Durian
Durian is a fruit native to Thailand. They general grow to be about the size of your average melon. They have a light green layer that is hard like that of a coconut. It has sharp spikes on the outside as well. When you cut the fruit open you can see its sectioned yellow flesh. The odor of this fruit is pungent, some people describe the odor to be like the smell or stinky feet, rotting flesh, or a high concentration of walnuts. The smell is so offensive that it is illegal to be eaten in many public areas all around Asia and there are signs to let you know!
Stinky Tofu
Tofu is made from the juice derived from crushed up soy beans. To make this juice into tofu you follow the same process that you do to make cheese. Essentially tofu is the cheese of the vegetarian world. But beware, this isn't your normal everyday tofu, this has been fermenting for up to 2 years! Sometimes stinky tofu is eaten with the 2 inches of mold still growing on top of it. You could probably compare the taste of this Asian delicacy to that of a moldy piece of cow dung that has been left out in the hot and humid jungle for 3 years. Here's what it looks like.
Casu Marzu
Casu marzu literally translates to “rotten cheese” in Italian. Believe it or not, this cheese is a delicacy in small parts of Italy. This cheese is actually so old that it has hundreds of maggots chowing down in there. This dish is so bad that the Italian government has made the sale of it illegal. But somehow it still fetches a high price on the Black-Market. I feel really bad for any child who was forced to eat this.
Hakarl
Hakarl is a dish that was discovered by a person literally dying of starvation. He was so desperate for food that he dug up a shark that he buried in the ground four months prior and ATE THE SHARK!!! This food is eaten on a regular basis in Iceland. It is said to separate the men from the boys because most can't even keep it down. Today this dish is made by hanging the sharks in a giant shed for four months and letting them ferment that way, but don't worry, they still have that same great taste.
Balut
Balut is eaten all over Central America and is a very common snack. But be wary, this food isn't for you finicky eaters out there, this food is actually a half developed duck embryo, fermented or not fermented, DEPENDS ON PREFERENCE. Anyone who can keep this food down in their stomachs is a real trooper, I cant even imagine have all of that gooey guts and blood in my mouth. As I said though a whole lots of people truly enjoy this dish.
