Japanese Foods from Hell!!

Japanese Foods from Hell!!

Discover Japan and beyond through food experiences with byfood.com. Right now, I’m holding two plates of red raw meat. The meat in question, horse, and it’s one of the worst rated foods that you will find in Japan. This country is full of delicious food. But this time, I’ve asked my audience to suggest their worst rated foods in all of Japan. Gross. And today, I’ll be trying those foods. This is illegal in the country that he and I come from. I’m on a mission to understand whether these foods are misunderstood. Hey, you’re eating fish for him, buddy. Or if they’re just plain awful. These are known as the cockroaches of the sea. And it all starts with this. A food known as natto. What exactly is natto? It’s the soul of Japanese people. That touched me in places that I’ve never been touched before. The soul of Japanese people is also known as fermented soybeans. A familiar, heartwarming breakfast eaten by four out of five Japanese. But the fifth cannot stand the sight of it. So foreigners like me barely stand a chance. It is stringy. It is slimy. It is gross. How do you start with a soybean and end up with a product like this? This is Hoshi, representative director of this place, one of Japan’s finest natto factories. Joining me to take on Japan’s most challenging foods, chef and friend Calvin and Miss Universe Japan, Ka. Day one, wash the soybeans. This is like the worst diary entry ever. Once washed and quality checked, the soybeans are poured into bags, each with its own distinct natto flavor, funk, and level of sliminess. The soybeans are steamed until their texture is just right. To prepare the containers, thin sheets of wood are made wet to prevent cracking. Then they’re folded into triangular pouches. Now, some bio-engineering. This is bacteria, a probiotic strain, actually named natto. It’s what fermentss the soybeans, giving them their signature texture and aroma. Long, long ago, the old samurai were boiling soybeans. Then midway, they got ambushed. So they quickly packed their nut in a straw container and then by the time they got to it, it became the nut that we know today. That checks out. After the soybeans have finished steaming, they’re poured into trays, then soaked completely in the natto bacteria. There’s not a lot of people who handmake natto anymore. Now it’s just commercially made everywhere. So he wants to kind of revive natto in a handmade way. The soybeans enter a humid 104°ree room where they’ll ferment for about 20 hours. Charcoal is used to keep the space warm and control the intense fermentation smell. Artfully crafted natto doesn’t sound so bad. Enter the soulless factory-made convenience store natto. So slimy and pungent, it makes the handmade version seem like a walk in the park. This is the bottom of the barrel natto. Sunny, why does it have cobwebs? Like I said, this literally came from the bottom of a barrel. We’ll try both and test our natto tolerance. Starting with the less gooey version. I actually love this dish. My mother fed it to me all the time. Hm. There’s an ammonia aspect to these soybeans. I kind of feel like they’re rotten. I’m told you can put some condiments, but why not try the real pure flavor of the natto? We love that sliminess. I am not going to put this into my mouth. I think you are. It’s so sticky. There’s strings of natto hanging from your mouth. It’s supposed to be that way. I kind of like it. It’s like a super saturated peanut. The flavor, I mean, it doesn’t taste bad, but it’s not sparking joy. This is soy sauce. And this is Japanese mustard. I’m going to pour a little bit of soy sauce. I’m going to get a little bit of mustard on there, too. Now, you know that this mustard isn’t like a mustard you put on hot dogs. This is really spicy. Oh, like a Dijon. Even more spicy. Make a Dijon. It’ll go to your nose. Kind of like wasabi. Like a wasabi Dijon. Exactly. M better. After you put those flavors on there, it’s more salty. You get some kick. So I Thank you. So this Japanese mustard really cuts through that creaminess. I feel fresh. I feel energetic. Do you feel like this is something you could eat to start your day? Yeah, but are there any other choices? Yes. Yes, there is. Great. Right here. This is a convenience store natto. And let me tell you, the sliminess is on another level. I’m a huge fan of the sliminess cuz I feel like that’s what makes it natto. Get a big slimy chopstick full and toss it back. The more I eat it, the more I like it, actually. I don’t know what’s happening. I can see how it’s growing on you. But for me, I think it tastes like the dirt. It tastes like it in a bad way. It’s just very mineraly. I came in here thinking I’m not going to like this and I don’t want to like this. And then I ate it and I liked it a little bit more than I thought I would. The artisal one is great, but this convenience store one, it’s like just yuck. M. And I’m always gonna be a fan of the convenience store one because this is what I grew up eating. This is just the start of our journey today because we are going to be exploring some of the most unique, most outlandish Japanese foods that we can find. The food that people told us not to try, the worst