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World cuisine: 14 potentially lethal foods

World cuisine: 14 potentially lethal foods
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Whether you’re travelling the world or just on a weekend away, in Europe or further afield, sampling the local delicacies is one of the pleasures of being a tourist. However, especially when you are trying a new type of food for the first time, you need to be sure that you are not allergic to it, or that there isn’t toxicity in the food. To help you out, here are 14 foodstuffs that can be toxic and even life threatening, to be sampled with care or not at all. 

1) Manioc

Manioc (also called cassava) is a South American plant root, which was introduced in Africa in the 17th century. Nowadays, manioc flour is the main food staple for numerous families in poor areas in Central Africa. But manioc contains linamarin, which can transform into hydrogen cyanide and cause serious intoxication, and potentially death.

Intoxication with a high dose of cyanide quickly leads to death. Ingestion of a small dose can cause headaches, vertigo, vomiting and palpitations.

Before consuming manioc, especially bitter cassava.manioc, you need to leave it soak in water for 5 hours, after having peeled and grated it. Next, you need to change the water and cook it for a long time.

2) Almonds

As with manioc, if almonds are not cooked before consumption, they contain poison. Especially in bitter almonds, the seeds are full of cyanide, and intoxication from cyanide can rapidly lead to death.

In many countries, there are laws that ensure the poison is removed from almonds before they are sold.

3) Apricot stones

In Turkey, some people eat the stone of the apricot. However, these stones contain amygdalin, which transforms into cyanide once ingested, provoking:

  • nausea
  • fever
  • headaches
  • nervousness
  • joint and muscle pains
  • a drop in blood pressure
  • death if consumed in very high quantities

4) Cashew nuts

Don’t consume raw cashew nuts, they absolutely must be steam cooked.

When they are raw, cashew nuts contain urushiol, a poison which can be lethal if eaten in high quantities.

5) Castor

Originating from East Africa, castor is a plant that has been used for thousands of years for its exceptional properties, particularly for beautifying the skin and hair. Castor oil is made from castor seeds, and is often used in cosmetics (particularly hair care products).

However, even if it has great benefits for the hair (in small doses, usually mixed with other substances), castor oil is a dangerous natural laxative which affects the walls of the intestines. In the same way, you shouldn’t ingest castor beans: they are lethal, even if you only eat one or two.

6) Carambola

Carambola is the fruit of the Averrhoa carambola tree which can be found in tropical areas. It is known for its richness in vitamin C and in polyphenols, but can be toxic when consumed in high quantities, and can cause nausea, vomiting, insomnia and even heart attacks.

7) Fugu

Fugu, also called “puffer-fish” is a Japanese culinary speciality. However, it can cause the airways to shut down, leading to death within less than 4 hours, if it hasn’t been correctly prepared. Its eyes, liver and ovaries are full of tetrodotoxin, a poison that paralyses the muscles extremely rapidly.

In Japan, chefs need a special licence in order to be allowed to prepare it.