancakes).

Mongolian

Mongolia might be one of the world’s most naturally beautiful countries, but its cuisine leaves much to be desired. Mongolian cuisine is diverse because Mongolians use many ingredients, but that doesn’t make it appealing. The truth is that most of the food in Mongolia is quite basic, with most dishes containing meat, vegetables, and seasoning.

Unfortunately, many of the local dishes are also quite scary for tourists. For example, sheep head soup is a delicacy in Mongolia. Mongolian cuisine uses every part of an animal, so there is little waste. This is something other countries find strange. As a result, don’t be surprised to find testicles, eyes, and ears on your dinner plate.

Filipino

Filipino cuisine is incredibly diverse, offering travelers a wide range of unique dishes. However, more isn’t always better. In the Philippines, you’ll find many dishes that make tourists squeamish, one of the worst being balut. For those who don’t know, balut is a fertilized duck egg that contains the body of a 14 to 21-day-old chick.

When eaten, it often contains bones and feathers. Worse yet, Filipino cuisine also features a dish called dinuguan, a savory stew consisting of pig’s blood, offal, and spices. If you have an adventurous palate, you might enjoy Filipino food. However, less adventurous eaters will leave the country feeling hungry. You might even have nightmares.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a vibrant Central American country famed for its rugged rainforests, biodiverse wildlife, and long sandy beaches. While the country’s landscape is not bland, the same cannot be said about its cuisine. Many travelers who visit Costa Rica often feel unsatisfied and underwhelmed by the food, which is often considered bland.

The Costa Rican cuisine is mostly mild, relying heavily on fruits and vegetables. Rice and beans are a staple of most traditional meals, and many vegetarian options exist. Admittedly, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with how Costa Rican food tastes, but it doesn’t blow your socks off like you’d expect. In other words, Costa Rican cuisine is a little bit boring.