This 'Bizarre Food' Was One Of The Worst Smelling Things Andrew Zimmern Ever Experienced

Of all the celebrity chefs in the world, Andrew Zimmern stands above the rest for the sheer quantity of strange and unusual dishes he has eaten. Among these foods have been plenty of standouts, such as Zimmern's assortment of favorite sandwiches from around the world, including steamed pork buns, an Italian prosciutto sandwich, and the smoked salmon at Barney Greengrass. There have also been many rough eating experiences for the New York native. There are three ingredients that Zimmern won't eat: Oatmeal, raw cookie dough, and durian. However, the dishes that he has tried are both truly bizarre and genuinely hard to consume. Chief among these is Hákarl, a food you may want to avoid if you have a sensitive stomach or palate.

For the uninitiated, Hákarl is cured Greenland shark meat that is a popular delicacy in Iceland. More specifically, as Zimmern spotlighted in an episode of "Bizarre Foods," the meat is fermented for 6-8 weeks before being hung to dry for an additional 2-3 months. The species has no urinary system, so urea builds up and turns to ammonia after the shark is killed. The fermenting and drying remove the toxic fluids. The ammonia gives Hákarl its strong odor. However, this doesn't negate the fact that Hákarl is effectively just old shark meat, making it a difficult dish for even Andrew Zimmern to approach without instinctively wanting to run for the hills.

Hákarl was easily one of the most bizarre foods that Andrew Zimmern ever got the chance to taste, but it wasn't actually because of its flavor. Instead, the real kicker was the smell that Hákarl gives off: An uncomfortable odor of rot and ammonia. Zimmern was hesitant when he was first introduced to the delicacy on "Bizarre Foods." "Eating it without gagging separates the men from the boys," Zimmern explained. "[Hákarl] producers aren't allowed anywhere near civilization because the smell is so foul. People are known to get violently sick just from the stench."

However, when it comes to actually eating the meat, Hákarl tells an entirely different story. As far as its nutritional value, the meat is considered to be good for heart health, cognitive functioning, and stomach health if eaten in moderation. Plus, while the rotten shark meat's taste wasn't enough to fully overcome its stench, Zimmern did note that its flavor was far superior to what one would think based on its smell. "That smell reminds me of some of the most horrific things I've ever breathed in my life," Zimmern reasserted. "But the taste of it is sweet, nutty, and only faintly fishy." Nevertheless, Zimmern's feelings remained mixed on the Icelandic delicacy, noting that he likely wouldn't recommend it to inexperienced or easily disgusted eaters despite not personally hating its taste.