foods in Japan. Are you ready for this? No, I’m scared. I don’t know what it is. Our next dish hails from the ocean. The risk with this food isn’t just in its taste, but also the potential for pregnancy. And they call it shirato. Shiraco. Yes. And that translated into English means white babies. Lots of babies. Wow. In front of us, two types of fish sperm. One from a cod and the other from a puffer fish. The most poisonous fish in the world. I’ve never had it raw like this. It almost looks like monkey brain. I actually have not tried it before. Shiraco reflects Japan’s philosophy of using every part of the animal to avoid waste, even if that part is semen. I totally understand why foreigners and even people in Japan may not be excited to eat this. The texture is very slimy and kind of creamy. However, people in Japan that do enjoy it see it as a luxury ingredient. The idea of eating sperm from the most poisonous fish in the world is terrifying. So, let’s ease in with the more common and approachable version of shiraco coming from cod. The cod is the much smaller one. Enjoy it with soy sauce and wasabi and it’s a one bite. The chef, in a moment, I’m going to put this in my mouth. I’m going to tell you my honest opinion. My face will not lie. Whatever happens next is completely unscripted and completely real. That’s a nice solid piece, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s go for it. It’s pretty delicious. It’s so creamy. Creamy like the middle of an egg. Mild, sweet, but full of umami. The more you don’t think about what it is, the better it is. But the moment you know what it is, that’s when you’re like, I It’s overwhelming. I couldn’t eat a lot of this. Maybe one pound, but just a couple bites is perfect. I know one Japanese word. Oi. Oi. Oi. Right here we have remaining the fugu sperm sack. The fugu or the puffer fish is an iconic poisonous fish. The fish where you have to have a certification in order to prepare it for a customer. And this is its semen. To extract the puffer fish sperm safely, a licensed chef must first drain its blood and remove its toxic organs with perfect technique. As one wrong move could mean potential death. This is just a big sack. Mhm. Mhm. I love it. It’s like a scallop. You taste the sea. You want to have a sperm sack that has a lot of that gushiness. There’s some of that seafood grininess. Just a hair. It melts in your mouth. It definitely was melting. For me, I would say the first one I think it was pretty good. Second one kind of was pushing me towards my limits of what I’m comfortable with. I definitely have to agree with you on that. The second one took me by surprise. I disagree with with both of you. I think the second one had a flavor composition that I couldn’t find anywhere else than the fugu sack of semen. Up next, a food many Americans will find heartbreaking. This is a very unique restaurant. A restaurant serving a food that could be considered controversial. In fact, this is illegal in the country that he and I come from. This is horse, Mr. Ed, your daughter’s dream pet, and a protein-packed legend in some parts of the world. Right now, you’re seeing four cuts of that beloved animal, all served completely raw. Is your izakaya here specializing in horse meat? Montes, this is a horsemeat specialty restaurant. Some of the reason people say Wagyu is so good is because they massage the cows and they listen to classical music and they drink beer. How are these horses being treated? We make sure that there’s no stress and they’re being fed quality food. Making sure that this tastes really good. Maybe the best horse meat in the world. This is the heart of the horse. There’s a very strong taste of iron in it, but when you cook it, it kind of tastes like beef tongue. But we will not be cooking it. This is going to be the best, most fattiest part of the horse, and it’s the belly. There’s a lot of marbling going on in there. Now, why is there so much fat on a horse? Because a horse is lean. That’s the only part basically where fat will typically accumulate. Well, that that’s true. This is the loin. Would it be the meat that goes along the spine below the shoulder blade? It tastes like the most red part of tuna. No striations of fat. It’s just pure muscle fiber. It’s his favorite part. And then finally, this this is going to be the mane of the horse. And it’s also going to be the fattiest part with 99% fat. It’s amazing for replenishing you if you’re tired, but it tastes like you’re biting into a stick of butter when you eat it. I don’t hate that. Unlike in the USA, where horse meat is taboo, many Asian and European countries see it as a delicious and nutritious staple. Before it was more common for men, but nowadays it’s becoming more popular with the ladies. 