One of the great pleasures of visiting a new country is getting to try new food. Some places are renowned for their fantastic dishes. Spain has tapas, the UK has Sunday roast and Japan has sushi. While others leave the taste buds wanting more, a very special few are just downright disgusting. Don’t believe me? Then get your chops around this selection of gross grub.

Surstromming – Swedish fermented herring

Surstromming is made from the innocuous looking Baltic herring. This little fish is salted and soured about a month before being sealed in a tin. Inside, the fermentation process continues, making the tins swell from the gas inside. When you’re ready to get stuck in, you open the tin underwater and outdoors. Underwater because of the pressure and outdoors because the intense smell of rotting fish. You can buy surstromming in virtually any supermarket, between August and September. A bottle of aquavit may be necessary to wash it down or to simply give you the courage to eat it!

Cuy- Peruvian Guinea Pig

Cuy has been a popular dish in Peru since Inca times. Though it was previously only consumed by nobility, it’s now foisted upon everyone who visits the Andes. Either chopped up and fried or served like a little suckling pig with a pepper in its mouth, it tastes like slimy chicken. If you want to tuck into a rodent splayed on a bed of rice, head to Cusco and Pacha Papa, a fine restaurant that does its best to make cuy edible.

Mämmi- Finnish Easter Pudding

Mämmi is a traditional Finnish Easter time dessert made from rye flour and malt. Brown and sticky, it looks like something you have already digested rather than something you’re about to eat. If you can get over its incredibly unappealing look and stodgy texture, you’ll be treated to a taste not dissimilar to sickly sweet ale. You can buy mämmi in practically every supermarket during Easter. Just look out for bricks of brown stuff.

Sannakji- Live Korean Octopuses

Sannakji are small octopuses that are plucked from a tank of water and taken directly to the table. Once there, the unfortunate creature is snipped into pieces, and one rubbery tentacle at a time is dropped onto a plate with sesame oil. Not only do the limbs carry on writhing for up to three hours, the little suckers also glue themselves to your tongue. It’s crucial to chew the sannakji carefully, since their suction cups can stick to your throat and choke you. Not surprisingly, this delicacy is a great favourite with groups of drunken men.

You can chow down at virtually any good Korean restaurant, but to get the very freshest octopus, visit the Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul and buy your own.

Insects- Thai crickets, cockroaches and bamboo worms

Thailand is home to loads of wonderful dishes and to millions of insect eaters. Insects have been a traditional part of the Northern Thai diet for centuries. Packed full of protein, calories, vitamins and minerals, they’re also prized as delicacies. Thais eat pretty much any insect, but most popular are crickets, cockroaches and bamboo worms. Crickets are deep fried and taste like chips. But be wary of getting the legs and antennae stuck in your teeth.

You can nosh down on this feast of creepy crawlies at hundreds of different Bangkok street vendors.