# Foods that look/smell foul but taste delicious **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788 "2006-10-09T07:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Push\_Up\_Bra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/edb3f5/32.png) [@Freudian\_Push\_Up\_Bra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Push_Up_Bra)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/1 "2006-10-09T07:24:15Z")
What foods have you come across that are repulsive to the visual/olfactory senses but taste sensational or at least edible? Tuna in oil. Looks filthy, tastes great! Any takers? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/2 "2006-10-09T07:31:10Z")
Cruciferous vegetables. Smell terrible, taste great if prepared well. I realize that some people will debate the tastes great part, but this is my opinion. Some cheeses also smell terrible but taste great. Parmesan, for example, smells like feet but fresh parm is great. I say “fresh” parm as in “no cannister”, the cannister stuff is okay on certain things but it does have a slight feet taste. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/3 "2006-10-09T08:40:41Z")
Yeah, lots of strong cheeses and blue cheeses smell like diseased feet, rotting garbage or vomit, but taste fantastic if you just take the plunge. I’m the only one in my family who really likes ‘outdoor cheese’( as my kids call it), so I don’t indulge as often as I might like. ---
**Author:** ![Kesamet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@Kesamet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kesamet)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/4 "2006-10-09T09:51:28Z")
An especially runny cheese from France called IIRC Munster. Durian fruit - best description I ever heard was “imagine eating Ben And Jerry’s in a sewer” ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/5 "2006-10-09T09:53:56Z")
Durians > **[Durian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian)** > > There are currently 30 recognised species (see the List of Durio species) > The durian (/ˈdʊəriən/, /ˈdjʊəriən/) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio. There are 30 recognized Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus, native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the only species available on the international market. It has over 300 named varieties in Thailand and 100 in Malaysia as of 1987. Other species are sold in their local regions... ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/6 "2006-10-09T10:04:04Z")
I vote “durian.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/7 "2006-10-09T10:09:47Z")
I’ve never had the opportunity to try durian - perhaps one day - but I’m intrigued by the diversity of the descriptions that people offer; ‘Ben & Jerry’s in a sewer’, ‘onion-flavoured custard’, ‘cream cheese with turpentine’, etc, etc. It must be quite a complex flavour to inspire such a variety of reviews. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/8 "2006-10-09T10:13:38Z")
Kim chee. When I was a freshman in college, a guy in my dorm was studying abroad from Korea. He would get out the kim chee every once in a while, and everyone in the building knew about it. “WHAT is that awful smell?” “Oh, Moon’s eating kim chee again.” And yet? Delicious. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/9 "2006-10-09T11:51:10Z")
Chou Doufu or “stinky tofu.” It really does reek but I love it. You can smell it at 100 meters from a street vendor. Durian has a lot of fans in my house. I’ll eat a little but it’s nothing special for me. Cheese = man that was a highlight of visiting France was all the unpasteurized fresh stinky cheese that would come out at the end of the meal. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/10 "2006-10-09T12:47:29Z")
Pesto…green, oily…but totally yummy. My 12 y.o. daughter and I are maniacs for it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/11 "2006-10-09T13:07:42Z")
I think that mangoes smell exactly like turpentine (to me anyway) but they taste delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/12 "2006-10-09T13:14:16Z")
Raw oysters. ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/13 "2006-10-09T13:48:13Z")
Deviled eggs, Mouthfull of ass, but taste delish. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/14 "2006-10-09T14:15:16Z")
Cooking broccoli smells like a pot of rot. Sautéing garlic doesn’t smell great either. But sauté the brox IN the garlic – MMM mmm, _delizioso_! ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/15 "2006-10-09T14:55:53Z")
Guacamole looks like a heap of lumpy green slime, but it’s delightful. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/16 "2006-10-09T15:18:46Z")
My girlfriend goes nuts for saganaki, the flaming puddle of melted goat cheese. I refused to be anywhere near it, since it does rather smell like burning vomit, but I did try some once and found it mild and rather tasty. Still not ordering it for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/17 "2006-10-09T16:45:33Z")
[QUOTE=Kesamet] An especially runny cheese from France called IIRC Munster. [/QUOTE] A good Munster is a world of difference from processed Munster. It should look like it is about to melt, bulgeing all over. It has a strong smell that you will notice even when kept in a fridge with the door closed. But the taste is fantastic, easier to enjoy than many other strong smelly cheeses, and the rind is well worth eating with the cheese as the flavour goes so well. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/18 "2006-10-09T18:14:24Z")
My kids would rate Chili this way. Whenever I make it or cook canned chili, they go off about how it is dog food…\ ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/19 "2006-10-09T18:32:33Z")
Spam looks and smells nasty out of the can, but I’m not ashamed to admit that it cooks up quite tasty. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788/20 "2006-10-09T18:54:48Z")
My mom hates scrapple–says it looks like dog food, and she gags whenever any of us eats it. Guess what we order whenever possible? Good stuff. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-look-smell-foul-but-taste-delicious/375788.md?page=2)