Dictators With Strange Eating Habits

From the biggest foodie in Asia to the butcher of Uganda, these dictators weren't afraid to eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, however they wanted. When it comes to trivia about Adolf Hitler, there's one fact that pops up a lot. Alongside his failed art career and missing testicle, Hitler was a vegetarian. It's true. The tyrant of the Third Reich regularly consumed eggs, oatmeal, stewed fruits, salads, and soups, but not meat. Hitler was known to find flesh repulsive and was disgusted by the idea of eating dead bodies. Prior to swearing off meat, however, he was known to enjoy young pigeons filled with liver, tongue and pistachios. During World War Two, Hitler had a group of 15 women who would try his food to ensure that it wasn't poisoned. What is more interesting than his diet, however, was his despicable table manners. As reported by the Daily Mail, the German leader suffered from terrible flatulence and would bite his fingernails at the dining table while gorging on food. A German soldier who dined with the dictator said that the despot ate huge amounts of cake, adding Hitler eats rapidly mechanically. For him, food is merely an indispensable means of subsistence. It's a little surprise that Hitler suffered from indigestion, apparently only eating broth and mashed potatoes during his final days and the bunker. Kim Jong Illinois's reign as the supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011 was characterized by repression and propaganda that elevated him to a near God like status. His regime's policy of militarization and nuclear development led to famine and dire economic conditions for his people. But while the people of North Korea suffered food shortages, this certainly wasn't the case for their ruler. Dubbed the biggest foodie in Asia by Michael Breen, who penned the book Kim Jong Illinois, North Korea's Dear Leader, the tight fisted dictator was known for his extravagant taste. So what did the deer leader like to see on his menu? As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the cold blooded gourmet enjoyed slices of sashimi cut from live fish. Of course, when it came to getting his hands on what he wanted, money was no object. Kim Jong Il sent his staff to Thailand for papayas and mangoes, China for grapes, and Uzbekistan for caviar. The dictator was also fond of fine wine, amassing a collection of 10,000 bottles over the years. He also like to indulge in Hennessy cognac, which reportedly cost him a staggering $650,000 each year. Due to concerns about his health, Kim Jong Illinois set up an institute where the country's top physicians worked on various ways to prolong his life. A Doctor Who later defected to South Korea divulged that there were once around 200 professionals involved in the department concerned with the leader's dietary needs. Kim Jong Illinois could not be reached for comment. Because he was having a totally normal day, being alive and not dead. Following Kim Jong Illinois's death in 2011, his son Kim Jong Un took over his father's role as the supreme leader of North Korea. Despite some early hopes for reforms, the Swiss educated despot has shown no inclination to change the regime's repressive stance. The North Korean leader is around 5 1/2 feet tall and weighs about £250. He has a particular affinity for Swiss cheese, which has contributed to his massive weight gain since taking office. It also appears that Kim Jong Un has followed in his father's footsteps when it comes to his expensive tastes. While N Koreans still deal with a lack of food in the present, the rotund tyrant enjoys feasting on sushi, shark fin soup, and fried chicken. It doesn't help that he also smokes and binge drinks, with Johnny Walker being his tipple of choice. He's also partial to Russian vodka, his father's favorite Hennessy cognac, champagne, and rice wine infused with whole snakes. No word on how he feels about margaritas, though, despite what Randall Park's performance in the interview might make you think. I have no comment on margaritas. Then why don't you drink them? I don't like brain free. While Vladimir Putin remains popular with some Russians, he has definitely shown more than a handful of authoritarian inclinations since he became the countries leader in 1999. During his time in power, Putin has suppressed political opposition, restricted the media, and limited the activities of various civil society organizations. For many, Putin showed his true colors with his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Considering the poor physical condition of some of the world's other dictators, Putin is doing pretty well. Despite being 70 years old, he appears to be relatively fit. So what's his secret? Putin is a late riser and he is quite meticulous about what he eats. The Russian President starts his day with an omelet, cottage cheese and sometimes porridge. He also enjoys quail eggs, juice and a cup of quality coffee. Putin has also been known to share a steak and a cup of tea with former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Overall, it seems that Putin is a picky eater who likes to eat his main meal early in the day, he was reported by Newsweek as saying. I usually don't have dinner, I don't have time in the afternoon. I try to eat fruit to drink a fear when it's available and when it's not, I prefer not to eat anything at all. Idi Amin's iron fisted rule over Uganda from 1971 to 1979 was devastating for the country and its people. Ascending to power after a military coup, Amin was known as the butcher of Uganda and was responsible for the death of between 300,000 and 500,000 people. The ruthless tyrant was ousted in 1979 before seeking refuge in Saudi Arabia where he would die in 2003. Amin Cruelty knew no boundaries, so perhaps it's not surprising to hear that the mad dictator bragged about eating human flesh. According to the book A State of Blood, The Inside Story of Edi Amin by Henry Kayenba, the enemies of the former Ugandan president were found murdered and missing various body parts. Apparently, Amin had claimed that human flesh is a bit too salty. During his exile in Saudi Arabia, Amin is said to have enjoyed Western style fast foods such as fried chicken and pizza. Most oddly, though, the dictator also ate forty oranges a day because he believed that they would enhance his sexual prowess. Benito Mussolini was the founder of Italy's Fascist Party, leading the country