In the kitchen there are many factors that can greatly influence the sense of taste, think for example of how much we can influence the memories and emotions that food can evoke, as well as the stories we are told before eating. Among the many, one of the aspects of food that can best improve or worsen the perception and the expectation of taste, is the smell. A dish or an ingredient with a pungent or unpleasant smell is able to generate a negative impulse on our senses, even leading us to avoid tasting it. The only exception, in the case of the so-called taste of buying food, is that to make it appreciable and even enjoyable can be a prolonged and lasting exposure over the years, which leads the consumer to develop a positive perception. They are part of this category of These six delicious food smells from different parts of the world, so prejudice is really worth overcoming.

Chameleon plant

The so-called Houttuynia cordata or fish mint in English (fish mint), is agrass with a strong taste and fishy taste. Although little known by us, the chameleon herb is very widespread in Asia, especially in Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and north-eastern India, where it is used for example to season grilled meats, noodle dishes, soups, salads or roulades. The tender roots can also be ground and added to chutney with dried fish, chilli and tamarind, while in some countries the dried leaves are used for tea.

Durian

This fruit is considered "the most smelly in the world" and it is even banned in some public places due to the intense and annoying smell, associated by many with pork meat, bad onions and even dirty socks. Thanks to her characteristic bitter-sweet and slightly spicy flavor, and due to its extraordinary nutritional and antioxidant properties, durian is however much loved throughout Southeast Asia.

Roquefort

Roquefort is a blue cheese from sheep's milk from southern France, famous throughout the world and particularly loved in combination with jams, compotes and chatneys. If at the sight it appears white and pleasantly creamy, with the distinctive veins distinctive of blue mold, both the smell and the taste have one strong acid and pungent component.

Smelly tofu

This recipe known in English as stinky tofu, is very well known in Asia where there are several variations. One of the most famous and appreciated is the Taiwanese deep-fried stinky tofu, a ubiquitous dish in night market stalls and restaurants. In Taiwan the tofu is fermented with a medicinal herb and then fried, it has a contrasting and pleasant taste, and is often served with pickled vegetables or with pork and a pinch of chili pepper. Its odor, which is felt in the distance, is nauseating for many unaccustomed tourists, and recalls the smell of rotten rubbish.

Kimchi

THE fermented foods they are a real craze of recent years, thanks to the widespread desire to rediscover genuine flavors and cooking methods and natural preservation. Among the most popular fermented foods of the moment, in addition to kombucha, kefir and Japanese miso, is the kimchi Korean, famous among other things for the high presence of lactobacilli, true cure for the well-being of the intestine. There are kimchi different recipes, all based on vegetables, but the base generally consists of garlic, onion, Korean pepper and horseradish leaves. This traditional dish is particularly feared for its bad smell, and for this reason it is kept at a safe distance from other foods.

Natto

Still remaining in the field of fermentation and oriental cuisine, another dish as smelly as it is good natto. This traditional japanese food it is the favorite breakfast of the Japanese people and consists of fermented soy beans accompanied by white rice or fish and dressed with soy sauce and spring onions. Although considered a great meal, both in Japan and in other countries, for many the natto remains difficult to eat, just for theunbearable strong odor as for the sticky and viscid consistency due to a sort of stringy jelly that comes to form with the fermentation process. In short, a food that really puts our senses to the test.

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