12 Foods To Die For

Consider yourself a food connoisseur with an appetite for danger? Then here is your official checklist for the most daring delicacies from around the globe. But in case your style of thrill-seeking is more spectator than gladiator, don't miss an all-new season of epic kitchen battles when Knife Fight returns April 15, 9|8c on Esquire Network.

1. Fugu

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This little guy is 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide, yet foodies from all over the world travel to Japan to eat him. Fugu preparation requires certification and is highly detailed and specific, if done wrong it can result in death. 100 Fugu feasters die each year from improper consumption. So if you're brave enough to try it... may the odds be ever in your favor.

2. Yew

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This type of berry is like a game of minesweeper. The majority of the berry is fine to eat and is even lauded for its sweet red pulp. However, DO NOT attempt to eat the seeds (in this metaphor the seeds are the mines). Yew seeds contain alkaloids that can suppress heart function and lead to death.

3. Sannakji

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This dangerous food is not poisonous, so you can breathe easy. That is... unless one of this delicacy's suction cups got stuck in your throat! This simple meal is prepared with live (still wriggling) octopus that requires thorough chewing. Lazy chewers have choked on the octopus's suction cups and suffered asphyxiation.

4. Death Cap Mushroom

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It's probably a good rule of thumb to stay away from anything with the word "Death" in it. This particular fungus, that can be easily confused for the Paddy Straw Mushroom, has seven toxins in it and just one bite can have lethal consequences.

5. Casu Marzu

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This Italian tradition is essentially harmless sheep's milk pecorino cheese, oh... EXCEPT FOR THE LIVE MAGGOTS INSIDE OF IT. The cheese making process is left exposed in its early stages allowing cheese flies to lay eggs in it. The eggs hatch and maggots live in the cheese, aiding its fermentation process. The dangers of this cuisine live within the living maggots. The maggots can survive the trip from your mouth to the other end, causing severe gastric ailments during their trip.

6. Giant Bullfrogs

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So frog legs are safe to eat, but what about the rest of the frog? With toxicity levels high enough to trigger kidney failure or death, the frog's skin and organs are the most dangerous. The Giant Bullfrog is a delicacy in Namibia where it's considered safe to eat if harvested after mating season and the “third rain.” So don't even think about eating this handsome guy until he's gotten his groove on with that other Giant Bullfrog he's had his eye on! Mmmk?

7. Ackee

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A native of Jamaica, this fruit loaded with vitamins and protein can also jaMake-Ya violently ill. If ackee is consumed before it's fully ripe it can prevent the liver from releasing glucose causing one's blood sugar to drop dramatically and resulting in digestive disasters.

8. Silver-Stripe Blaasop

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A favorite catch of Indian Ocean fishermen, the Blaasop is highly toxic if its liver and reproductive organs aren't removed. When the fish migrated to the Mediterranean in 2007, it caused 10 reported deaths in Egypt and Israel. Consumption of the Silver-Stripe Blaasop can result in paralysis, breathing problems, and death.

9. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion

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Perhaps the most edible thing on this menacing menu, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper holds the title of world's hottest pepper. 240 times hotter than a jalapeño, one bite of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion can cause serious burning pain for food connoisseurs who feel they can't live without trying it.

10. Blood Clams

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Blood Clams, one of Shanghai's most coveted delicacies, is prepared with a simple quick boil. However, the hasty cooking process often leaves many viruses and bacteria present that have been reported to lead to Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, Typhoid, and Dysentery.

11. Shark

Via http://Esquire%20Network's%20Knife%20Fight

There's a scientific fact we just made up that people who go shark fishing are the same people that tend to get into relationships they know are bad for them. Sharks are known to be vicious and deadly, WHY ARE WE ACTIVELY SEEKING THEM? Are we really THAT hungry? There are plenty of fish in the sea, literally. A few of these thrill seekers can be found on Knife Fight where one of the secret ingredients is shark! Wait, is it a secret if we just told you about it? Forget we said anything.

12. Hotdogs

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No matter how cute your hotdog is, hotdogs are the #1 culprit in children's choking deaths. Be careful kids!