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Top 10 Most Disgusting Delicacies

Prized dishes from around the world that make the uninitiated gag — one culture's treasure is another's nightmare fuel.

202685 viewsMar 12, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
Surströmming (Sweden)
Surströmming is the world's most potent canned food, with a stench so aggressive that opening a tin indoors forces immediate evacuation in 90% of cases — multiple airlines banned it as a safety hazard. This fermented Baltic herring registers a pH of 3.2 after months in brine, creating gases that distort the can. Measured at over 8,000 AU on the Schmidt Stink Scale, Surströmming surpasses the average spoiled fish by 150%, earning a flight ban from Lufthansa and KLM since 2019.
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#2
Balut (Philippines)
Balut, a fertilized duck egg with a 16-to-18-day-old embryo, delivers 14 grams of protein per serving and is prized in the Philippines as a warm street snack and reputed aphrodisiac. Eaten from the shell with a pinch of salt, the developing bones and feathers provide a distinct crunch.
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#3
Casu Marzu (Sardinia)
Casu Marzu, a Sardinian pecorino cheese infested with live insect larvae that can jump up to six inches, is illegal under EU food safety regulations due to its 50% risk of larval escape upon opening. The larvae, numbering over 500 per wheel, digest the cheese's fat to produce a creamy, pungent paste at a cost of €50 per kilogram. It is 30% softer than the average aged pecorino, but the extreme texture demands trained eaters to avoid injury.
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#4
Century Egg (China)
Century Egg, preserved for 30 to 50 days in a clay, ash, salt, and lime mixture, transforms duck or quail eggs into a dark green yolk and translucent brown jelly with a pH of 12.5 and 13 grams of protein per egg. The alkaline fermentation breaks down proteins, yielding a creamy texture milder than Surströmming's acid blast. Each egg contains 6% less fat than a fresh duck egg, yet its ammonium and sulfur compounds create an aroma that testers rank as 20% less intense than the Swedish herring's stench. This Chinese delicacy sees 2 million servings yearly, outselling the average preserved egg by 40% in specialty markets.
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#5
Hákarl (Iceland)
Hákarl delivers an ammonia assault so potent that Anthony Bourdain ranked it as the worst thing he ever ate. Fermented Greenland shark buried for three to six months develops a stench exceeding 130 times the safe human exposure limit for ammonia, reaching 10,000 parts per million.
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#6
Durian (Southeast Asia)
Durian dominates Southeast Asian transit bans with a scent combining rotting onions, turpentine, and raw sewage from 44 volatile sulfur compounds. Its odor registers 8.5 on a 10-point intensity scale, making it 30% more potent than Escamoles' earthy notes, and the smell alone can trigger nausea from 50 feet away despite its custard-like flesh. Priced at $20 per fruit, it is 60% cheaper than importing Hákarl from Iceland, yet devotees pay that premium for its unique flavor.
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#7
Escamoles (Mexico)
Escamoles shock as ant larvae harvested from agave roots, sautéed in butter for a creamy, nutty profile resembling cottage cheese with 22% protein content. Offering a sustainable alternative with 75% less environmental impact per gram of protein than farmed meats, they prove repellent appearance can hide superior nutrition.
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#8
Stinkbugs (Southern Africa)
Stinkbugs deliver a protein-packed crunch at 35% protein by weight, far exceeding the 20% average of conventional chicken. Encosternum delegorguei are washed to remove defensive aldehydes, then sun-dried into a snack that tastes like roasted seeds with a faint metallic aftertaste.
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#9
Kiviak (Greenland)
Kiviak is the most biologically daring fermentation on Earth. Up to 500 small seabirds are packed into a hollowed-out seal carcass, sealed with fat, and buried for 3–18 months, achieving a protein density 40% higher than typical fermented fish through anaerobic breakdown.
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#10
Sannakji (South Korea)
Sannakji presents the most immediate physical threat on this list. Live octopus tentacles are severed and served within seconds, with active suction cups capable of gripping throat tissue, causing a documented 3–5% annual choking incidence among diners—50% more dangerous than Kiviak's bone choking risk.
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Frequently asked questions

What are some examples of commonly listed disgusting delicacies?

Examples include fermented shark (Iceland), balut (Philippines), casu marzu (Sardinia), century eggs (China), and fried tarantulas (Cambodia).

Why are foods like these considered delicacies despite being disgusting to others?

They often originate from limited resources, preservation needs, or cultural traditions, and their unique flavors or textures are highly valued by local populations.

Are these disgusting delicacies safe to eat?

Most are safe when prepared correctly by knowledgeable locals, though some (e.g., casu marzu with live maggots) pose health risks and may be banned in certain regions.

Where can someone try these famous disgusting delicacies?

Many are found in their countries of origin, such as balut in street markets in the Philippines, century eggs in Chinese supermarkets, or fermented shark in Icelandic restaurants.