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Photo: SCMP

Japanese fermentation expert Takeo Koizumi tested the odor levels of foods using a device called the Alabaster, and came up with a unit of odor measurement in AU.

Here are the "smelliest" foods in the world according to Takeo Koizumi:

Surstromming Sweden: 8,070 AU

This is a dish of canned, salted and fermented herring. The dish has a very strong, foul smell, also known as rotten herring. The dish causes an extremely unpleasant feeling for those who eat it for the first time. However, this dish is loved by many people.

Hongeo-hoe Korea: 6,230 AU

Hongeo-hoe is a Korean fermented stingray dish that smells like ammonia. The stench, which comes from the urea in the stingray’s body, has been described as reminiscent of an outdoor toilet. After eating, the strong ammonia taste will linger in the mouth and even on the diner’s clothes and hair.

Epicure New Zealand Cheese: 1,870 AU

This New Zealand cheese must be aged for three years in wooden barrels. During the aging process, lactic bacteria are activated and ferment, releasing gases that create a characteristic strong smell.

Greenland Kiviak: 1,370 AU

Kiviak is a traditional winter dish of the Inuit people of Greenland. The main ingredient of the dish is aubergine, fermented in seal skin.

Locals often stuff whole auks into seal skins, up to 500 at a time. They remove the air, seal it with fat and leave it to ferment for three months.

Kiviak is used in winter, often on important holidays.

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Kiviak is a traditional winter dish of the Inuit people of Greenland. Photo: SCMP

Kusaya Salted Fish: 1,267 AU

Kusaya is a type of salted fish that originated in Japan. To prepare Kusaya, people soak mackerel in salt water, then dry it in the sun.

The secret to Kusaya's distinctive stench is in the brine, made from fermented fish viscera, fish blood, mixed with seawater.

Funazushi: 486 AU

Funazushi is made from salted fish and rice, fermented with lactic acid and then the rice is removed, keeping only the fish.

The dish is very smelly but rich in probiotics, minerals and vitamin B1. When used, Funazushi is sliced ​​into thin slices and eaten as a snack.

Natto: 452 AU

Natto is a popular Japanese fermented soybean dish. This nutritious but very smelly dish is made from soybeans fermented with natto bacteria.

The dish is usually served with rice, mixed with soy sauce or karashi mustard. The Japanese have been eating natto for over 1,000 years.

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Stinky tofu Chinese dish. Photo: SCMP

Kusaya: 447 AU

Kusaya is a salted, dried, and fermented fish that gets "smellier" after grilling and is often served with sake or shochu.

Stinky Tofu: 420 AU

Stinky tofu is a Chinese delicacy with a distinctive strong odor. In China, stinky tofu is often sold in night markets or street food stalls.

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