"Appetizing yet stomach-turning" foods of 2012
Yahoo! released its 2012 Year In Review to provide a snapshot of users' search habits and what really mattered to them in the past year. Overall, the top three searches this year were: election, iPhone 5 and Kim Kardashian.
But Yahoo! also compiled other categories of top searches, including health topics, recipes and this list of what the search engine calls "Most Appetizing Yet Stomach-Turning Searches." Judging by this list, Yahoo! Users sure have interesting palates.
What foods might raise an eyebrow while simultaneously making your stomach growl while it braces itself for the calorie load? Here's what Yahoo! found...
Candy Corn Oreos
In September, Kraft Foods unveiled Candy Corn Oreos just in time for the Halloween season. While the classic sweet treat -- which turned 100 this year -- usually comes with a black cookie and white cream, the company markets fruity flavors in China.
Pork doughnuts
If you like pork and you like doughnuts, you may have to buy a plane ticket to China. In March, doughnut giant Dunkin' Donuts CEO Nigel Travis told Reuters that savory donuts with shredded pork are being sold at the company's 150 stories in China. The company also said at the time it was developing milk tea and bagels with pork floss topping in Chinese markets.
Bacon ice cream
This increasingly popular take on ice cream is popping up at state fairs and fancy restaurants. This past summer, Burger King offered a bacon sundae with vanilla soft serve ice cream with fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon to boot. The sweet treat may not have made nutritionists swoon, clocking in at 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar.
Flamin
Flamin' Hot Cheetos made headlines in 2012, with news outlets around the country picking up reports of that some schools were banning the snacks because kids were going batty for them and skipping meals for the less nutritional snack. In addition, students were spreading germs through sharing and making a mess for janitors with small orange finger prints all over the schools.
Doctors also warned some concerned parents were taking their kids to emergency rooms because the dyes in the snacks were mistaken for blood in the stool.
Deep fried strawberries
Reaching for fruit instead of unhealthy snacks and sweets is often recommended as a way to boost health. Deep fried strawberries may not have been what nutritionists had in mind.
Beer milkshake
Somewhere along the way , omeone who was a fan of these two beverages decided to experiment. That came to a head this past September when Red Robin unveiled its beer milkshake made with soft serve vanilla ice cream, vanilla syrup, caramel and a Sam Adams Ocktoberfest. The drink is not for the calorie-weary.
Fried Kool-Aid
In the summer of 2011, deep-fried Kool-Aid balls swept the country fair circuit. According to Yahoo!'s list, the same appears to be true in 2012.
Guinness cupcakes
Some people enjoy the flavor that comes from baking with beer, so it's not surprising people may grab a Guinness for the job. Food.com estimates the treat -- if topped with Bailey's frosting -- can top 350 calories per cupcake.
Maple bacon beer
A beer contains about 150 calories, and a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found alcohol accounts for about 5 percent of adults' caloric intake. How much would that percentage rise if your drink of choice was maple bacon beer?
Grape jelly meatballs
A holiday tradition, one grape jelly meatball -- which is exactly what it sounds like - contains more than 60 calories and about half a gram of fat, according to Livestrong.com.
