Japan is known for its selection of weird foods, and today we can add one more item to the ever-growing list. The Black Terra Hot-Dog is one of the most popular fast-food delicacies sold in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. It’s over 30 centimeters long and looks like it’s been cooked a few hours longer than necessary.

Black hamburgers have been around for about a year now, ever since Burger King launched its Premium Kuro Burger in Japan. It has black buns and dark ketchup, but the meat patty and vegetables retain their natural colors. But the people over at Vegas Premium Hot-Dogs, in Akihabara, Tokyo decided to one-up the giant fast-food chain by creating a food item that is entirely black as charcoal. Vegas was already famous for the size of its delicious hot-dogs, which span over 30 cm in length, but ever since they introduced the Black Terra Hot-Dog, in March, their popularity has grown even more. You would expect clients to be turned off by the rubber-like sausage, but apparently people who see this delicacy advertised on the billboards in front of the fast-food joint just can’t resist the urge to try it.

Photo: Imgur

By now, you probably think the images have been manipulated in Photoshop, but I can assure you the Black Terra Dog is very real. So how is a food that looks like rubber safe for human consumption? Some people claim the buns and sausage are infused with squid ink for coloring, but according to a number of reports in the Japanese media, Vegas Premium Hot-Dogs actually uses edible bamboo charcoal powder, which is used as a food dye throughout Asia. I know it looks bad, but apparently it doesn’t alter the taste at all and it’s good for your health.

The Black Terra Hot-Dog costs ¥600 ($6) and is just one of the three delicious treats sold by Vegas Premium Hot-Dogs.

Photo: Akibun