Our sense of smell is the oldest of the five senses and was fine-tuned for survival — it evolved to keep us from walking into danger or eating spoiled food.
But sometimes, smell gets it wrong. Some of the most offensive, nose-wrinkling foods aren’t rotten or dangerous — they’re just misunderstood.
Here are the foods that smell awful but taste incredible.
No matter how healthy Brussels sprouts are, they smell like someone passed gas and it's been lingering in the air since last Thanksgiving.
The sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates cause the stench. As Brussels sprouts cook, they release hydrogen sulfide, the same compound found in rotten eggs. But according to food experts, there is a way to keep the stench in check: cook them fast—high heat, short time.
While the taste is still divisive, with the right cooking method, they can be delicious and packed with nutrients.
What's something that smells like feet and looks spoiled (because it literally has mold), but people still eat because it tastes incredible? Why, of course, it's blue cheese.
The Penicillium mold in blue cheese creates those blue veins and produces methyl ketones, which give the cheese its — you guessed it — " sweaty feet" aroma.
There's a reason your coworkers give you the side eye when you bring your hard-boiled eggs to the break room — they stink.
Boiled eggs reek because sulfur-containing proteins in the whites release hydrogen sulfide gas when heated. Overcooking makes the odor worse and can cause the yolk to turn greenish-gray. To keep the smell in check, cook at medium heat and avoid overboiling — adding vinegar to the water can also help.
Kimchi — a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables — tastes like something that sat in a jar long enough to get interesting — but in the best way. On the other hand, to some people, it can smell like an old gym bag filled with rotten cabbage.
Kimchi's strong smell comes from sulfur compounds released during fermentation, produced by lactic acid bacteria breaking down vegetable sugars.
Truffle oil's scent is somewhere between gasoline, wet earth, and mushrooms that have been sitting out too long. Most truffle oils aren't made from real truffles — they use a synthetic compound called 2,4-dithiapentane, which mimics the musky, earthy scent of truffles.
A few drops of fish sauce can elevate your stir-fries, soups, and sauces with deep, savory, salty complexity. Just don't sniff the bottle. Ever. It smells like an old fish market that never got cleaned.
Fish sauce smells like death because it's basically fermented anchovies. During fermentation, enzymes break down the fish proteins into amino acids, especially glutamates, which are responsible for that rich umami punch. The longer it ferments, the stronger the flavor — and the funkier the smell. But once it hits your food, it's magic.
When you cut open papaya, the smell is far from the tropical paradise you imagined, and it surely doesn't do justice to the buttery, melony taste of the exotic fruit. That's because papayas contain an enzyme called papain, which breaks down proteins and gives off a musky smell — kind of like, well, vomit.
Well, here, at least, the name is honest. Stinky tofu, a fermented tofu dish usually sold at night markets in China, is known for its extremely funky smell but surprisingly mild, savory taste. The funk comes from weeks — or months — of fermentation in a brine of fermented milk, vegetables, and sometimes meat or seafood. While it reeks, when it is deep-fried or grilled, it's a crispy, umami-packed flavor bomb.
The general opinion is that if you can take a whiff of durian without losing your lunch, you'll be rewarded with one of the creamiest, most custard-like textures a fruit can offer. Its infamous stench — often compared to garlic, onions, and something that's been left out for too long — comes from sulfur compounds that intensify as it ripens.
