Our most primary of all senses is our sense of smell, while our taste buds are the most complex. Taste is something that forms in combination with smell. As such we often lose this sense, when we have a stuffy nose or cold.
The aroma of food is that which stimulates our appetite. The culinary traditions of each and every country in the world offer our senses different and sometimes exotic aromas and therefore - tastes. But there are several foods that make the top of the list of the smelliest foods in the world.
Hundred-Year Egg
This favorite delicacy, used in traditional Chinese culture, astounds with its appearance, as well as taste. It is made by coating an egg with a paste of clay and salt, then leaving it to soak in rice chaff for 3 years. This way, its inside gains a black-green color, with a creamy and gel-like consistency and naturally - a horrible stench.
Dried Fish
In countries like Korea and China, dried fish is eaten as a snack. Tourists and migrants who have spent a fair amount of time in Asia are adamant that its taste is beyond horrible.
Durian
The durian is a fruit from Southeastern Asia used as a filling for scones and to make shakes. It has many fans in the countries in which it is eaten. But anyone having this fruit for the first time will tell you that it has an exceptionally unpleasant smell, similar to that of Epoisses cheese. In fact in many countries in Southeastern Asia, there's a ban on carrying durian in public transport, including in taxis in Thailand and Singapore.
Epoisses
"The king of all cheeses" - this was what Napoleon called his favorite Epoisses cheese. It is characteristic with its horrid smell and aroma and like the durian there's a ban on it in public transportation in France.
Hákarl
This dish is made primarily in Iceland. It is the insides of a shark that have been left to ferment for 2 months. Eating this rotten and stinky fish a kind of ritual to mark the transition from boyhood to manhood.
