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Savory, crunchy, and/or salty enough to have you ordering a second beer as soon as you've finished the first, the bar snack is one of life's simple pleasures. But while many people like to nibble on a finger lickin' snack while they set the world to rights over a few drinks, not all bar snacks are to everybody's tastes. From the delicious to the downright strange, drinking snacks around the world come in all manner of unusual forms.
Appetite whetted? Click through this gallery to discover some of the most weird and wonderful bar snacks from around the world.
The rise of veganism has done little to diminish the appeal of deep-fried pork rind among pub-loving Brits. The crunchy pork scratching was voted the UK's favorite bar snack in 2021.
Nem Chua is essentially raw sausage, but don't let the fear of food poisoning put you off trying this Vietnamese staple. The friendly bacteria created in the fermentation process make it safe to eat, and enthusiasts swear it tastes absolutely delicious.
Meat-free pub-goers in Britain can always get their protein-and-salt hit from another enduringly popular British pub snack, the pickled egg. A polarizing pub food, its fans swear by the salty, vinegary taste and slightly chewy egg.
These heavily-salted beans, known as tremoços, are handed out free in many traditional Portuguese watering holes. There's a knack to eating them–you have to pop the bean from its skin with your teeth, or with a good pinch.
Brazilian drinking is very often accompanied by the wafting scent of churrasco (barbecue) meat. Among the familiar marinated pork and beef you can expect to find the more unusual coração de frango, or chicken heart.
Fried chicken is a popular companion to beer in many countries, but the Korean version has a special ingredient. Vodka is added to the batter to give the crunchy drinking snack a unique kick.
Negima yakitori is a umami-rich combination of grilled chicken with scallions and a miso-soy-daikon radish marinade. It might sound fancier than your average bar snack, but it's a standard in informal izakaya eating and drinking establishments.
If any country has truly mastered the art of the bar snack, it's Spain. Small tapas plates come free with your drink in most bars, and among the most delicious is gambas al ajillo, or shrimp cooked in garlicky marinade. Maybe avoid it on a first date, though!
Nothing rounds off a trip to the seaside like a plate of breaded, fried cuttlefish, at least if you're Portuguese. The slightly rubbery texture isn't to everybody's tastes, but, paired with a cold beer on a sunny day, the Portuguese answer to British fish and chips has converted many people.
Moules-frites, or marinated mussels with French fries, are as staple a snack in Belgium as fish and chips in Britain. Belgian fries are a delight in themselves, and when paired with a steaming bowl of mussels and a cold beer, culinary magic happens.
When is a pizza not a pizza? When it's a tarte flambée from the German-speaking Alsace region of France. It's a flatbread spread with fromage blanc (a tart soft cheese) and loaded with raw onion and bacon. It's crunchy, skillet-grilled crust goes perfectly with beer.
Another big hitter on the Spanish bar snack scene is patatas bravas. These fiery, chili-spiked potatoes will have you drinking your cold beer with gusto.
Eating what looks like a plate of sliced banana with your drink might seem an odd choice, but plantain is starchier and less sweet than banana. Salted and fried, it's popular as a snack across the Caribbean.
Traditional Japanese gyoza are made with pork and vegetables (often cabbage), and pan-fried or boiled. The fried version has a crunchiness that adds to its success as a bar snack.
Vegetarians fare better at many Vietnamese bars, where pan-fried tofu crops up in myriad forms. Chewy, crispy, and salty, the soy-based snack is eaten enthusiastically by carnivores, too.
Although the name sounds cute, this won't appeal to vegetarians. Basically cocktail sausages wrapped in pastry, it's a popular pairing to large quantities of beer.
Protein-rich bar snack, anyone? A crunchy dish of salted, fried caterpillar makes a popular drinking snack in Thailand.
The Scots have their own unique flavor to bring to the pub table. Haggis–sheeps' stomach filled with spiced innards and oats–has a surprisingly enjoyable flavor that has become a popular pub crisp flavor.
Scotch eggs–hard boiled eggs covered in sausage meat and breadcrumbs–are one of the UK's most popular bar snacks and a staple in many a traditional pub.
Forget fancy French frogs' legs–when it comes to simple drinking snacks, these fried or grilled hoppers are the way to go. At least if you're in Thailand.
Breaded, deep-fried calamari is another Spanish tapas staple, cropping up in bars across the country and increasingly emerging as a small plate in foodie bars around the world.
Crispy, salty, and packed with protein, why wouldn't you want a plateful of vobla, or dried saltwater fish, with your beer? It's a hugely popular drinking snack in Russia.
The British love their salt and vinegar, and never more so than when it's liberally dosed on potatoes. Step into any British pub and you'll see that virtually every table has a jumbo bag of salt and vinegar crisps ripped open for sharing.
They're known as "Rocky Mountain Oysters," but seafood fans may find this dish hard to swallow. Bull testicles, breaded and fried, are an appetizer or drinking snack that fans swear is delicious.
How about a bar snack that's actually infused with booze? Some people swear that eating the worm in your bottle of mezcal will cause you to to see visions, but that might just be the drink!
Eating insects and bugs is commonplace across many Asian countries, and it's increasingly being embraced by the West as a planet-friendly source of protein. But some people might still need a stiff drink to chow down on a plate of fried grasshoppers.
Summer socializing in certain parts of Portugal means one thing: snails. Groups of friends will order the hugely popular boiled bar snack by the bowlful, sharing the protein-filled petiscos (similar to Spanish tapas) by spearing them on toothpicks.
Swap the beer for sake to properly enjoy the taste of your dried, shredded squid. It's a very popular salted snack in Japan.
A popular Galician party dish, pulpo gallego is a richly-flavored tapas dish that features octopus tentacles as the star ingredient.
Sources: (Serious Eats) (Thrillest)
See also: Delicious party snacks that will please every guest
Weird and wonderful bar snacks from around the globe
Would you like a plate of fried grasshoppers to accompany your ice-cold beer?
FOOD Eats
Savory, crunchy, and/or salty enough to have you ordering a second beer as soon as you've finished the first, the bar snack is one of life's simple pleasures. But while many people like to nibble on a finger lickin' snack while they set the world to rights over a few drinks, not all bar snacks are to everybody's tastes. From the delicious to the downright strange, drinking snacks around the world come in all manner of unusual forms.
Appetite whetted? Click through this gallery to discover some of the most weird and wonderful bar snacks from around the world.