# Opposite ends of the taste / smell spectrums

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 7, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131 "2009-09-07T02:10:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131/1 "2009-09-07T02:10:31Z")

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What foods taste really great, but smell really bad? Or tastes really bad, but smells really good? What is the most extreme case of this?

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**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131/2 "2009-09-07T03:34:11Z")

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The [durian fruit](http://asiancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/durian__the_king_of_fruit) is said to smell terrible but taste wonderful if you can get past the smell. Must be pretty bad. Even Andrew Zimmern couldn’t keep it down.

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**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131/3 "2009-09-07T03:37:16Z")

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Falafel has always smelled unpleasant to me while frying, but I find it fairly delicious.

Hot melted butter has one of the best smells known to mankind, but I wouldn’t drink straight melted butter unless I was paid for it.

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131/4 "2009-09-07T03:38:54Z")

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Smell good, taste bad for me is coffee.

Smell bad, taste good for me is broccoli or its kin. Parmesan cheese, too.

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opposite-ends-of-the-taste-smell-spectrums/509131/5 "2009-09-07T04:38:42Z")

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a lot of soft cheeses smell like baby poop and/or puke but people claim tasty. limburger cheese tastes better than it smells.