60% of the customers are male and the rest are 40% women. The super progressive people, their minds are exploding right now because they’re like, “More women, that’s good, but it’s horse that’s bad.” There’s a ton of Americans out there who would be totally fine with a cow dying and eating that cow. But then when it comes to the idea of eating a horse, it’s too much for them. I don’t see the taboo with eating a horse. I think it’s okay. We have a surprise bonus meat right here. That being the horse tongue. This horse tongue may be bizarre and baffling, but at least it’s cooked and hopefully it’ll warm us up for the raw horsemeat experience. Horse tongue should never be sliced this way. Tongue needs to be brave. Tongue needs a lot of time to just cook low and slow. All the fibers start breaking down. Here, they’re just slices almost like a sweet potato. Imagine coming to Japan as an American telling the chef that he prepared the horse tongue the wrong way. Once seared, remove from the pan and slice into thick pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Return the slices to the pan for a quick final fry and serve. This is just like a big broad piece of meat. Ooh, peppery. I wonder is this going to taste gy? I wonder that too. My first time having horse tongue. Let’s go. H I like it. The texture is something completely different. Much more springy, bouncy, almost like eating the cow udder, but much more interspersed fat inside. The fat of it is kind of yellow and not white. An older cow would have yellow fat on the beef. I wonder if this horse is a young horse or older horse. And I wonder its name. It’s horse sashimi time. So, let’s get to it. It’s best to start from horse belly. So, I’m picking up the sashimi. To me, it looks amazing. We have a soy sauce so dark it almost looks like squid ink here. I love it. M. What’s not to love? The oil. The more you chew, it comes out. It’s like there’s these lean chewy sections mixed with that marbled fat that’s just oozing flavor. The salt brings out even more of that horsey goodness. How can this be hated? That’s what I’m saying. The fat really permeates the mouth, but it’s not gamey. I thought horse might have had a little bit of a funk. I contend that horse is even less gamey than beef. I think it’s a very neutral red meat. Next. Next would be the horse loin. A very lean cut of meat here. Give it just a little kiss of soy sauce. Oh wow. God, that is so good. It’s a very different experience though. Much more fresh. That loin is so sweet. Fantastic. This is less chewy. It’s tender and it’s a consistent texture throughout. It’s almost exactly like tuna. Oh, that’s why he calls it the tuna of the land. The land, I guess. Next is the heart of the horse. Horse hearts are gigantic. That’s why horses are good at horse racing. In fact, almost any other animal not great at horse racing. Goats. Have you seen a goat horse races? I would like to. Springy, different texture. Again, this is softer than all the cuts we’ve had so far. Definitely. I think that’s more that one. That one’s really for me. It was Do you have any other feedback about it? More accurate. I don’t taste much of the blood as I thought I would. Me either, but still delicious. Finally, we have this. The horse mane. And it should melt in your mouth like butter. I like butter. Oh, that is pure fat. And it’s warm. As my tongue is warming it up, the fat starts to dissolve. I got a little horsiness in there. It does have that horsehair mineralyness to it. I kind of feel like I’m eating a thorough bread. It’s like eating raw octopus where you can keep chewing, but it’s not breaking apart into smaller pieces. Far different from the other pieces, but still pretty good. This is definitely a food that’s misunderstood, and I wish that more people were inclined to eat it and see it in a different way. For me, this sashimi is 10 out of 10. That horse sashimi changed my mind on what horse meat is. This changed your mind, but I’m not so sure that our next food will change your mind. For our finale, we’re facing the most revolting scavenger to ever enter a kitchen. Hello, chef. Last time I was here, I was eating a horse penis. Today, we’re here for another bizarre food. Before we talk about the elephant in the room, or the isopods on the plate, let’s talk a little bit more about your restaurant here. Can you explain for the audience what the theme is of Rice and Circus? What up? This establishment is run by head chef Yukihiro, who’s cooking up anything but comfort food. Dedicated to the twisted humor he finds in shocking patrons, he serves the likes of bore testicles. Where is she? Oh, thank you. And a food I’ve come to know all too well. Um, that snake horse penis. That tastes pretty good. But today, he’ll outdo himself with isopods. These are known as the cockroaches of the sea. Oh jeez. I want to show you something. First of all, it’s got about 10 legs on here. It’s got a tail and then it has this right here. This belly is full of putrid detritus from the ocean floor. It is smelly. It is disgusting. Dead fish, dead squid. Whatever decaying matter drifts downward, they’ll devour it. Visually, conceptually, spiritually, they are the antithesis of food. I’m excited. I can’t wait to eat this. What part of the isopod do we eat? You eat everything but the intestines. Oh, you can eat the shell, too. Oh, fantastic. That’s something I’ve never done before. Are you looking forward to this? Uh, no. First, each isopod’s abdomen is slid open. The stomach’s black rotten contents are dumped. But this part, some hellish internal organ, is served raw as a bit of a side snack. Now, the isopods head straight into the deep fryer. With endless