What Are The Most Nasty Foods In The World?

Nasty Foods might evoke strong reactions, but understanding them reveals fascinating aspects of culture, evolution, and personal taste. FOODS.EDU.VN explores this intriguing topic, offering insights into why certain foods are considered repulsive. Discover the science and stories behind these culinary oddities and broaden your understanding of the world’s diverse palate, improving your appreciation for global cuisine and unique ingredients.

1. Understanding the Types of Disgust

Disgust isn’t just about food; it’s a complex emotion with various triggers.

Smell Sensitivity: Some people are highly sensitive to strong smells, often caused by bacteria in fermentation processes. This can make foods like washed-rind cheeses and other preserved items seem repulsive.
Taste Dislike: Others find certain tastes, such as the intensely salty flavor of licorice, to be particularly nasty. While licorice is beloved in a few countries, it’s generally disliked elsewhere.
Texture Issues: The texture of a food can also evoke disgust. The soft and gooey consistency of durian fruit is a common example.
Moral Disgust: The strongest type of disgust is often moral. Practices like force-feeding ducks to produce Foie Gras or consuming live animals (like in Ikizukuri) can be deeply disturbing.

A combination of these factors can create the ultimate “nasty food” experience. Surströmming, a fermented fish from Sweden, embodies this perfectly with its strong smell, salty taste, and gooey texture. According to research from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, dishes that combine multiple triggers of disgust are more likely to be perceived as repulsive across different cultures.

2. Why Ranking “Weird Foods” is Difficult

Determining what constitutes a “delicious food” versus a “nasty food” is highly subjective, based on personal and cultural backgrounds.

Cultural Proximity: People tend to be more accepting of foods from cultures that are similar to their own, either culturally or geographically. For example, someone from Sweden might find French food more palatable than Peruvian food, as detailed by a study on culinary globalization from Uppsala University in Sweden.
Subjective Experiences: The following list is based on personal experiences and the reactions of visitors to the Disgusting Food Museum. It is not a definitive, objective ranking.
Changing Preferences: Culinary tastes evolve over time. Many traditional dishes are no longer commonly eaten in their originating cultures.
Food Heritage: Traditional foods become part of a country’s culinary heritage. For example, black pudding is a standard component of a Full English breakfast, despite being made from blood.

Geographic concentration also plays a role. China, with its vast population and regional culinary differences, is likely to have more entries on a list of “weird foods.” Dishes like virgin boy eggs, consumed in Dongyang city, are not even known to people from Guangzhou.

3. Gomutra, India

Gomutra is cow urine used in India for thousands of years for therapeutic purposes. According to a 2017 study in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, cow urine is believed to have Ayurvedic health benefits. Some claim it can treat conditions like psoriasis, leprosy, fevers, liver ailments, and even cancer. The urine from a pregnant cow is considered particularly potent.

Beyond consumption, gomutra is also used as a cleaning agent. In 2015, a technologically advanced cow-urine refinery was opened by the makers of Gocleaner, a popular cleansing fluid.

The museum director at the Disgusting Food Museum, Andreas Ahrens, first tried gomutra during a visit by Swedish YouTubers Matkoma. The experience was challenging. The aroma of a dirty barnyard is immediately apparent upon opening the bottle. The harshness of the urine stings the throat and leaves a terrible aftertaste that lingers throughout the day.

4. Ttongsul, Ancient South Korea

Ttongsul is a traditional Korean medicine with a 9% alcohol content. This “poo wine” involves fermenting the feces of a human child (aged 4-7) with water and rice.

Preparation: Child feces are refrigerated for 3-4 days, mixed with water, and fermented overnight.
Ingredients: The mixture is combined with boiled non-glutinous rice (70%), glutinous rice (30%), and yeast. The non-glutinous rice provides protein for fermentation, while the glutinous rice is thought to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Fermentation: The mixture ferments for at least seven days in a clay pot at 30-37 degrees Celsius.
Benefits: When properly fermented, Ttongsul is believed to cure pain, broken bones, bruises, inflammation, and epilepsy.

The resulting yellow-brownish liquid resembles sewer slime mixed with vomit, potentially with small pieces of feces. While the smell is strong, the taste is sour and similar to rice wine.

It is important to note that Ttongsul is not used in modern South Korea. It was an unusual cure practiced a century ago, and even more so today.

