The pungent smell of durian fruit deters many people in Southeast Asia. Durian lovers, however, may want to avoid consuming anything with that flavor when making durian ice cream or some other kind of durian pastry due to its disagreeable smell and taste.
Icelanders eat fermented shark meat called hákarl. Some brave diners may add this controversial ingredient to hákarl-flavored sweets. The powerful ammonia-like smell and savory flavor make it an acquired taste and in a way unpopular.
Occasionally, some cultures turn blood pudding into dessert dishes. The rich taste resembling iron can be very off-putting for those who still haven’t developed a palate for such flavors, resulting in the limited popularity of these blood pudding desserts.
Tavuk göğsü, a Turkish delicacy made of chicken breast, milk, and sugar, is perhaps an unexpected meal outside Turkey’s cultural setting. Chicken in a sweet dish is rare thus, it's not widely eaten.
Sago worms are a Southeast Asian delicacy. These larvae are not conventional dessert ingredients, but the psychological barrier of eating insects makes them unpopular.
Unusual treats in Japan include slimy, fermented soybeans called natto. People are wary of natto-flavored ice cream or other sweets because of the unpleasant smell and strange texture.