Food That Smells Like Feet: What Say You?

[Chris Amirault]

Over in the "Foods that would be sought after" thread, there's been a discussion about ramps, and I found the following Wikipedia entry:

Their smell and taste has been described by Akron Beacon-Journal food columnist Jane Snow as "like fried green onions with a dash of funky feet."

Now, I've never had ramps to my knowledge, but when I read that sentence, I started salivating when I hit the phrase in bold. I had the same reaction when I first read about matsutake mushrooms. And, of course, I absolutely adore blue/bleu cheeses.

So these foods don't have a lot in common except, well, their associative relation to stinky feet. (OK, go ahead and unload all of your foot fetish jokes. Ahem.) What other foods are there that are redolent of the gym sock? And what's your opinion? Am I right in assuming that this is one of those classic love 'em/hate 'em categories?

[jsolomon]

Gym sock soup? It's similar to stone soup, but this version is made to feed wrestlers who still must lose weight to wrestle at the weight class they intend to wrestle in.

[IowaDee]

Would durians fall into the stinky feet catagory? To me, they smell even worse-----stinky, dead feet maybe?

[BonVivant]

i find petai beans extremely offensive! wish someone had warned me before i made that Malay stir-fry of petai beans and prawns.

however i like durian just fine.

[bigwino]

Taleggio, Epoisses and the like are sometimes referred to as having "stinky feet" characteristics. I absolutely love all the stinky cheeses, so I guess I'm in. I adore ramps, too, so I guess I have a pretty strong foot food fetish.

My friends and I all refer to the smell as "dank undercarriage." Seems more vivid than stinky feet.

[NYC Mike]

Melted aged provolone.

[BarbaraY]

I love cumiin but too much smell like gym socks to me.

A little is good, a lot is not better.

[I_call_the_duck]

If you think ramps smell like feet, try ramps with Chinese salted shrimp paste. Gotta say I love 'em.

[Anna N]

Esrom and Tilsit cheeses - yum.

[Tess]

Fritos smell like dogs' feet to me, and I've heard other people make the same comment. I don't care for them.

I go like stinky cheese.

[Pan]

i find petai beans extremely offensive!    wish someone had warned me before i made that Malay stir-fry of petai beans and prawns.

however i like durian just fine.

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Petai really does a number on your urine, too. It's very strong, but I can enjoy it, just not too often.

[Badiane]

I go like stinky cheese.

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I know that is a typo, but it's darn funny

Something else from eGullet that is destined for the family lexicon.

[Kevin72]

At my favorite Tapas place here in town they serve a cured salami that smells like feet; a couple of people have made that comment and won't eat it. I love it though. And yeah, all the cheeses mentioned so far, particularly teleggio, do have that lovely Nike aroma to them . . .

[Jason Perlow]

I dunno Chris, but this better not be the subject of the next Cook-Off thread!

[kiliki]

Fritos especially, but other corn chips and even Cheerios to a lesser extent, all smell like dogs' feet.

[divalasvegas]

My Stinky Feet Favorites:

Stinky Feet Sandwich: Really good liverwurst (cheese optional, but I like havarti), raw onions, strong brown mustard, black bread. Yum.

Liver in general.

Piggie innards aka chitlins/maws.

Strong stinky bleu cheeses of course.

Canned smoked oysters.

[tommy]

feet don't actually smell. the stuff that grows under toe nails for months on end does. and it smells reeeeally tasty.

[divalasvegas]

feet don't actually smell.  the stuff that grows under toe nails for months on end does.  and it smells reeeeally tasty.

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BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Okay, fess up tommy: you've actually tasted that stuff, haven't you?

[monavano]

Fritos smell like dogs' feet to me, and I've heard other people make the same comment. I don't care for them.

I go like stinky cheese.

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Ha! so funny. I call my Bichon Frise my "little frito bandito" for that reason!!

[M.X.Hassett]

I have been re-watching the Sopranos and have noticed that Junior is always saying things smell like feet; wine, food, etc...

[I_call_the_duck]

A great line from the USA series Monk. When the title character, who has severe OCD, realizes that his favorite wine is made the traditional way (think I Love Lucy), exclaims, "it's foot wine!"

[Brad Ballinger]

Words and terms I know I've used in tasting notes for wine: sweat socks, gym socks, locker room, toe jam, feet. And not all of the wines they were associated with were necessarily bad.

[I_call_the_duck]

^^I'm afraid to ask, but what exactly does toe jam taste/smell like?

[Taubear]

Fritos especially, but other corn chips and even Cheerios to a lesser extent, all smell like dogs' feet.

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I have to agree. I can't eat corn chips because they smell like.......well mice. All that running around on the little wheel must make their feet/claws smell.

Corn chips = Mice feet

Call me mad but that the way it is for me.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Taubear (log)

[wesza]

Words and terms I know I've used in tasting notes for wine: sweat socks, gym socks, locker room, toe jam, feet.  And not all of the wines they were associated with were necessarily bad.

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Brad:

During a tasting of Brandy and various high alcohol beverages where "Cheryl Ladd" and other Charlie's Angel's were present we included "Mou Tai" the Chinese Alcohol Beverage that effected "Richard Nixon" during his visit to China.

The unanimous decision was that the beverage reminded everyone of the smell of "TOE CHEESE" so now you've got something else to add to your previous list.

Irwin