Hailing from Sweden, Surströmming is fermented herring infamous for its overpowering stench, reminiscent of rotten eggs or ammonia. Its acquired taste and strong odor have earned it a reputation as one of the smelliest foods globally.
Popular in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Balut is a fertilized duck embryo boiled and eaten in the shell. Its appearance, with partially developed feathers, bones, and beak, can be off-putting to many.
Hákarl, or fermented shark meat, is a traditional Icelandic dish with a strong ammonia smell and an acquired taste. Prepared by burying shark meat underground for several months to ferment.
Casu Marzu, also known as maggot cheese, is a traditional Sardinian cheese infested with live insect larvae. The cheese is intentionally left exposed to flies, allowing them to lay eggs.
A Chinese delicacy, Century Egg, or Thousand-Year-Old Egg, is preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks or months. The result is a black.
Stinky Tofu is a fermented tofu popular in East and Southeast Asia, known for its strong, pungent odor. Fermented with various ingredients, including vegetables, meat, and seafood.
Fugu, or pufferfish, is a Japanese delicacy known for its potentially lethal toxins. Chefs must undergo rigorous training and certification to prepare it safely, as improper preparation can lead to poisoning and death.
Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made from sheep's offal, including the heart, liver, and lungs, mixed with oatmeal, suet, onions, and spices, all encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for hours.
Kiviak is a Greenlandic delicacy made from fermented seabird meat, typically auks, which are buried whole in seal skin for several months to ferment. The resulting dish is pungent and oily.
Similar to Casu Marzu, Cazu Marzu is another variation of maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia, Italy. Created by allowing flies to lay eggs in Pecorino cheese, it undergoes fermentation as the maggots digest the cheese.