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World's Most Dangerous Foods
Malcolm Schuyl/Alamy
Giant Bullfrog, Namibia
Threat: Kidney failure or death
There’s a reason the French love frog’s legs, and only the legs: the rest of a frog can be a minefield of toxins, with the skin and organs being particularly dangerous to eat. Even so, the entire frog (minus a few, particularly toxic organs) is considered a delicacy in Namibia, where the arguably endangered frog is usually eaten on the sly, perhaps sold off the backs of trucks. (These froggies are big boys too, sometimes measuring more than 20 centimeters across.) They’re considered safe to eat if harvested after mating season and the “third rain,” when their levels of toxins have mellowed out.
Prognosis: If you get the wrong frog parts, or eat preseason, you could be stricken with Oshiketakata, a temporary (or hopefully temporary) kidney failure, requiring immediate medical attention.
