What's the least popular food in the world? (And why you might want to try it)

There’s a food so universally disliked that even adventurous eaters pause before taking a bite. It’s not raw fish, not durian, not balut. It’s haggis. And yes, it’s still on menus in Scotland, New Zealand, and parts of Canada - mostly because tradition won’t let it go.

Haggis isn’t just strange. It’s a whole experience. A sheep’s stomach, stuffed with minced organs - heart, liver, lungs - mixed with oatmeal, onions, and spices, then boiled for hours. The smell hits you before you see it. The texture? Like coarse, spiced pudding with a chewy casing. It’s not gross because it’s rotten. It’s gross because it’s honest. There’s no hiding what it is.

Why does this matter if you’re looking for easy dinner recipes? Because the least popular food in the world isn’t just about taste. It’s about perception. And that perception changes when you understand the context.

Why haggis tops the list of disliked foods

A 2023 global survey by the International Food Information Council asked over 15,000 people from 30 countries to name the food they’d refuse to eat, even if it was free. Haggis came out on top. More people said they’d avoid it than liver pâté, fermented shark, or stinky tofu.

It’s not the ingredients themselves. Sheep’s offal has been eaten for centuries across Europe and Asia. It’s the packaging. The idea of eating a stomach filled with ground organs feels like a violation of food norms in cultures where meat comes neatly wrapped in plastic, labeled as "chicken breast" or "ground beef."

When you see haggis on a menu, you don’t know what you’re getting. You know it’s animal parts. You know it’s not pretty. You know it’s not modern. That’s enough for most people to walk away.

Other foods that compete for "least popular"

Haggis leads, but it’s not alone. Here are a few others that consistently rank low in global taste tests:

• Surströmming - Swedish fermented herring. Canned and left to ferment for months, it releases a gas so strong it can make windows fog up. People eat it outdoors, sometimes with potatoes and sour cream, but most just open it from a distance.
• Century eggs - Chinese duck or chicken eggs preserved in clay, ash, salt, and lime for weeks. The yolk turns dark green and creamy. The white becomes jelly-black. They taste like ammonia and earth. Many Westerners gag on the first bite.
• Escamoles - Ant larvae harvested from agave plants in Mexico. They’re buttery, nutty, and expensive. But the idea of eating bugs - even if they’re raised like livestock - turns off a huge portion of the population.
• Stargazy pie - A Cornish dish with fish (usually pilchards) poking their heads out of the crust. It looks like the fish are staring up at the sky. The taste is mild, but the look? Unsettling.

These foods aren’t bad. They’re just not designed for the modern palate shaped by fast food, flavor-neutral snacks, and food that looks like it came from a lab.

Why the least popular foods are still eaten

People don’t eat haggis because it’s delicious. They eat it because it’s part of a story. In Scotland, haggis is served on Burns Night, a celebration of poet Robert Burns. It’s accompanied by bagpipes, recited poetry, and whisky. Eating it isn’t about the flavor - it’s about belonging.

Same with surströmming in Sweden. It’s a summer ritual. Families gather on the coast, open cans in the wind, and laugh as neighbors run away. It’s not food. It’s a test. A shared joke. A cultural handshake.

And that’s the real lesson here. The least popular food isn’t defined by taste. It’s defined by culture. And culture doesn’t care if you like it.

How to approach "weird" foods if you’re trying new dinners

If you’re looking to expand your easy dinner rotation, don’t start with haggis. Start small.

Try this: swap your usual ground beef for lamb mince. It’s richer, slightly gamey, and works great in tacos, pasta sauces, or shepherd’s pie. You’re still eating meat. But you’re getting a new flavor profile without the shock.

Next, try miso paste in soups or marinades. It’s fermented soy. It’s umami. It’s the secret behind why Japanese food tastes so deep. You don’t need to eat raw fish to get it. Just add a spoonful to your next stir-fry.

Or try okra roasted with olive oil and garlic. Raw okra is slimy. Roasted? Crispy, earthy, and surprisingly sweet. It’s not a stretch. It’s a upgrade.

These aren’t "weird" foods. They’re just unfamiliar. And familiarity is the biggest barrier to trying new things.

What’s the point of eating unpopular foods?

It’s not about being brave. It’s about breaking habits.

Most of us eat the same 10 meals on repeat. Chicken, pasta, rice, potatoes. We call them "easy dinners" - and they are. But they’re also boring. And when you’re bored, you stop enjoying food.

Trying something that makes you pause - even if you don’t like it - resets your palate. You start noticing flavors you missed before. You realize that "gross" is just a word your brain uses when something doesn’t match your expectations.

One study from the University of Oxford found that people who regularly tried unfamiliar foods were more likely to report higher satisfaction with their meals overall. Not because they loved the weird stuff. But because they stopped being afraid of it.

Easy dinner hack: Borrow flavors, not whole dishes

You don’t need to cook haggis to get the benefits of global cuisine.

Want that smoky, earthy depth of haggis? Use smoked paprika and black pepper in your ground beef or lentil stew. Add a splash of red wine vinegar for tang. That’s the flavor profile - without the sheep stomach.

Liking the funk of surströmming? Try fish sauce in your stir-fries. A teaspoon adds complexity without the smell. It’s the same principle - fermented umami - but in a form that’s easier to accept.

Curious about century eggs? Try pickled eggs or marinated tofu. They have a similar chew and depth without the visual shock.

Food doesn’t have to be extreme to be exciting. Sometimes, it just needs a little twist.

Final thought: Popularity isn’t a measure of quality

The least popular food in the world isn’t bad. It’s just not for everyone. And that’s okay.

What matters is that you keep trying. Not to be brave. Not to impress. But because food is one of the few things that connects us across cultures - even when it smells bad.

Next time you’re making dinner, skip the same old recipe. Try one ingredient you’ve never used. A spice. A sauce. A grain. You might not love it. But you’ll learn something. And that’s better than another plate of chicken and rice.