Man tries to eat 130 shrimp-pork cakes at Vietnamese airport after learning he can't bring them to Japan

Tran Van Tam, from the southern Dong Thap Province, had packed about 3 kilograms of the homemade cakes in his carry-on. His mother had spent days preparing them so he could gift them to friends and colleagues abroad.

But when he reached the check-in counter at Tan Son Nhat Airport, airline staff noticed the heavy bag and asked what was inside, Dan Tri news site reported.

When he explained they were shrimp-and-pork banh bot loc, a female staff member warned him that Japan strictly bans travelers from bringing in any pork or beef products, whether fresh, frozen, processed or cooked, due to food-safety and disease-prevention rules, Tam told Znews.

Tam suddenly had a dilemma. He did not want to throw the food away, and he did not know anyone nearby he could trust to accept it safely. So he sat down in the terminal lobby, opened the bag and started eating, according to videos shared on social media.

"I managed to eat about 30 pieces before I was completely stuffed. I just couldn't continue," he said.

A bowl of shrimp-pork cakes in southern Vietnam style. Photo by thon_foodie

What was meant to be a thoughtful gift from home turned into one of the most memorable and bizarre travel experiences of his life. Tam said he will be much more careful next time to avoid repeating the ordeal.

Authorities say his case is not unusual. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong all enforce strict bans on meat-based foods brought in by travelers, largely to prevent outbreaks of livestock diseases such as African swine fever.

Violators face stiff penalties.