Wild, wonderful street food: It’s what sustains native snackers all around the world. And more and more these days, it’s also satisfying intrepid travelers—visitors for whom eating like a local is both a genuine adventure and the purest expression of cultural respect. For street-food enthusiasts, it’s not possible to "do" Singapore without visiting one of the city’s infamous hawker centers; and the most quintessential Rajasthani meal is a steaming panipuri from a roadside chaat stand.
Of course, since street food really and truly caters to local tastes, it can present some daunting challenges to our palates. Authenticity and adventure aside, fried water beetles—and other roadside delicacies—can wreak havoc on digestive systems that aren’t used to them. But before you judge an Ecuadorean favorite like roasted cuy, otherwise known as whole, spit-roasted guinea pig, remember the flip side: A good old North-American hot dog might easily nauseate a Buddhist vegetarian from rural Japan.
Check out the slideshow above to see what strange food made the list.