Lola Akinmade

Along with the universal emotions of love, hurt, and happiness shared by all cultures around the globe, there is another thing that ties us together: it's our bizarre love of smelly foods (how did you guess?). From fermented herring to vegetables that smell worse than boiling Brussels sprouts, we've gone in search of the world's stinkiest—yet surprisingly tasty—delicacies.

So you're bored with the regular old hot sauce at your favorite Mexican joint. You've got a tolerance now, and with your iron-clad palate, you think nothing of a few gulps from that bottle of Sriracha for some light summer refreshment. What to do in this dreary fire-free world? Fear not, traveler. Here are some globe-trotting suggestions for where to find the hottest peppers on earth.