5. Baby Mouse Wine, Guangzhou, China

Baby mouse wine is made by drowning at least a dozen baby mice in rice wine and allowing the mixture to mature for at least a year. The mice must be blind and hairless. This wine is consumed as a health tonic for asthma and liver diseases, but the health benefits have not been verified by scientific testing.

The taste of baby mouse wine is described as gasoline with an aftertaste of rotting animals, and the smell is incredibly strong and putrid. It is mostly drunk in Southern China (Guangzhou) but has also been consumed in ancient Korea.

The Disgusting Food Museum has sampled this wine several times. The putrid taste fills the mouth and stings the palate. Fragments of baby mouse skin often float in the wine, so it is usually strained before consumption.

6. Monkey Brain, Ancient China

Monkey brain consumption has been mentioned in historical texts, though its actual practice is debated.

Historical Accounts: Gao Yuan’s book, Born Red, A Chronicle of the Cultural Revolution, describes restaurants in Guangzhou offering monkey brains. The monkey’s head would be locked in place, and diners would eat the brain while the body wriggled below.
Manchu Han Imperial Feast: Monkey brains have been linked to the Manchu Han Imperial banquet of the Qing empire. However, some argue this might refer to hericium mushrooms (猴头菇), also known as “monkey head mushroom.”
Legend: According to legend, Wu Sangui introduced Qing soldiers into China and celebrated their victory by consuming live monkey brains.

While the horrific serving method is mentioned in many sources, it is unclear if it is still practiced. Anecdotal evidence from visitors to the Disgusting Food Museum suggests the existence of monkey brain restaurants on the black market, but this has not been confirmed.

7. Virgin Boy Eggs, Dongyang City, China

Virgin boy eggs (童子蛋, Tóngzǐdàn) are eggs boiled in the urine of young boys, primarily peasants under the age of ten. This tradition is practiced in Dongyang city and is listed as part of the local intangible cultural heritage.

Preparation: Young boys’ urine is collected in buckets placed in schools and markets. Eggs are boiled in the urine until hard, then cracked and boiled for several more hours to allow the urine to soak in.
Tradition: This preparation is a spring tradition that dates back centuries, originally as a food preservation method.
Myth: The eggs are believed to be good for health, protecting against heat strokes, decreasing body heat, promoting blood circulation, and reinvigorating the body.

The urine smell is unmistakable in the stalls of street vendors that sell them. The price for boy eggs is about twice that of regular eggs, and they are considered a valued part of the local cuisine. Urine from boys with Maple Syrup Urine Disease is particularly prized for its sweet taste.

8. Casu Marzu, Sardinia, Italy

Casu Marzu is a Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese that is deliberately infested with cheese fly larvae (Piophila casei). These larvae feed on the cheese, breaking down its fats and creating a soft, almost liquid texture.

Production: A block of pecorino cheese is left open to attract cheese flies, which lay up to 500 eggs in it. The larvae’s enzymes break down the fats in the cheese, resulting in a partially digested, soft cheese.
Consumption: The cheese is eaten with the living larvae. Diners must protect their eyes from the jumping maggots.

Eating live maggots can be risky, as they can survive inside the new host and bore through intestinal walls. The cheese has a pungent smell, burns the tongue, and leaves a strong aftertaste that lasts for hours. Casu Marzu is banned in the EU, with a fine of €40,000 for both the seller and the buyer.

Versions of Casu Marzu exist in other regions, including:

Region	Name
Corsica	Casgiu merzu
Piedmont	Bross ch’a marcia
Molise	Cacie’ Punt
Salento (Apulia)	Casu puntu

9. Kiviak, South-Western Greenland

Kiviak is a traditional Inuit dish from South-Western Greenland. It involves stuffing a freshly disemboweled seal with up to 500 small arctic birds (Little Auk or Alle Alle), sewing it shut, and sealing it with seal fat. The birds are left to ferment in the carcass for 3 to 18 months.

Preparation: A seal is stuffed with birds, sealed, and buried to ferment.
Consumption: Kiviak is eaten by biting off the bird’s head and sucking out the juices or by eating the birds whole, bones and all.
Taste: The taste of Kiviak has been described as similar to Gorgonzola cheese.

This preservation method helped Greenlanders survive harsh winters and food shortages. However, using the wrong type of bird can be dangerous. In 2013, using Eider birds resulted in botulism, leading to death and illness at a funeral where the Kiviak was served.

