8 Surprising Things You Didn't Know You Could Eat

What's the grossest thing you've ever eaten? Actually, maybe those crazy stuff you picked and ate as a child are not bad after all.

It's surprising that some things we trash in the kitchen and others that lay in the wild fields are actually edible. In fact, some are rich in nutrients that our bodies badly need.

Here are some things you didn't know are edible:

1. Cockscombs
So you eat the wings, thighs and all the other parts of the chicken's body but trash the crown? Well, in as much as it doesn't look so appealing, it taste no different from the other parts. However, it's a bit tough but soaking it with lemon softens it.

The cockscombs are edible although tough (ugorizont)

2. Chalk
If you stole some chalks from the teacher's desk and munched them secretly, well, it's not such a huge sin. Chalks are rich in Calcium and people who are deficient of the mineral can find themselves craving for a piece.

3. Clay
If you grew up in the rural areas, eating soil and clay was common. And if you were keen, no one ever got sick of it. But this is not to say that you should go collecting clay from anywhere and eating it. Clay is rich in Magnesium, Iron among other minerals that your body needs.

4. Avocado stones

Avocado stones are rich in antioxidants (avocadosfrommexico)

We are all guilty of throwing away the avocado seeds but who even thought they were edible anyway? Weird as it is, avocado stones are rich in fiber and antioxidant and you can dry and grind them into powder.

5. Beetroot stems
Turns out that the root is not the only edible part of this plant. The fleshy stems are equally edible and you can use them in your salad or steam them like would with spinach or other leafy veggies.

6. Flowers

Flowers can be used for in salads (Grace in the Crumbs)

Besides coloring your home and fragrance purposes, some flowers are edible and completely harmless. Daisies, courgette flowers, hibiscus, lilies, roses and pea flowers are just some of the flowers that you could eat.

7. Banana peels
So, besides whitening your teeth, banana peels are also edible. They are rich in Vitamin and minerals and you will also be doing justice to the environment by eating them.

8. Leather

Leather - it's tough and cooking takes time (businessinsider)

Tough as it is, leather is actually edible so long as it has not been treated with toxins. All the same, you will have to boil it for God knows how long to soften it.