better alternatives out there, this horrifying dish serves as a once-in-a-lifetime culinary roller coaster. It’s super popular. He makes it every day. All right. So, I trust this man. Listen, this guy, I put his horse penis in my mouth. Well, I trust him that you trust him for putting a horse penis in your mouth. Ka, do you trust Calvin? I trust Calvin because he trusts you because you let him put a horse penis in your mouth. Fantastic. Let’s eat. Sprinkle with salt. Then off they go. We have a tour of insects on our table. Both insects from the land and insects from the sea. And it’s all going to start with this right here. This is a special type of sake. They’ve infused the sake with something special. Any idea what those are? I’m hoping it’s the silk worms. It’s cockroaches. Oh god. This isn’t a traditional drink. Rather an unhinged creation you’ll only find here. I’ve never even seen a cockroach in Japan yet. So, this is my first time. And to be consuming it is absolutely crazy to me. You ate the cockroach. Well, I swallowed it. Good job. I felt it bump up against my lips. Felt a little hairy. This is a distinct type of sake. It tastes like poison. I only took like a very little sip, but it had a strong punch and flavor to it. That was awful. Of course, in a moment, we’re going to be diving into the isopod. But first, a little bit of an appetizer. Heat up some oil. Toss in soapworms and let them sizzle, spit, and pop. Why am I so excited about this? It looks like a caterpillar. Basically a caterpillar. Yeah, I never thought to eat one. While highly nutritious, they are still creepy insects that most Japanese avoid. And all the chef is using to flavor them is salt. It was crawling on a branch. It has these sticky feet on the bottom. You see its little mouth here, busy munching leaves. Oh god. I got a little bit of a gush. It popped like a balloon. Oh, there’s no water here. Oh, there’s Okay. No, I’m good. Not to be diabolical. They asked to bring water and I said no. We’re not here to wash it down. We’re here to enjoy some cool food. Hey, this is an animal and somebody cooked this. I’m so sorry. They’re delicious. The insides. It’s nutty. It’s savory. It’s almost like sesame oil. The inside texture is somewhere between a paste and a sludge. I got more paste. I got a lot of swatches. I will say I love it. I really enjoy the flavors and also the textures. You know what? Good for you. Moving on to our next and final food of the day. This is the isopod. We also have a accompanying sauce. Even the chef doesn’t know what part of the internal organs this is. It’s also raw. Try to inhale it. Oh, smells rotten. Putrid. Well, I think we tried this first and we’ll build up to that. Cheers. Cheers. Ow. Ow. It’s like eating a water bug. There’s so much shell. There’s so much keratin. You just chew and chew and chew and it breaks a little bit, but it’s hard to make it break apart. I don’t think I can swallow this. I swallowed it. Oh wow. As you work your way up to the middle, it gets a lot juicier inside. More like gushy. Mhm. I actually like it. It tastes like seafood. And I like how he seasoned it. H I do like the flavor, but there’s nothing to really bite into other than exoskeleton. Got it. So, listen. This is brutal, but there’s one thing that could make it better. An unidentified mashed up disgusting piece of organ. This is the final boss. Let’s get our little tiny spoon. Grab a dollop, folks. Let’s give it a shot. The final bite of the day and perhaps the reason this is one of the worst rated foods in Japan. Cheers. It’s so gooey. It’s so goopy. It kind of stays on your tongue. Oh gosh, I love this. The taste of it is sweet, is distinct. A slight bitterness. A bitterness that’s sweet. It encapsulates the entire pallet. Those guts are effing delicious. My heart rate got a lot faster. Yeah, that was tough. The texture was very off-putting. Like eating gak. Why would you ever eat gak, right? And why would you eat this? I am not a fan. I say thank you. I say yeah, I’m definitely not going to be recommending this food personally. So, I guess from here, Calvin, you and I are going to step outside and we’re going to talk about today which foods were the best of the worst. We have a lot to choose from and a lot of tough contenders. I have to say the best of the worst for me and I love everything. It was the Shiraco. It was creamy. It was delicious. It was something that I didn’t expect to taste that good. For me, it’s going to be the natto because I have it every morning. I hope that the rest of the world enjoys it just as much as I do. I’m fascinated that both of your answers are different from my own. My genuine best favorite thing wasn’t just okay, it was amazing. And that was the horse sashimi. It’s going to be a food that I try in Tokyo every time I come here from now on. Discover Japan and beyond through food experiences with byfood.com. Join a local food tour and dive into food experiences across vibrant neighborhoods, hidden gems, and familyrun eeries. It’s so good. From sizzling street snacks huh to Michelin starred feasts by food connects you to the soul of local cuisine. I’ve never had anything like this. Book food tours, cooking classes, and more on byfood.com.

