# What's the worst smelling thing that you would willingly ingest? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603 "2011-07-19T17:03:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/21 "2011-07-20T13:44:21Z")
Fish sauce (on Thai or Vietnamese food) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/22 "2011-07-20T17:17:41Z")
I’ll eat any kind of cheese, no matter how bad it smells. Except limburger, which tastes as foul as it smells. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/23 "2011-07-20T18:32:06Z")
I guess I’d have to say crab. And even that I won’t cook in my own house anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/24 "2011-07-20T21:41:17Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Fish sauce (on Thai or Vietnamese food) Are you speaking of Nuoc Nam sauce? Because that doesn’t stink. It just smells like fish. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/25 "2011-07-20T23:17:15Z")
Stinky cheese. I have had some Stilton that took weeks to move out of the house, smell-wise. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/26 "2011-07-21T00:28:50Z")
Roquefort. ---
**Author:** ![Cyclone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Cyclone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyclone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/27 "2011-07-21T00:34:04Z")
Liederkranz cheese Their slogan used to be “Once past your nose it tastes great.” ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/28 "2011-07-21T01:05:12Z")
I had a fish taco once that was a bit past its prime. But, I paid for it so I felt obligated to eat it. Well, actually I had a ‘coupon’ so it was free. In any case it was…difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/29 "2011-07-21T01:32:03Z")
Pickled herring is one of my faves. It’s the one and only time NO ONE will kiss me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/30 "2011-07-21T02:59:09Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Pickled herring is one of my faves. It’s the one and only time NO ONE will kiss me. ☹ Now that is one thing I won’t put in my mouth. I grew up downwind of the pickled herring factory. It was pretty evil on a hot summer day. My memory won’t let me even try it. My mother loves it though. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/31 "2011-07-21T04:01:28Z")
I loooovvvve pickled herring. I never noticed its smell. I guess I would if I lived downwind of the factory. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/32 "2011-07-21T04:09:52Z")
I guess garlic. Kind of a boring answer, and while I can appreciate the aroma, it comes with bad childhood luggage ([see here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14016858&postcount=51)). Still, now that I’ve grown accustom to the house filled with the smell of garlic when some of my favorite foods are being prepared, and learned that the smell = awesomeosity! – there’s still that cringing boy, recoiling in the recesses of my mind; under my _mind-furniture._ Having deep Sicilian ancestry and family makes this unpopular to admit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RoeCocoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@RoeCocoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoeCocoa)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/33 "2011-07-21T04:15:24Z")
The smell of ketchup nauseates me, but comfort food wouldn’t be the same without it. Most fermented condiments smell nasty in quantity but taste good when applied in reasonable amounts. Soy sauce. Vinegar. Marmite. I like the smell of garlic, but I don’t like the way it makes me or other people smell after eating it. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/34 "2011-07-21T15:19:55Z")
Durian Fruit - frozen, sliced thin and then mixed with Vanillia ice cream. Actaully freezing seems to reduce its odour signifigantly. Lutefisk… I love it, but my wife says it smells like primitively preserved, half fermented fish. I explain to her that it is exactly that. Then I brush my teeth for 10 minutes if I want any kisses. Veitnamese fish paste… an ingrediant in Pho` (Noodle soup). One brand smells soooo bad but, it makes the nicest soup and the smell disapears as soon as it hits the boiling water. It smells bad, like low tide, on a hot day. Yrs ago my cat (sorry no pic) came into the kitchen while I had some open. I lowered the open jar down to moggy’s nose level - it took one sniff and back up, crouched and staring at me as if to say “You are gonna eat THAT???” ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/35 "2011-07-21T16:25:29Z")
I bought some Gruyere cheese that I thought smelled very foul. I don’t know how it ranks on the foul cheese scale, but that’s about as far as I can go. It tasted pretty good though. Don’t know if it was worth it. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/36 "2011-07-21T16:42:18Z")
Keep in mind that this thread is not just for things that smell bad but taste good, but also for things that are vile that you have some other reason to ingest, such as my Valerian capsules in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/37 "2011-07-22T01:38:48Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Keep in mind that this thread is not just for things that smell bad but taste good, but also for things that are vile that you have some other reason to ingest, such as my Valerian capsules in the OP. Well, that would be the aquarium water you have to drink before having a colonoscopy. My father gave it the name and it has really stuck in everyone’s heads. Even my doc has taken to the description. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/38 "2011-07-22T04:05:42Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Keep in mind that this thread is not just for things that smell bad but taste good, but also for things that are vile that you have some other reason to ingest, such as my Valerian capsules in the OP. I guess most people would pretty much ingest anything willingly if there were a good enough reason for it. If the medicine you needed to save your life tasted like pig shit, there probably wouldn’t be too many people who’d turn it down. Or are you looking for things that people _do_ willingly ingest, rather than would? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/39 "2011-07-22T04:50:18Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Are you speaking of Nuoc Nam sauce? Because that doesn’t stink. It just smells like fish. I see someone has never been to a town in Vietnam that manufactures the stuff. Let’s just say there is a certain air about the place. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603/40 "2011-07-22T06:36:58Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > I guess most people would pretty much ingest anything willingly if there were a good enough reason for it. If the medicine you needed to save your life tasted like pig shit, there probably wouldn’t be too many people who’d turn it down. > > Or are you looking for things that people _do_ willingly ingest, rather than would? Do, have, would reasonably expect to, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-worst-smelling-thing-that-you-would-willingly-ingest/589603.md?page=3)