15 Foods That Are Difficult To Eat (But Worth It)

We've all been there — staring down a big, steaming plate of snow crab legs or lobster, or any one of a number of delicious-looking foods, ready to dig in... but with absolutely no idea where to start, or how to get at the actual edible part of it.

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It's a problem that's plagued us since the dawn of man, and the reason why items like nutcrackers were invented.

There are some food items that are simply hard to eat. Some foods, like ice cream cones, don't require any special equipment to get to the good stuff, but you'd be hard-pressed to finish a whole cone without at least some very sticky fingers. Other foods, like shell-on nuts, are all but impossible to get into without a specially designed contraption. And then there are the foods that are absolutely the most frustrating: difficult to access without special equipment, yet so delicious that each little morsel makes it well worth the sheen of sweat forming on your brow.

But sometimes that's exactly what we're looking for. Those times when the struggle is for a worthy cause, because the end result is a glorious bite of food. Sure, a simple steak is delicious, but all things being equal, would you rather eat that or a 4-pound lobster?

We've assembled a list of the 15 foods that are the most difficult to eat. But we also considered something else: that noble struggle has to be worth it. Yes, durian is one of the most difficult fruits to open without the help of a machete, but let's just say that it's an acquired taste. And while we were at it, we made sure to include some helpful tips as to how to conquer the challenges ahead. 

Dan Myers is the Eat/Dine Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @sirmyers.