Fruit is a food that can not be lacking in the diet of all the people of the world . All fruits have nutrients and vitamins that we need for our health and to eat them, nature is wise and has focused on making these foods look good on the outside and inside, so we are attractive and we eat them with taste … to be able to benefit from all its nutrients. But nature forgot to make one of all its fruits attractive, I mean Durian, the most stinky fruit in the world.
If a fruit is stinky, the last thing that people want is to eat it, we will not even want to have it near us ! A bad-smelling or bad-looking food can not be eaten, because our instincts will tell us that it is dangerous to our health and that we may be putting ourselves in danger.
The durian in the markets of Bangkok
If you have wandered through a market in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore (among other cities), and you have noticed an intense smell of dead animals (although some say it smells more like excrement), you have probably passed by a fruit stand where They sold the infamous durian. It is actually infamous for the unwary tourists who have dared to try it, because it is actually known throughout Southeast Asia as the king of fruits.
How is this fruit so peculiar?
Some describe it as: ‘It’s like eating a vanilla cream in a latrine, and its smell can be described as pig droppings, varnish and onions, all mixed with a sweaty sock’.
The durian grows in trees known as durio and is present throughout Southeast Asia, although it is a fruit native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is a fruit easy to recognize, not only for its intense smell, but for its appearance. Of considerable size (up to 30cm long), it has an elongated or rounded shape and is covered with thorns. In fact its name comes from the Malay “duri”, which means thorn. The pulp of the durian is fleshy and of a yellowish-orange color, with a sweet flavor, although it is difficult to tolerate.
People who want to eat it have to do it holding their breath because the stench is unbearable for some.
An experience with the durian
A colleague of this writing had an experience with this peculiar fruit and describes it in this way:
My first experience with the durian was in a market in the Indian neighborhood of Singapore. I went to a stand that sold it, and instantly the shopkeeper was already offering me a piece to try it on. The curious thing is that the shopkeeper showed a sly smile while offering me the fruit, probably aware of what my reaction would be when I tried it. I have to tell you that if you manage to withstand the smell of durian, the taste is very sweet.
I am sure that many people who sell this fruit and who are accustomed to its smell, will laugh when they see the reaction of other people when facing this fruit for the first time.
In some places it is forbidden
So strong is its smell that it is banned in many airports, hotels and public transportation, throughout all of Southeast Asia. It is without a doubt a unique experience that you can not miss, because once you smell the durian for the first time, you will always remember it.
>Love and hatred towards fruit
This fruit although it has the shell intact and unopened, has a stench so powerful that many people can not stand it. It can be smelled from a distance. Instead, there is a small minority of people who love the smell and taste of the fruit. It seems that the fruit can raise love in some people but tremendous hatred for others.
There are people who eat the inside of the fruit in a raw way , but there are also those who prefer to eat it cooked. The interior of the durian can also be used to flavor a number of dishes from Southeast Asia, and is even used to make traditional sweets.
There are also people who feel great devotion to this fruit because it is also used for traditional Asian medicine , as it serves as an anti-inflammatory, to lower fever and even as a potent aphrodisiac.
Why it smells so bad
This fruit smells so bad because it is a mixture of different chemicals that causes it to produce this strong smell. The compounds are identified by chemical formulas very different from each other (they are about 50 chemical compounds in total).
Interestingly, none of the chemical compounds seem to have something to do with this fruit individually, but among all of them combine different scents and make it something disgusting. The smell that comes off is between fresh, fruity, metallic, burnt, roasted onion, blue cheese, garlic, honey … and each person who smells it adds something different depending on the perception of each one.
All this makes people feel authentic devotion for this fruit, or just the opposite … that they feel revulsion and can not even get close.
Some reactions to the durian
Reactions of children
In this video that I put you thanks to the YouTube channel REACT you can see it in English, but you do not need to know this language to know how they react to this fruit because their faces and behaviors say it all. I put this video first because the children are the most sincere and you can see in them the reality of this peculiar fruit.
Do you think this fruit would like you very much or would you feel revulsion towards it? Have you ever tried it? Tell us about your experience!