What's for dinner, Mr Wolf?

Food is one of those things that we all need. Over time, different foods have evolved that are, well, let’s just say, an acquired taste. Others are so expensive that they are outside the realm of all but the very rich.

I travelled a lot when I was working in many different countries. Part of business etiquette is to be polite and accept your host's offerings when invited. Sometimes this is far from being a treat and more like a labour of love.

I have written about some of these before; if you care to look, you can find the story here:

The other night I was having one of my favourite meals. Sausages, mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy. I try not to have it too often because sausages are not considered very healthy. Regularly eating 50g or more daily raises the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. This links it to the same cancer risk level as cigarette smoking.

It got me thinking about different foods. What are the unhealthiest foods? What foods stink the most? Which ones are the rarest and most expensive? Here is what I found out.

1. The most unhealthy food

Processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and cold cuts, top the list, apparently. Meats like bologna, ham, and bacon are high in calories, preservatives, and salt. They raise the risk of heart disease. This is because they affect cholesterol and blood pressure.

Sausages (hot dogs) have been called "dogs" since the 1800s. This name comes from a belief that sausage makers used dog meat in their recipes. Eating dog meat was common in Germany until the early 1900s. So, this suspicion was sometimes justified." (I thought it was only Sweeney Todd the barber and his dodgy pies made from little boys!)

2. Stinkiest Foods

Surströmming is a fermented Baltic herring from Sweden. Many people think it's the smelliest food in the world. It is said to have an intense aroma of rotten, pungent fish. The smell is caused by fermentation in a low-salt environment. This creates strong sulphurous compounds. They smell like rotten eggs, sour garbage, or rancid butter.

The question is, why would you eat this?

While visiting Malaysia, I was introduced to durian. Much to the amusement of my hosts, who had bagged another priceless fraction from a foreigner.

Crowned as the King of the Fruits, it has a reputation for being a particularly smelly fruit. That is an understatement!

The stench is like rotting garbage. The taste, I can't tell you. My senses were in cardiac arrest from the smell.

Not to be outdone, the Chinese and Taiwanese have this wonderful "treat" called stinky tofu. The name says it all.

The stench of stinky tofu makes your eyes water and your nose crinkle. It is seriously bad. It smells like unwashed feet, human feces, and rotting garbage all combined. It is one of those smells that gets up your nose and refuses to leave.

The taste is on a par with the smell. It just fizzed on my tongue and left it numb all night.

3. Rarest food:

Almas Caviar, derived from albino Beluga sturgeon fish, is exceptionally rare. It costs over $15,000 per kilogram (€40,000 per kilo). Its rarity, unique colour, and delicate flavour make it truly special, so they say. Almas is Russian for diamond, and the product is often packaged in 24-karat gold tins.

Elvish Honey is also very pricey. This honey comes from a cave in Turkey that is 1,800 meters deep. Bees gather nutrients from the minerals inside the cave. It is harvested only once a year due to limited access. It can be priced at over $5,000 per kilogram.

You would think this would make it the healthiest honey. It is not. That honour goes to Manuka honey from New Zealand.

To finish, do you know which food will keep you alive the longest?

Potatoes are frequently mentioned as one of the top survival foods. They offer a lot of calories and essential nutrients. Who would have thought?

So maybe the mashed potatoes and peas for fibre will counteract the bad sausages, and I end up close to even?

That's my excuse, and I am sticking to it.

Till next time,

Calvin