Many cultures have weird but tasty foods to offer the local community. There are uncountable fermented foods that have strong smells yet are very delicious. For example, some washed-rind cheeses have strong smells, as well as kimchi a well-known smelly fermented traditional Korean food. Natto is a traditional breakfast dish for many people in Japan, and it is a very stinky fermented food made from soybeans.

I used to eat natto constantly for breakfast, even though my mother and I were the only people to eat natto in our family. Other family members would eat breads and yogurts instead and would always yell out “Stinky! You are eating natto again?”
Living with an American roommate in the U.S.A., I was afraid to eat natto in the morning. I was concerned about the smell, not only for my roommate, but for my apartment neighbors. But I missed eating natto, so I decided to eat it while my roommate was not in the apartment. I bought a package of natto, and hid it in the back space of the bottom tray in the fridge. When I opened it, the odor of natto surrounded me immediately, it made me very hungry. I stirred in soy sauce then poured it over rice. I ate the natto greedily without thinking about the smell.Even for many Japanese, natto is stinky dish, but for the people who eat it, it is very tasty.

It turns out, my roommate didn’t notice any smell, so, I bought more natto for my secret eating habits.