from 1922 to 1943. His regime was characterized by authoritarianism, political oppression, and violence. During World War Two, Mussolini entered into an alliance with Nazi Germany, declaring war on America in 1941. Even though Mussolini was a stout nationalist, he wasn't known for his appetite for Italian cuisine. Instead, his favorite dish was a salad topped with raw garlic and drizzled with oil, which he believed would do wonders for his heart. Any other order Mussolini Mussolini tried to replace Italy's passion for pasta with a new sense of national identity centered around rice cultivation. As World War 2 loomed, the dictator's goal was to increase Italy's agricultural self-sufficiency by reducing the country's reliance on imported flour, one of the key ingredients and pasta. To say that Italians weren't impressed with the idea of giving up their beloved pasta would be an understatement. Over the Mussolini years, pasta ended up becoming emblematic of the anti fascist movement. As the leader of China's Communist Party from 1935 until his death in 1976, Mao Zedong's revolutionary campaigns contributed to the death of around 45 million people. He was also a fan of spicy foods and was known to associate the heat of Chili Peppers with revolutionary zeal. Mao once told Soviet agent Otto Braun the food of the true revolutionary is the red pepper, and he who cannot endure red Peppers is also unable able to fight. While Mao generally liked simple food, there's one somewhat extravagant dish that he couldn't resist, red braised pork. Originating in Mao's native province of Hunan, the dish consists of braised pork belly with a caramelized sugar glaze and rice wine. When a reporter for NPR visited Mao's village of Xiao Shan, the dictator's nephew Mao Anping told him in no uncertain terms Men eat red braised pork to build their brains and ladies to make themselves more beautiful. The Chinese government even came up with an official recipe for the dish to prevent any inferior imitations that might taint its association with Comrade Mao. Moammar Gaddafi seized power through a military coup that toppled the Libyan monarchy in 1969. During his 42 years in power, the despot supported numerous militant and terrorist organizations and was involved in various conflicts in countries such as Chad, Sudan, and Egypt. A staunch Islamist, he banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in Libya after he came to power. When it comes to the dictator's food preferences, Gaddafi seems to be known for one thing, his love of drinking camel milk. Even though camel milk is rich in minerals and vitamins, the beverage had a horrible effect on Gaddafi's digestive system. Like Hitler, he was notorious for his excessive flatulence, something he apparently wasn't at all embarrassed about. But enthusiasm for all things camel didn't stop there. The authoritarian also reportedly enjoyed boiled camel hump prepared with couscous. Known for his authoritarian ruling style, oppressive politics and his invasions of Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990, Saddam Hussein served as the president of Iraq from 1979 until he was captured by the US military in 2003. The raid of his hideout revealed that the dictator had a penchant for Western grub. Before he was captured, Hussein's dietary intake included hot dogs, candy bars and soda. I called Saddam Hussein and invited him over for dinner tonight. After Hussein's imprisonment, the American prison guards who were assigned to him reported that the despot often indulged in reason brand Crunch, but wasn't so keen on Fruit Loops. He was also obsessed with Doritos and would get cranky if they weren't available. Specialist Jesse Dawson was quoted by NBC News as saying he'd eat a family sized bag of Doritos in 10 minutes. Dawson also said that the former Iraqi president was exceptionally clean, using wipes to clean his table, trays and utensils before digging into his meals. Responsible for establishing a communist government in Cuba, Fidel Castro led the country as its Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 2008. While Castro took steps to reduce inequality and improve access to healthcare and education, he's better known for his repressive policies that restricted personal freedoms. Castro was primarily vegetarian. While he enjoyed local food, the Caribbean dictator liked to indulge in imported meats, cheeses and olives, most of which came from the States, a country that Cuba considered its sworn enemy. According to Erasmo Hernandez Leon, who used to cook for Castro, it wasn't unusual for the dictator to go all day without food simply because he would forget to eat. It also wasn't uncommon for Castro to end up cooking spaghetti for himself at odd hours of the night. Castro loved sweets, including milkshakes and ice cream. According to Gabriel Garcia Marquez's A Personal Portrait of Fidel, Castro was known to Polish off up to 18 scoops at a time. The dictator's fondness for ice cream almost got him assassinated when ACIA operative tried to slip a poison pill into his milkshake in 1963. But much like the many other attempts on his life, it didn't work. Castro's passion for the sweet treat ran so deep that he even commissioned the construction of one of the world's biggest ice cream parlors called Kopelia. The Havana Ice Cream shop remains open to this day. A key figure in Russia's Communist Party, Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union between 1929 and 1953. Although he claimed to support the working class, his reign was characterized by political repression, purges and widespread human rights abuses. Stalin was born in Georgia and had a very special affinity for his native countries cuisine, enjoying its wines, pickled cheeses and meats. Vladimir Putin's grandfather, Spiridon Putin, served as one of Stalin's personal chefs. The communist leader loved to share his passion for Georgian cuisine with others, hosting 6 hour long dinners flooding with alcohol. Not many guests could keep up with the binge drinking that accompanied these elaborate feasts. After attending one of Stalin's soirees, the Soviet politician Nikita Khrushchev once commented. I don't think there has ever been a leader of comparable responsibilities who wasted more time than Stalin did just sitting around the dinner table eating and drinking. Yugoslavian President Yosef Bros Tito is even said to have drinks so much with Stalin that he ended up vomiting on his sleeve.