When we think of foods we love, we often think of the delicious scents that come with them. Fresh chocolate chip cookies are good, but it's the smell of them warm from the oven that makes them truly delicious. Apple pie is okay, but it's the way the aroma fills your home as it bakes that makes it extra special.
But there are some foods that are exceptions to the rule. These rare delicacies may be delicious, but olfactory pleasure they do not provide. In fact, some might say they straight up bring both the noise AND the funk.
We're coming at you with foods that could easily be confused with a teenage boy's gym bag. They may taste good, but they smell like a veritable barf sandwich. Check out our slideshow for which terrible smelling foods made the list, and where they rank on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 = "Did Someone Reheat Fish?" and 10 = "Who Pooped Into This Bag of Trash and Then Set It on Fire?"
Check out our list and share your least-favorite smelling food in the comments!
Image via stevendepolo/Flickr
Durian Fruit
This South-Asian tree fruit is awesome. It's got a custard-like texture and kind of tastes like almonds. That said, its aroma is something, like, you know, your basic death fart.
Stank Rating = 9
Surströmming
These little baltic fishies are a famous part of Swedish cuisine. So what's the big deal? They are fermenting. Fermenting fish, caught just before they were set to spawn. They smell not unlike your armpit tongue-kissed your butthole. It's a party, and no one is invited.
Stank Rating = 7
Natto
I'm usually a fan of soybeans, but I find Natto rather, uh, hard to swallow. Fermentation strikes again in the form of this fermented soybean. Stringy and sticky, it's a popular breakfast in parts of Japan. It might not be an acquired taste, but the smell is something else — think sweaty sneakers burning in an oven with undernotes of B.O. Mmmmm, Natto.
Stank Rating = 6
Sauerkraut
What stanks worse than cabbage? Sour cabbage. I'm a fan of the stuff, but I'm also the first to admit that this German pickled cabbage dish smells like aged under-boob.
Stank Rating = 3
Limburger Cheese
While its creamy texture makes it a great snacking cheese, you'll have to get past its aroma before you can start enjoying it. Unless eating a food that smells like a dirty baby is something you already do regularly. If it is, more cheese for you!
Stank Rating = 4.5
