7 Foods You Should Never Eat Raw

7 Foods You Should Never Eat Raw

There are several foods that we are used to eating cooked, but which are also very good raw, such as green or yellow beans. The opposite is also true! 

You probably knew that cucumbers can be sautéed very well in a pan, as is often the case in Asian meals. This is often a matter of habit and culture. Taste it!

But be careful, because there are certain fruits and vegetables as well as other foods that should never be eaten raw.

Here are 7 Foods You Should Never Eat Raw

1. Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are delicious! Their taste relating to asparagus brings back the spring. But even in salads, they should never be eaten raw! Each year, these cause numerous food poisoning in Canada.

To eat them safely, blanch them twice for a few minutes (between 2 and 5 minutes each time), changing the water in between.

They can then be sautéed or incorporated into different dishes, or even cooled and served!

2. Potatoes

Raw potatoes contain solanine, a toxic substance. They do not all contain it in equal quantity; those that are green or sprouted will contain more.

So why take the risk? Note that green potatoes should not be eaten, even cooked.

3. Red Beans

We're talking about dried legumes here, not the ones that come straight from a can (and are cooked!) It would be hard to chew them anyway, but that's because they contain lectins, a kind of protein that is also found in small quantities in many foods, including bananas, apples, and peppers.

In small doses, they are not harmful, but legumes contain more than most foods, and some varieties more than others. Red beans are the ones that cause the most intestinal problems (short-lived but still quite severe) when they are undercooked.

4. Wild mushrooms

Unlike button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms, which can be eaten in a salad or in a dip, wild mushrooms must be cooked.

Otherwise, they are very difficult to digest, even slightly toxic in some cases.

5. Pork

Some fish or even meat can, in some cases, be eaten raw, but only when the provenance and quality are verified.

This is not the case with pigs, which can (rarely, but…) be infected with trichinosis, a parasite similar to the tapeworm. The board can also be a carrier. There is a misconception that freezing meat kills worms, but it doesn't.

6. Chicken

Chicken is also one of the animal proteins that should never be eaten raw. Its bacteria will be destroyed during cooking, however; there is no need to rinse it first.

This has the effect of spreading bacteria all over the kitchen! Remember to wash your hands after handling raw chicken.

7. Eggplant

Just like the potato (which belongs to the same family of vegetables), raw eggplant contains solanine and therefore can sometimes be toxic.