10. Surströmming, Northern Sweden

Surströmming is Baltic Sea herring that is caught in the spring and fermented in brine for six months. The fermentation continues in the can. This Swedish delicacy is known for being one of the worst-smelling foods in the world.

Preparation: Baltic Sea herring is fermented in brine for six months.
Consumption: Surströmming is eaten with flatbread, potatoes, and onions, and washed down with schnapps.
Smell: The smell is so strong that it is typically eaten outdoors.

A German landlord once evicted a tenant for opening a can of surströmming in the apartment building’s stairwell. The court ruled in favor of the landlord when the attorney opened a can inside the courtroom to demonstrate the smell.

The fermentation process involves a two-part process where the blood is drawn out, and the herrings are beheaded and gutted. The fish is then placed in a weaker brine and fermented using autolysis.

11. Balut, The Philippines

Balut is a developing bird embryo, usually a duck, incubated for 14 to 21 days, then boiled and served from the shell. This street food is common in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and is considered an aphrodisiac and hangover cure.

Preparation: Fertilized duck eggs are incubated and then boiled.
Consumption: The amniotic fluid is drunk straight from the shell, and the yolk and duck embryo are eaten, bones and beak included.
Taste: The liquid is described as warm, gooey, and gamey.

Most balut is made with Mallard duck eggs, incubated in baskets in the sun. The incubation time determines the duckling’s maturation. In the UK, embryotic birds that have gone over two-thirds of their term are protected animals. The Australian authorities recommend not boiling an embryo after 18 days of incubation.

12. Stinky Tofu, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Stinky tofu is tofu fermented in a strong brine of fermented milk, vegetables, and meat. Dating back to the Qing dynasty, it remains a popular deep-fried street food.

Preparation: Tofu is fermented in a brine of milk, vegetables, and meat.
Consumption: Typically deep-fried and served with spicy sauces.
Smell: The smell has been compared to rotten garbage, stinky feet, rotten meat, raw sewage, and baby poo.

The taste is somewhat eggy and not as bad as the smell, with an aftertaste of urine. The stinkier the tofu, the better the taste is considered to be. Some vendors have been arrested for faking stinky tofu by adding gunpowder or rotten fish to the brine.

13. Su Callu Sardu, Sardinia, Italy

Su Callu Sardu (also known as Callu de cabreddu) literally means goat kid’s rennet. A baby goat is slaughtered after drinking milk, the milk is filtered and poured back into the abomasum (the fourth stomach containing rennet). The stomach is rubbed with salt and hung to dry for months.

Preparation: A baby goat’s stomach is filled with milk and dried.
Consumption: After maturation, the stomach is sliced open, and the cheese is eaten on bread.
Taste: The taste is described as gasoline and ammonia mixed with wax.

It is produced only in Ogliastra on the east coast of Sardinia. When eaten, it initially tastes like goat cheese and Gorgonzola, but the after-taste is very acidic, like stomach acid or vomit, and can last for several days.

14. Frog Juice, Peru

Jugo de Rana, or frog juice, is a smoothie made from blended frogs. A frog is killed, skinned, cleaned, and blended with water and other ingredients like quail eggs, honey, spices, and local plants.

Preparation: A frog is blended with water, quail eggs, honey, spices, and plants.
Consumption: The blended mixture is strained and served as a drink.
Benefits: Street vendors promote it as a healthy aphrodisiac energy drink, believed to cure anemia, bronchitis, asthma, impotence, and osteoporosis.

The strongest taste is that of maca, a root from the Andes of Peru. The juice has a thick shake-like consistency and a distinct frog-like color. The Titicaca frog used in the juice is critically endangered. According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, the demand for frog juice is contributing to the decline of the Titicaca frog population.

15. Sheep Eyeball Juice, Mongolia

Sheep eyeball juice (also known as Mongolian Mary) is pickled sheep eyeballs placed in tomato juice. This concoction is known as a hangover cure and dates back to the time of Genghis Khan.

Preparation: Pickled sheep eyeballs are placed in tomato juice.
Consumption: The mixture is drunk as a hangover cure.
Taste: The eyeball bursts in the mouth, releasing the gel-like vitreous humor.

Eyeballs are high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. Pickled eyeballs are preferred for safety.

16. Hákarl, Iceland

Hákarl is made from the toxic meat of the Greenland shark. To prepare it, Icelanders let the shark rot in the ground for months and then hang it to dry for another five months.

