By eats.com.ng

Let’s be honest — food can be weird. But some of the tastiest, rarest, or healthiest foods out there are made with ingredients that, frankly, came out of a butt. Or at least passed through one.

Yes, we’re talking about foods made from animal, fish, and even insect excreta.

Before you gag, remember this: Bear Grylls drinks his own pee and snacks on live bugs in the wild. Meanwhile, chefs in Michelin-starred kitchens are drizzling delicacies with what essentially started as animal poop.

So, open your mind (and maybe not your mouth just yet) as we count down the top 10 weird-but-edible foods made from poop, pee, or bug goo — and the surprisingly yummy benefits.

💩 1. Kopi Luwak (Civet Poop Coffee) – Indonesia

The world’s most expensive coffee? Made from beans pooped out by a civet (a cat-like animal). The civet eats ripe coffee cherries, digests them, and out comes the magic. Apparently, it gives the beans a smoother, less acidic flavor.

Would you try it? If you drink Starbucks, maybe this is your next step up.

🐟 2. Shiokara (Fermented Fish Guts + Poop) – Japan

Shiokara is made from salted, fermented fish guts — including, sometimes, the excreta. It’s slimy, smells funky, and is definitely an acquired taste. Bear Grylls would be proud.

🐦 3. Bird’s Nest Soup (Made from Bird Spit and Poop) – China

Swallow birds make their nests using a mix of saliva, regurgitated bugs, and… yes, sometimes fecal matter. This “nest” is then harvested and boiled into a gelatinous soup that’s believed to boost health and vitality.

🐘 4. Black Ivory Coffee (Elephant Poop Coffee) – Thailand

Similar to Kopi Luwak, but the coffee cherries pass through elephants. The result is a smooth, earthy brew that costs hundreds of dollars per cup. Because elephants are massive — so is the production cost (and output).

🦌 5. Musk Deer Gland Extract (Used in Perfume & Sometimes Food Flavoring) – Africa & Asia

While technically not poop, the musk gland of the male musk deer produces a foul-smelling substance that’s been used in perfumes and sometimes in traditional flavoring. And yes, it comes out close to where the poop lives.

🐛 6. Castoreum (From Beaver Butt Glands) – USA/Europe

This goo is harvested from a beaver’s anal gland and has a vanilla-like aroma. It was used in ice cream and candy for decades, often labeled as “natural flavoring.” Google it, thank us later.

🐄 7. Cow Dung Smoke Cheese (India)

Some rural cheeses are smoked using dried cow dung as fuel. The poop smoke gives the cheese a unique earthy aroma — and no, the dung doesn’t touch the cheese (thank God).

🐝 8. Bee Vomit (Also Known as Honey) – Global

Yup. Honey is literally bee vomit. They suck nectar into their “honey stomach,” regurgitate it, and repeat the process in the hive. Then we slather it on toast like nothing happened.

🐛 9. Insect Frass-Fed Mushrooms & Crops – Africa/Global

“Frass” is a fancy word for insect poop — and it’s full of nutrients. More and more farms are using it as fertilizer to grow mushrooms and organic veggies. You might already be eating them.

🐐 10. Goat Poop Tea (Tibetan-style)

Certain mountain tribes dry goat dung and use it as a base to brew smoky tea. While the poop isn’t in the final drink, it’s still the fuel that infuses it. Think of it as “aromatically rustic.”

🤢 BONUS: 3 Yuckiest Things That Are Weirdly Good for You

Inspired by our man Bear Grylls.

🥚 1. Balut (Fertilized Duck Egg) – Philippines

Part duckling, part egg, part crunchy bones. It’s a protein bomb.

🐛 2. Mopane Worms – Southern Africa

Chewy, nutty, and packed with protein. Often dried or fried.

🐜 3. Ant Egg Soup (Laos/Mexico)

Ant eggs have a sour, lemony taste and are rich in amino acids.

💬 Final Thought: Are You Really Eating Poop?

Not quite. In most of these foods, the animal waste acts more like a fermentation chamber, flavor enhancer, or natural processor. And while some of these sound nasty, they’re totally edible, legal, and in some cases, gourmet.

But hey — next time someone judges you for eating suya off newspaper, tell them:
“At least it didn’t pass through a civet’s colon first.”

🧠 Food is weird. Culture is wilder. Taste is subjective.
And here at eats.com.ng, we celebrate it all — even the gross stuff.