Durian the Smelliest Fruit in the World

Durian ( Durio zibethinus Murray ) is considered the King of fruits in Southeast Asia, we hear people say, don’t judge a book by its cover, and as a person who appreciates durian, I would say don’t judge a fruit by its smell. Durians generally invoke one of two extreme reactions either you love the smell, or you hate it with a vengeance. Most people who come within smelling range of the king of fruits for the first time are astounded at the assault on their olfactory senses.

In fact durians are banned from nearly all public establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, airports, and hospitals.

For people who love the king of fruits, the flavor is like the ultimate ecstasy, an orgy of sensations on your palate, when you put the rich and creamy pulp or flesh in your mouth and then savor the uniquely fragrant taste.

For those adventurous enough to brave through the pungent smell, you will enjoy a taste of pure indulgence, an experience your taste buds will never forget. Regardless of whether you will come to love durians or end up hating them, I do guarantee it will be a memorable occasion. For you and for the people around you.

Like most experiences in life, it is the first step that is going to make the difference. The reaction from travelers to Southeast Asia who encounter durian for the first time is truly amusing, it does wonders for their vocabulary, their use of expletives, to compare durians to the most repugnant carcasses, stinky socks, puke, and other things I shall not mention, is entertaining. People can be very creative trying to describe the aroma of this very fragrant fruit.

I would like to point out that for those of us who enjoy eating durians, the aroma is heavenly, and we use altogether different words to describe this fruit, divine, exquisite, delicious being some of the few words that come to mind.

This wondrous fruit has even been used as one of the challenges on Fear Factor, an American TV show.

Would it not be wonderful if someone could harness the durian odor and use it as a deterrent for riots and public unrest?. Its less harmful then all the chemical currently in use. For those who cannot take the smell, they will disperse faster then if a skunk had walked into their midst and for those who enjoy eating durian, the aroma will pacify them and make them feel good and hungry.

For durian aficionados, its always preferable to buy the fruits that fall from the tree when its ripe. That is the reason why, if you do visit a durian orchard, you will see huge netting spread out several feet above ground below the durian trees. Another method is to tie strings to each individual fruit, so when its ripe and falls the fruit just hangs from the string and does not hit the ground and split open. Do not be surprised to see guard dogs roaming the orchards, with a guard house in the close vicinity.

As durians are highly valued, especially some of the cultivated variety, which are named, so that you can always ask for fruits from a specific variety, D for durians, followed by a numerical value, is widely used.

I personally like the one that is named red prawn as the flesh is slightly reddish in color, is firm and creamy, not too mushy like some other varieties. The other variety I enjoy is D12 which is also delicious and not too sweet, each have their own distinct taste, even though we cannot identify the fruit by looking at its outer thorny husk,

Most durian sellers know that people who appreciate this fruit will have a preference as to the variety they enjoy. It's a given that the customer will return the fruit if its not of the variety requested, since the layman buyer finds it hard to distinguish between the different species, we are pretty much at the mercy of the seller to identify the species for us. As the durian stall owner will have his stall at the same place every durian season, he would cater to regulars who return yearly. Customer satisfaction is paramount to his business

My advice for those who would like to be adventurous and happen to go on a holiday to Southeast Asia, try the variety from Thailand which is cultivated to have a much milder odor and a pleasant creamy taste, firm flesh with a small seed. After a person acquires a taste for durian, they should try the Malaysian durian with its fantastic taste and fragrance, for those who appreciate durian, they will love the pungently aromatic variety.

Please be warned. Asians believe that when you eat durian you should not consume alcohol because it will make you ill.

Durians are rich in nutrition. The size of a durian varies and can weigh up to several pounds, consuming a sizable fruit will be like having a meal. Durian are usually round or oblong in shape with sharp thorns, and should be handled with care. It also requires a certain amount of skill to open the shell to get to the flesh or pulp without hurting oneself. The best way is to make a small cut on the bottom of the fruit and pry it open.

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