Preparation: Greenland shark meat is rotted and dried for several months.
Consumption: Small cubes of the white rubbery delicacy are served on toothpicks and washed down with Black Death akvavit.
Taste: The pungent smell of death and ammonia is worse than the taste, which is described as “chewing a urine-infested mattress.”

Greenland sharks do not have a urinary tract and urinate through their skin, making their flesh toxic. The fermentation process breaks down the urine and makes it safe to consume.

17. Sannakji, South Korea

Sannakji is octopus that is killed just before serving and immediately sliced into smaller pieces. The arms continue to move on the plate due to the nerves still having activity after death.

Preparation: Octopus is killed and sliced just before serving.
Consumption: Eaten immediately while the arms are still moving.
Caution: If not properly sliced, the octopus suction cups can stick to the inside of the person’s throat.

Two-thirds of the nerves of the San-nakji are located in the arms, enabling complex movements even after being severed from the brain. About six deaths per year occur due to suffocation. Eating live octopus is rumored to be good for your blood sugar levels and contains high levels of energizing taurine.

18. Ikizukuri, Japan

Ikizukuri (生き作り) means prepared alive. It is sashimi made from living seafood, mostly fish but sometimes lobster, frog, octopus, or shrimp.

Preparation: Seafood is prepared alive, with some of the flesh cut into sashimi.
Serving: The fish is served on ice with the cut-off meat placed on top of the body.
Movement: The eyes, gills, tail, and mouth still move as it is consumed.

Ikizukuri is made with only three cuts of the knife. The fish is kept in a tank where the diner can choose their favorite to be prepared. It is illegal in Germany and Australia.

19. Durian, Southeast Asia

Durian is considered the king of fruits but is known for its strong, pungent odor. The smell is described as a mix of rotten onions and raw sewage or foul unwashed socks.

Smell: The odor is so strong that eating durian is banned on public transportation and in hotels in many areas.
Varieties: Thai scientist Songpol Somsri crossbred 90 varieties of Durian to produce the odorless Chantaburi No. 1 and the Chantaburi No. 3, which only develops the smell three days after being picked.
Aphrodisiac: A Malay saying states that “when the durians fall down, the sarongs fly up,” indicating its reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Durian trees are commonly grown in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

20. Ortolan, France

Killing and cooking Ortolan, a delicate little songbird, is banned across the EU. However, French chefs are lobbying for its reintroduction into French cuisine.

Preparation: Captured Ortolans are kept in cages, tricked into overeating and fattening, then drowned alive in Armagnac and cooked.
Consumption: The ritual includes covering one’s head with a napkin to hide from God while eating the bird whole, feet first.
Taste: The meat is said to have hazelnut flavors and a rich gameness.

François Mitterrand’s last meal included ortolans. Despite a €6,000 fine for hunting the birds, the population is still decreasing.

21. Fruit Bat Soup, Guam

Fruit bat soup is a dish from Guam where the bats are cooked whole in soup.

Smell: During cooking, the bats smell strongly of urine.
Taste: The meat is described as sweet and similar to chicken.
Toxins: The bats eat cycad seeds, accumulating toxins that can cause Lytico-bodig disease, a neurodegenerative disease similar to ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.

The soup was so popular that the Guam Fruit Bat was hunted to extinction.

22. Snake Wine, Japan, Vietnam

Snake wine is distilled rice wine mixed with honey and herbs, containing a snake inside the bottle.

Preparation: A snake is chilled until it passes out, gutted, sewn back together, and inserted into the bottle.
Liquor: The alcohol neutralizes the venom, making the liquor safe to drink.
Medicinal Properties: Habu snakes are believed to have medicinal properties and are considered an aphrodisiac.

Habu Sake from Okinawa, Japan

Habashu is Awamori, a liqueur from Okinawa, Japan, containing a Habu snake. The Habu snake is poisonous and can cause vomiting, hypotension, and possible death if bitten.

23. Kopi Luwak Coffee, Indonesia

Kopi Luwak is civet coffee, the most expensive coffee in the world.

Production: Asian palm civets eat ripe coffee cherries, and the partially digested coffee beans are harvested from their feces.
Flavor: The animal’s digestive enzymes are thought to give the coffee its exquisite aroma and flavor.
Ethical Concerns: For industrial production, the animals are often kept in horrific conditions and force-fed coffee cherries.

This coffee is considered by some to be unethical due to animal cruelty. According to a 2013 BBC report, many civets are kept in small cages and fed an unnatural diet, leading to health problems and stress.