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🇯🇵 *Tokyo, JAPAN* (Capital City)
😱 *JAPAN’S WORST RATED FOODS!!*

1️⃣ AMAKUSANATTOU 天草納豆
2 Chome-20-12 Nozaki, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0014, Japan
Interviewee: Sakamoto Hitoshi (Representative Director)

🫘 *NATTO ON RICE*

2️⃣ TAKESHI HORSEMEAT RESTAURANT
〒150-0013 Tokyo, Shibuya, Ebisu, 1 Chome−25−11 市川ビル ３F
Interviewee: Kamimura Yuki (Manager)

🐴 *HORSE SASHIMI*
White meat from the mane, heart, fatty meat (belly), lean meat (thigh)

🥩 *HORSE TONGUE STEAK*
Sear the whole thing, cut into slices, sear again.

3️⃣ NISHIAZABU TEMPURA UOSHIN
Address: 4-2-9 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
Interviewee: Miyazaki Shinji (Head Chef)

🐟 *RAW COD SPERM*
🐡 *RAW FUGU SPERM* (Puffer Fish)

4️⃣ KOME TO CIRCUS (RICE & CIRCUS TAKADANOBABA)
2 Chome-19-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0075, Japan
Interviewee: Momiyama Yukihiro (Head of Product Development)

🪳 *DEEP FRIED ISOPOD*
🐛 *PAN FRIED SILKWORM*

Timestamps:
0:00 » Intro
0:38 » Natto (Fermented Soybeans)
5:50 » Fish Sperm (Cod & Fugu)
9:00 » Horse Sashimi & Steak
15:20 » Fried Isopod & Silworm
21:58 » Recap & Favorite Food…
22:29 » Special Thanks to ByFood!

#BEFRS #BestEverFoodReviewShow #BestEverWorstRatedFoodTour #BEFRSJapan #BEFRStokyo #BEFRSseafood #BEFRSstreetfood #BEFRSvlog #travelgoals #BEFRSjapanesefood #trending #viral #youtube #youtuber #Sonny #SonnySide #Vlog #Food #BEFRSfoodvideo #BEFRSasia #BEFRSasianfood
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🥒 *ABOUT BEFRS:*
Hey, I’m Sonny! I’m from the US but I’ve been living in Asia for 10 years and started making food and travel videos to document my experiences. I travel to different parts of the world, hunting down and documenting the most unique food each country has to offer.

If you see any factual food errors in my videos, please feel free to politely let me know in the comments. I’m a huge fan of trying different, interesting foods in each country. My show is from a Western point of view, but more importantly, MY point of view. It is not meant to offend any person or culture. Peace!

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🎬 *CREDITS:*
DIRECTOR/HOST » Sonny Side
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY » Trần Quang Đạo
CAMERA OPERATOR » Đinh Tuấn Anh
EPISODE EDITORS » Ngọc Lê Hồng, Quí Đình Nguyễn
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