Moles, Tarantulas, and Rattlers Oh My!: Weird Meat That People Eat

Forewarning: Do not eat while simultaneously reading this post. Gross foods ahead.

It amazes me the things that people eat, foods that are considered the norm, around the world. Just the other day, I overheard someone talking about eating mole. Mole?! The little digusting buck-toothed pests that tear up your yard? You betcha. And it's "earthy and rich," -- go figure.

Here are six other animals that are enjoyed that go way beyond our chicken, beef, and pork go-tos.

Kangaroo: Head down under and you'll notice that kangaroo is a favorite on the menus.

Snake: Often enjoyed in Texas, they take rattlers and kill 'em, skin 'em, and fry 'em up. Yee-haw.

Horse: Black Beauty is a culinary favorite in Central Asia -- much in the same way as cattle is here in the States.

Fried Tarantula: I guess fried up, this huge, hairy, and scary creature doesn't intimidate locals in Cambodia. It apparently has great natural flavor, needing just a hint of garlic. I think I'm just going to take their word on that.

Pet meat: Our fluffy friends are safe here, but in some parts of the world, dogs and cats are considered just another source of food. Please hold while I go give Scout the Cat lots of hugs and kisses.

Squirrels: No, they're not scraped off the highway (but hey, if you want to get them for cheap for your own home cooking, by all means), they're commercially raised for the sole purpose of consumption.

What's the strangest meat that you've ever eaten? Which of the meats on this list would you be willing to try (if any)?

Images via Tom Verre/Flickr, kimberlykv/Flickr, kmacelwee/Flickr