24. Tarantula, Cambodia

Fried spider is a regional delicacy in Cambodia, especially in the town of Skuon.

Spider Type: The spiders are a species of tarantula called “a-ping” in Khmer, about the size of a human palm.
Preparation: The spiders are bred in holes or captured in the forests.
Taste: The abdomen and head are crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle with delicate white meat.

Tarantulas became part of the Cambodian diet during the rule of the Khmer Rouge when food was scarce.

25. Nattō, Japan

Nattō is soybeans fermented with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, a popular breakfast dish in Japan.

Preparation: Soybeans are fermented with Bacillus subtilis.
Texture: The beans are stirred with chopsticks to create gooey strings of slime.
Smell: Nattō has a savory aroma of old cheese, old socks, and hot garbage.

Natto is known as a probiotic superfood.

26. Stinking Bishop Cheese, United Kingdom

Stinking Bishop is Britain’s smelliest cheese, made from the milk of rare Gloucestershire cows.

Production: The rind is washed in an alcohol named perry, derived from Stinking Bishop pear.
Smell: The smell has been described as “a rugby club changing room” or a dead body lying around for two weeks.
Taste: The taste is pungent and meaty, and the texture is soft and creamy.

This cheese made an appearance in the movie Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

27. Bävergäll, Sweden

Bävergäll (Beaver Shout) is a Swedish schnapps made by infusing beaver anal glands (castoreum) in alcohol.

Source: Beavers mark their territory with urine and castoreum, a fluid produced by their anal glands.
Taste: The schnapps is bitter with a strong taste of pine trees, tar, leather, and urine.
Historical Significance: In the 1800s, these glands were very valuable, leading to the near extinction of Swedish beavers.

Castoreum has claimed health benefits, such as curing mental disorders, toothaches, epilepsy, and the plague.

Honorable Mentions

Bull Penis, China

Bull penis is eaten for its health benefits and alleged aphrodisiac effect. It is prepared by cutting down the urethra, washing, blanching, and boiling for a long time.

Rocky Mountain Oysters, USA

Bull testicles are eaten in the cattle farming regions of North America. They are peeled, pounded flat, coated in flour and spices, and deep-fried.

Shirako, Japan

Shirako is fish sperm sac filled with seminal fluid, a delicacy during the winter months in Japan. It is described as sweet and custardy with a subtle fishiness.

Century Eggs, China

Century eggs are preserved in a mix of clay, ash, quicklime, and salt for several months. The egg white turns into a black translucent jelly, and the yolk turns into a dark green-grey slime. They have a strong smell and taste of sulfur and ammonia. According to a study in the Journal of Food Science, the unique flavor of century eggs is due to the alkaline hydrolysis of proteins and lipids during the preservation process.

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FAQ About Nasty Foods

1. What makes a food “nasty”?

A food is considered “nasty” based on subjective perceptions influenced by culture, personal experiences, and sensory factors like smell, taste, and texture.

2. Is disgust an evolutionary response?

Yes, disgust is an evolutionary mechanism that helps us avoid potentially harmful or toxic substances.

3. Are there any health benefits to eating “nasty” foods?

Some “nasty” foods, like fermented dishes, can offer probiotic benefits, while others may be rich in nutrients despite their off-putting qualities.

4. How do cultural norms affect our perception of food?

Cultural norms strongly influence our food preferences, with certain dishes being considered delicacies in one culture while being seen as repulsive in another.

5. Can a person learn to enjoy a food they initially found “nasty”?

Yes, repeated exposure and a willingness to try new things can lead to a change in perception and the development of a taste for previously disliked foods.

6. Are there any foods that are universally considered “nasty”?

While individual preferences vary, some foods with extreme odors, textures, or preparation methods (like those involving live animals) tend to be widely considered “nasty.”

7. Why do some foods smell so bad?

The unpleasant smells in some foods are often due to chemical compounds produced during fermentation or decomposition processes.

8. Is it safe to eat foods that are considered “nasty”?

The safety of eating “nasty” foods depends on their preparation and the source of ingredients. Some traditional methods ensure safety, while others may pose health risks.

9. How does the Disgusting Food Museum decide what to exhibit?

The museum’s selection is based on a combination of factors, including cultural significance, historical context, and visitor feedback.

10. Can “nasty” foods be considered art?

Some argue that the cultural significance and complex preparation methods of certain “nasty” foods elevate them to the level of culinary art.